NMLS SAFE mortgage pre-licensing online, built to the Rules of Conduct

Every MLO in every state starts with NMLS approved pre-licensing, and the online formats come with strict identity rules. Self-study needs biometric checks at intervals. Webinars need cameras on. We build either one on your site, under your brand.

Get a quote for your courseRead the NMLS rules

What NMLS requires of an online course

Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). Summarized from the rule text, with the citation for each so you can check it yourself.

  1. 01

    The 20 hour SAFE comprehensive course

    SAFE Act, NMLS approved pre-licensing education

    Pre-licensing is 20 hours: 3 of federal law, 3 of ethics, 2 on non-traditional mortgage products and 12 of electives, plus any state-specific hours. Both the course and the provider must be NMLS approved.

  2. 02

    Self-study needs biometric checks

    NMLS Rules of Conduct for NMLS Approved PE and CE Courses

    An online self-study student uses their own login and passes biometric identity authentication at intervals during the course.

  3. 03

    Webinars run on camera

    NMLS Rules of Conduct for NMLS Approved PE and CE Courses

    Classroom equivalent webinar students show government ID and pass knowledge-based authentication on entry, keep the camera on from the shoulders up, and face periodic identity and engagement checks. Off camera for more than 10 minutes means removal with no credit.

  4. 04

    Every student attests to the rules

    NMLS Rules of Conduct for NMLS Approved PE and CE Courses

    Each PE and CE student attests to the Rules of Conduct before taking the course.

  5. 05

    Seat time on a 50 minute hour

    NMLS Rules of Conduct, seat time

    Credit hours are measured as 50 minutes of instruction, not 60.

  6. 06

    Bank credit within 7 calendar days

    NMLS Policy on Reporting of Course Completions

    Providers bank credit in NMLS within 7 calendar days after the course ends, counted from the student's own completion for self-paced online. December 31 completions must be uploaded by January 7.

How the platform is built to it

Your course, on your site, under your name. Every requirement above is a feature, not a promise in the application.

Biometric checkpoints in self-study

Identity is re-checked biometrically at set intervals through the course, and a failed check pauses credit, so the student on the account is the one earning the hours.

A webinar room that watches the camera

Entry runs government ID plus knowledge-based questions. The session tracks camera presence, logs every gap, and flags anyone past the 10 minute limit for removal without credit.

A 50 minute hour clock

Seat time is counted in 50 minute units per topic, so the federal law, ethics, non-traditional and elective blocks each show their real hours.

Rules of Conduct attestation on enrollment

Students sign the attestation before the first module opens, and the signed copy stays in their record.

Banking queue with the 7 day clock

Each completion lands in a queue for NMLS banking with its deadline showing, and the year end January 7 cutoff is flagged in December.

The path to NMLS approval

  1. 1

    Get approved by NMLS as a course provider.

  2. 2

    Get the 20 hour SAFE comprehensive course approved, plus any state-specific hours you plan to offer.

  3. 3

    Pick the delivery format, online self-study or classroom equivalent webinar, and build identity checks to the Rules of Conduct for it.

  4. 4

    Have every student attest to the Rules of Conduct.

  5. 5

    Bank each completion in NMLS within 7 calendar days, and upload December 31 completions by January 7.

The terms

We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

One flat fee
Quoted per course before any work starts. No hourly billing and no surprise line items.
Final payment on approval
The last payment is due when the regulator approves the course, so the platform has to pass review before it is paid for in full.
No per-student fees
You keep what every enrollment pays. Nothing is skimmed per seat, per certificate or per month of traffic.
You own it
The platform, the code and the student records are yours outright, on your site and under your brand.

Questions schools ask

What identity checks does NMLS require for online self-study pre-licensing?

The student uses their own login and passes biometric identity authentication at intervals during the course, under the NMLS Rules of Conduct.

How long is an NMLS credit hour?

Fifty minutes. The 20 hour SAFE course is timed on that hour.

How fast do providers have to bank NMLS course credit?

Within 7 calendar days of course end, or of the student's completion for self-paced online. Completions on December 31 go up by January 7.

Can one platform cover state-specific MLO hours too?

Yes. State hours are added as their own modules on the same platform, with their own seat time and completion records.

Do I pay Vaylo for every student?

No. You pay one flat fee per course, the final payment is due when NMLS approves the course, and you own the code. We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

Price your NMLS course

Tell us the course and how you teach it now. You get a flat price back by email, and a list of what the application will ask about the platform.

Or email [email protected]

Sources

Read from the sources above on October 15, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current text with NMLS before you apply. This page is not legal advice.