Illinois: NMLS Pre-Licensing MLO Requirements & Training

Number of Hours Required

State-Specific Ed Required

None

Best Way To Prepare for the Test

20-Hour Online Interactive Course

IL Requires 20 hours of NMLS-Approved Pre-Licensing Education and no state-specific courses. 

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Diehl offers the Pass Promise. If a user completes a simulated exam in Prep2Pass with a 95% or higher score and does not pass the NMLS/SAFE MLO test, they received a full refund for the Test Prep App. To date, 99.8% have passed the NMLS/SAFE MLO test after scoring a 95% or higher in the Prep2Pass Simulated Test.

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Looking for Only State PE?

This state has no state-specific Pre-Licensing Education requirements.

ILLINOIS REQUIREMENTS FOR NMLS PRE-LICENSING EDUCATION

Hours Required By The State: 20 hours (No State-Specific Course Required)

Final Exam Instructions: Each course contains a final exam. A minimum score of 75% is required to pass the final exam and can be taken as many times as needed to pass. This exam is required for education credit, but does not count toward the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test.

NMLS Education Requirement: Diehl Mortgage Training is an NMLS-Approved Training Provider for Pre-Licensing Education #1400133

Seat Time: The state requires that all students spend a minimum amount of seat time engaged in the course content. Our online learning management system tracks engagement by clicking through the course.

Reporting: Upon completion of your course, the NMLS requires course providers to credit-bank your education hours within 7 business days. Diehl banks your hours in as little as 24 hours.

Start and End Date of Course: Your course will close at the end of the 5, 7, or 10-Day period, depending on the path you choose.

Certificates: Upon completion of the course, Diehl Mortgage Training & Compliance will email you a certificate of completion. Please download and hold onto this certificate to show proof of education completion. 

https://www.il.gov/

Step 1 – Review your checklist

Go to the State Licensing Requirements Page for your state and gather required documentation which may need to be uploaded and sent to the state agency.

All state licensed MLOs and certain individuals as mandated by their state agency are required to pass the National SAFE MLO test, complete pre-licensure education, and submit to a criminal background and credit check prior to submitting an application in NMLS. Review Professional Standards for more details on the Criminal Background Check, Testing, Education, and Credit Report process. 


Step 2 – Coordinate with your company

NMLS is the official system of record so it is important to coordinate use with your employer. If your company is licensed with or registered in a state through NMLS, either of you can complete your first Individual Form (MU4) in NMLS. Whoever creates the first Individual Form (MU4) must pay any associated fees when it is submitted to the state agency. If your company is completing your first Individual Form (MU4), wait for their direction before proceeding. 


Step 3 – Create an account

NOTE: The information used to create the account must be accurate, complete and reflect information found on legal documentation. Inaccurate information may result in one or more duplicate accounts. If duplicate accounts are created, the responsible individual or company is liable for all fees associated with resolving the error.

Navigate to NMLS.

Click the Log Into NMLS button.

Click the Request an Account link.

Select the Individual option.

Review the Quick Guide: Creating an Individual Account for further assistance.


Step 4 – Log into NMLS

If your company created your first Individual Form (MU4), log in with the credentials provided, review your Individual Form (MU4), make any necessary corrections and attest to its accuracy. 

Review the Attestation Quick Guide for further assistance. 

NMLS Pre-Licensing MLO
Requirements & Training

What are Illinois requirements for MLO Pre-Licensing Education?

Those interested in the Illinois NMLS pre-licensing course should know that applicants for new state-licensed MLOs must complete 20 hours worth of NMLS-approved education. This includes:

  • 3 hours of federal law
  • 3 hours of ethics
  • 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending training
  • 12 hours of electives

     

Those who fail to maintain a valid license for a minimum of 3 years should complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education within 3 years of the date of application for the license.

 

State-licensed MLOs also need to complete 8 hours of NMLS-approved mortgage education yearly, starting from the year of their license, unless they completed the PE in the same year. This includes:

  • 3 hours of federal law
  • 2 hours of ethics
  • 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending
  • 1 hour of electives

     

It is advised that MLOs should not take the same CE course two years consecutively to comply with the SAFE Act’s successive years rule. 

 

For more information on NMLS PE for MLOs, you can contact Diehl Education using the following information:

  • Phone: 317-272-7600
  • Email: support@diehl1.com
  • Website: https://diehleducation.com/ 
  • Address: 11216 Fall Creek Road, Suite 111, Indianapolis, IN 46256 USA
How do I contact Illinois mortgage licensing?

For any queries regarding the Illinois NMLS new license, contact the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation using the following information:

  • Phone: 844-768-1713
  • Email: FPR.LOANORIGINATOR@Illinois.gov
  • Website: www.idfpr.com
  • Address: 320 W Washington St #3, Springfield, IL 62786, United States

     

For further details about licensing agencies in Illinois, you can visit the NMLS Illinois MLO License Description

How long is the 20-hour Illinois NMLS Pre-Licensing course good for?

Note that the 20-hour Illinois pre-licensing course doesn’t expire once you successfully complete it. But the National test does expire. Plus, the results of a previously passed test will also expire if an individual doesn’t obtain an active federal registration or a license for five consecutive years. You will need to sit for a retest to get the license.  

Is there a deadline to complete PE in Illinois?

Since PE is a prerequisite for the license, there’s no official deadline to complete the Illinois PE courses. However, our PE courses are Online Instructor-Led which means that you must complete the course within the stated 7 or 10 days after the start of the course. Once you complete studying for the NMLS Pre-Licensing course, it’s up to you when you want to take the test (according to NMLS scheduling conditions).

Keep in mind that candidates who fail the test component three times will have to wait for 180 days before they can retake the test.

How does Diehl help prepare for Illinois mortgage license?

With over 20 years of experience in the competitive mortgage industry, Diehl trainers know how to properly prepare you for the Illinois mortgage license test. Apart from providing top-notch NMLS-Approved education, the trainers also focus on making the studying process convenient and easy for students. 

In addition, for further test preparations and the Illinois mortgage loan officer training, Diehl Education provides tools like the Prep2Pass SAFE MLO Test tool that allows students to sit for a mock test before they go for the real exam.  

Diehl Education offers training in other states if you want to add licensing in another state

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