8 Hours of 2025 Georgia MLO Continuing Education

​​​​​​​The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) requires mortgage licensees in this state to take a one-hour course on Georgia mortgage lending rules as part of the licensees' annual continuing education requirement for license renewal. This course covers three Georgia mortgage topics for licensee continuing education.

The first module of this course is an overview of the Department of Banking and Finance. Students will learn the values of the DBF and how the department is structured.

The second module of the course examines various rules outlined in Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) §7-1-1000 to §7-1-1019. These regulations cover prohibited conduct and the authority of the DBF.

The third and last module identifies other mortgage lending laws defined in Georgia Rules and Regulations (R&R) § 80-11-1. We'll cover disclosures, advertisement regulations, and main/branch offices.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course is broken down into several learning topics. At the end of the course a 15-question final exam will be given. The topics included in this course are:

1. Module 1: The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance
2. Module 2: Mortgage Laws and Rules
3. Module 3: Miscellaneous Georgia Rules and Regulations
4. Final exam

Total study time: 1 credit hour (50 minutes)

This course will prepare Georgia-licensed MLOs to:

• Describe the core values of the Department of Banking and Finance (DBF)

• Identify the entities that are regulated by the DBF

• Paraphrase definitions as outlined by OCGA §7-1-1000

• Describe the entities and individuals who are exempt from mortgage licensing

• Outline the information and disclosures required on a license application

• Recognize the surety bond and record keeping requirements for brokers and lenders

• Identify prohibited actions defined in Title 7 Chapter 1

• Define the DBF's powers to suspend or revoke a mortgage license

• Define the compliance requirements when delivering loan disclosure documents

• Outline the guidelines for advertising loan terms to Georgia consumers

• Review the DBF requirements for main offices and branch offices

• Identify the role of a branch manager in the office

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center.

This course will instruct mortgage loan originators on a number of regulations that they will have to comply with while taking part in their mortgage loan origination activities. Rules, such as those implemented by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, are set in place to protect the interest and well-being of consumers who apply for mortgages to purchase or refinance their properties. To ensure that their business practices satisfy the regulations adopted by federal laws, mortgage loan originators need to keep current on the guidelines published by supervising entities.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course consists of three sections and a final exam:

1. Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

2. Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

3. Non-traditional Mortgage Products

4. Final exam

Total study time: 7 credit hours (5 hours, 30 minutes)

Module 1: Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

Study Time: 3 clock hours (150 minutes of federal law)

Licensed and registered mortgage lenders, brokers, and mortgage loan originators are required to maintain a consistent and current understanding of all regulatory requirements with which they are obligated to comply. This especially applies to individual mortgage loan originators who, in addition to their sponsoring company, will be held accountable for failures discovered through regulatory examinations and investigations involving residential mortgage loans that they originate.

The topics outlined in this module are mandated by the NMLS and state regulators, covering the more egregious regulatory compliance failures recently discovered through various regulatory examinations, investigations, and audits.

Module 2: Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of ethics, fraud, and consumer protection)

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) was signed into law in 1974 and became effective in June 1975. One function of RESPA was to eliminate kickbacks and unearned fees initiated by those involved in loan settlement services. Before the passage of RESPA, parties associated with the buying and selling of real estate, including lenders, real estate agents, and title companies, often engaged in undisclosed kickbacks to each other, which inflated the costs of real estate transactions and often did not properly disclose all closing costs to consumers.

While RESPA contains various consumer protection regulations, in this ethics section we're going to concentrate on the regulation's prohibitions on kickbacks and referral fees.

Module 3: Non-traditional Mortgage Products

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of non-traditional mortgage)

Besides traditional conventional loan products, there are other options available when it comes to rehabilitating a home for purchase or refinance that might be better for the needs of a borrower.

In this module, let's explore some unique mortgage products available to borrowers that may better fit their needs compared to a conventional mortgage loan These other options include the FHA 203(k) property rehabilitation loan, four types of energy efficient mortgage products, and the Fannie Mae HomeReady® rehab loan product.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center