How to Become a Mortgage Broker in Alabama

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Mortgage Broker Licenses Issued in Alabama

Alabama mortgage brokers and loan originators are licensed by the State Banking Department under the Alabama Mortgage Brokers Licensing Act. A mortgage broker license enables the licensee to solicit, negotiate, and process residential mortgage loans (both first and second mortgages) on properties located within Alabama.

Mortgage broker licenses are issued to companies and sole proprietors. Mortgage loan originators who work for a mortgage broker must also be licensed by the State Banking Department.

What Does the Licensing Process Involve?

Mortgage broker license applications are submitted to and processed by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS), but hard copies of certain required documents are mailed directly to:

State Banking Department of Alabama, Bureau of Loans

P.O. Box 4600

Montgomery, AL 36103-4600

If the required documents aren�t received within 5 days of the date that the application was submitted to NMLS, your application can be administratively withdrawn by the Department.

One important document that must be mailed to the State Banking Department is a mortgage broker surety bond. The bond must be in an amount that is based on the volume of residential loans closed in the previous year:

Previous Year�s Loan Volume

Required Bond Amount

$0 to $25 million

$25,000

More than $20 million to $100 million

$50,000

In excess of $100 million

$75,000

For applicants lacking a history upon which to base the required bond amount, the Department will set the amount.

Why Is a Surety Bond Required?

Nationwide, state licensing authorities require license applicants in many professions to purchase a license and permit surety bond. The bond serves as a guarantee that licensees will conduct business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and industry standards.

The mortgage broker bond required by the State Banking Department in Alabama provides protection for those who could suffer a financial loss due to the unlawful or unethical actions of a licensed mortgage broker. The mortgage broker surety bond agreement spells out the behavior required of mortgage brokers in order to avoid claims being filed against the bond.

What Happens if a Claim is Filed?

There are three parties to every surety bond agreement, which is a legally binding contract:

  • The obligee, the party requiring the bond, is the State Banking Department.
  • The principal, the party required to purchase the bond, is the applicant for a mortgage broker license.
  • The surety is the company underwriting and issuing the bond.

The first thing that happens when a claim is filed is for the surety to investigate to ensure that the claim is valid. The surety then typically tries to settle the claim, but if that�s unsuccessful, the surety will pay the claim.

However, the surety bond contract indemnifies the surety and makes the principal solely responsible for paying claims. So any advance payment to a claimant is essentially a loan to the principal�a loan that must be repaid by the principal.

What Does a Mortgage Broker Bond Cost?

The annual premium for a mortgage broker bond is a small percentage of the required bond amount. Because the principal must reimburse the surety for claims paid in advance by the surety, the surety must be relatively confident that the principal is creditworthy. So, the surety�s top concern in determining what premium rate the principal will pay is the principal�s personal credit score.

Bond applicants with good credit typically pay the standard market rate of between 1% and 3% of the required bond amount. Applicants with poor credit will pay a higher premium rate.

Get Bonded Today for Your Alabama Mortgage Broker License

We�re here to help you get the surety bond you need in order to obtain or renew your Alabama mortgage broker license.

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