Interim License Information

The interim license was created to facilitate licensing for such individuals who were previously exempt so that they may continue to operate while completing certain requirements - fingerprinting/criminal background check; credit check; surety bonding; and pre-licensing education/testing. To qualify for an interim license, previously exempt individuals must fall into one of the following two categories:

(1) the individual must be employed by a person that makes mortgage loans, is not a mortgage broker, and is a licensed mortgage lender or a person exempt from licensing under Title 11, Subtitle 5 of the Financial Institutions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland;

or

(2) the individual owns a 25 percent or more interest in a mortgage lender as of July 1, 2009 and as of the date of the application for an Interim license.

The Affidavit and the Employer Acknowledgement provide the Commissioner with the basis for that determination and upon receipt of them, applicants that are otherwise qualified will receive an interim license – “approved deficient” under the NMLS system - pursuant to which they can continue conducting origination activities. The interim license precludes the licensee from brokering loans where the former exemption was based upon working for a mortgage lender that does not broker loans (item (1) above).

Upon completion of the deferred licensing requirements identified above and approval by the State of Maryland through NMLS, the interim restrictions regarding brokering loans will be eliminated. While the licenses will expire on December 31, 2010, the individual must complete the deferred licensing requirements no later than July 31, 2010.

If you have questions, please contact the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation at 410-230-6155 or 888-784-0136. For questions on using NMLS, contact the NMLS Call Center at 240-386-4444. Also, you are encouraged to sign up to receive the Office of Financial Regulation’s “Mortgage Licensing Update” via email. This is a key tool to keep you posted on new developments related to Maryland’s NMLS transition. CLICK HERE to sign up.