# Which states license debt collectors through NMLS? *Reviewed 2026-07-30* ## Short answer California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland are among the states that file debt collection licenses through NMLS: California under the Debt Collection Licensing Act, Illinois under the Collection Agency Act, Massachusetts through the Division of Banks, and Maryland under the Collection Agency Licensing Act. The list grows as states migrate license types onto the system, so check the state's current application checklist before filing. States adopt NMLS license type by license type, so the map is uneven and changes over time. In an NMLS state, the collection agency or debt buyer license application is only accepted through the system: the company files its NMLS company form once, then submits that state's license request with its checklist documents and fees. In the remaining licensing states, applications still go directly to the regulator, and a few states require only a registered surety bond rather than a license. For operators the practical division is calendar and workflow. NMLS licenses renew inside the system during the year-end renewal window, while direct-filed licenses renew on each state's own cycle, so a multi-state program runs both tracks at once. Our per-state debt collection law pages note each state's regulator, bond, and filing route, and the NMLS explainer covers how the company record itself works. ## Related - [NMLS for debt buyers and collection agencies](/nmls-for-debt-collectors) - [Debt collection laws by state](/debt-collection-state-laws) - [Third-party collection agency license](/third-party-collection-agency-license) - [Talk with our team](/contact) --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "Which states license debt collectors through NMLS?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/answers/which-states-license-debt-collectors-through-nmls Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above and note the last-updated date (2026-07-30). The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.