# Do loan brokers need a license? *Reviewed 2026-07-21* ## Short answer In many states, yes. Loan brokering is licensed separately from lending: a company that arranges loans between borrowers and lenders can need a loan broker, credit services, or mortgage broker license depending on the state and the loan type. Mortgage brokering is licensed nearly everywhere through the NMLS, consumer loan brokering is licensed or registered in many states, and commercial loan brokering requirements are fewer but growing. The broker analysis starts with the loan type. Mortgage brokering is the most consistently licensed: company and individual originator licenses through the NMLS in essentially every state where you arrange residential mortgage loans. Consumer loan brokering falls under loan broker or credit services statutes in many states, some of which also require a bond. Commercial loan brokering is the lightest layer today, but states adding commercial financing laws have started to include broker registrations. Brokers also inherit scrutiny from the lenders they send business to, since many states hold a licensed lender responsible for the licensing of the channel that sources its loans. Mapping the broker license alongside the lender's own licenses keeps both sides of the referral relationship clean. ## Related - [Mortgage lender and broker licensing](/mortgage-lender-broker-licensing) - [Consumer lending licensing](/consumer-lending-licensing) - [Commercial lending licensing](/commercial-lending-licensing) --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "Do loan brokers need a license?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/answers/do-loan-brokers-need-a-license Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above and note the last-updated date (2026-07-21). The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.