How Long Does it Take to Get a Mortgage License?

Mortgage Licensing can be a very arduous process.documentation, the processor can easily get frustrated
Any time we deal with the government, the likelyhoodand confused on what is needed. The processor will
of getting great customer service is very slim. Thelikely put your file on the bottom of the stack and work
reason being that the state or federal governmenton it later. It can go back and forth for a long time. The
employees are not compensated with bonuses orsame situation occurs with licensing. If the file is missing
commissions for processing more applications eachmajor items, then the state analyst has to request
month. Most government employees that I havethose items, and your application is put on the bottom
worked with are just doing the minimum needed toof the pile. Again, a process that should take a couple
stay employed so that they can receive their checkmonths turns into 4 or 5 months very easily.
each month and their retirement at the end of theirAnother very important aspect of how long it will take
career. There are some exceptions though. A fewto get a mortgage license is the time to prepare the
states have great management and helpful licensingapplication. I have seen applications completed in a few
analysts. New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Delaware,days, and I have also seen applications take numerous
Tennessee, and Wyoming are few examples.months to be completed. When I prepare mortgage
With that being said, processing times for new licenselicense applications, I will send a list of needed items to
applications can greatly differ. If you apply for a Newthe mortgage company. If the company does not
Mexico license on a Monday, it is possible to have itprovide me the items, I cannot complete the application.
approved by Friday. However, if you apply for a NewUsually the needed items are simple such as resumes,
York license on January 1st, it is possible that youcredit reports, and financials on the owners or
won't have the license by the following year. They areformation documents, financials, and reference letters
just very unorganized and the red tape can stop youon the company, however, if they are not provided, the
in your tracks at times. Generally though, most statesapplication will just sit and the timeframe for the state
take about 2 month to process a license application,to process the application will never start.
because the state regulations require them to provideUsually most companies are able to provide the
you with a response within 60 days. As long as youneeded documentation within 2 to 4 weeks. And the
submit everything correctly the first time, you canstates take 8 to 12 weeks to process the application.
expect to have your license in that time frame. If itemsSo the average time to obtain a mortgage license
are missing, the time can easily double to 4 or morefrom start to finish is between 10 to 16 weeks. But
months.remember, you need to make sure the application is
Having a complete application is one of the mostcomplete and to provide the needed documentation
important steps to reducing the time for the state toright away or it could easily turn in to a 9 to 12 month
process the application. For example, when you submitprocess.
a loan to a processor, if the file is missing half of the