Sources
NMLS exam law, the full text
Everything the exam draws on, in one place. The paper is closed book, so this is reading to do now, not on the day.
The statutes
Enacted law, from the United States Code, reproduced in full. Where only part of a chapter is here, the page says which part.
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SAFE Act, 12 USC chapter 51
The statute behind the national test: the licensing and registration requirements, the minimum standards, the testing requirement and temporary authority.
Read the text -
RESPA, 12 USC chapter 27
Section 8 on kickbacks and unearned fees, section 9 on title insurance, section 10 on escrow limits, and the servicing provisions.
Read the text -
HMDA, 12 USC chapter 29
The statute Regulation C implements.
Read the text -
Homeowners Protection Act, 12 USC ch. 49
Private mortgage insurance cancellation and automatic termination: the 80 and 78 percent thresholds, the disclosures at consummation and annually.
Read the text -
Dodd-Frank Act, 12 USC chapter 53
The Dodd-Frank Act as codified: the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection in Subchapter V and the mortgage reform provisions the exam names.
Read the text -
TILA, FCRA and ECOA, 15 USC chapter 41
One chapter carrying three exam statutes: the Truth in Lending Act with HOEPA, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
Read the text -
GLBA privacy, 15 USC chapter 94
Subchapter I, disclosure of nonpublic personal information, and the safeguards duty in 6801(b); Subchapter II on pretexting.
Read the text -
E-Sign Act, 15 USC chapter 96
Validity of electronic records and signatures, and the consumer consent requirements in 7001(c).
Read the text -
Fair Housing Act, 42 USC chapter 45
The Fair Housing Act: the protected classes, discrimination in residential real estate-related transactions (3605), and enforcement.
Read the text -
Flood insurance, 42 USC chapter 50
The Flood Disaster Protection Act requirement that a loan secured by property in a special flood hazard area carry flood insurance (4012a).
Read the text -
Bank Secrecy Act, 31 USC chapter 53
Records and reports on monetary instruments transactions: the anti-money laundering programme duty, suspicious activity reports, and the PATRIOT Act.
Read the text
The regulations
Rules made under the statutes above, from the Code of Federal Regulations, reproduced in full, with the Federal Register notices that move a figure named and linked.
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Regulation Z, 12 CFR Part 1026
The regulation the test asks most about: the finance charge, the closed-end disclosures, TRID, originator compensation, HOEPA and ability to repay.
Read the text -
Regulation X, 12 CFR Part 1024
Kickbacks and referral fees, affiliated business arrangements, escrow accounts, the special information booklet, and the servicing rules.
Read the text -
Regulation B, 12 CFR Part 1002
The prohibited bases, the rules on taking and evaluating an application, notification and adverse action, appraisals, and record retention.
Read the text -
Regulation C, 12 CFR Part 1003
Which institutions report, which transactions are covered, the data points collected, and the disclosure and reporting rules.
Read the text -
Regulation V, 12 CFR Part 1022
Fair Credit Reporting rules: affiliate marketing, furnisher duties, risk-based pricing notices, and the identity theft red flags.
Read the text -
Regulation P, 12 CFR Part 1016
The GLBA privacy notice rules: initial and annual notices, opt-out, the model form in the appendix.
Read the text -
Regulation G, 12 CFR Part 1007
Registration of loan originators employed by banks, credit unions and their subsidiaries: who registers, the unique identifier, and the information collected.
Read the text -
Regulation H, 12 CFR Part 1008
The federal minimum standards a state licensing system for originators meets: who is licensed, education, testing, and the bond or net worth rule.
Read the text -
Regulation N, 12 CFR Part 1014
The prohibited misrepresentations in mortgage advertising and the record-keeping duty.
Read the text -
Regulation O, 12 CFR Part 1015
The advance-fee ban and disclosure rules for mortgage assistance relief services.
Read the text -
Bank Secrecy Act, 31 CFR Part 1010
The definitions, the currency transaction and suspicious activity reporting framework, record keeping, and the PATRIOT Act sections across institutions.
Read the text -
Bank Secrecy Act, 31 CFR Part 1029
The anti-money laundering program and suspicious activity report requirements for non-bank residential mortgage lenders and originators.
Read the text -
Fair Housing Act rules, 24 CFR Part 100
HUD's rules on what the Fair Housing Act prohibits in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, including real estate-related transactions.
Read the text -
GLBA Safeguards Rule, 16 CFR Part 314
The GLBA Safeguards Rule for non-bank financial institutions: the information security program and its required elements.
Read the text -
Red Flags Rule, 16 CFR Part 681
The Red Flags Rule: the identity theft prevention program a creditor with covered accounts must run, with the guidelines in Appendix A.
Read the text -
Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR Part 310
The FTC rule that carries the National Do Not Call Registry requirements and the mortgage assistance relief telemarketing provisions.
Read the text -
CAN-SPAM Rule, 16 CFR Part 316
The FTC's rule under the CAN-SPAM Act for commercial electronic mail.
Read the text -
FCC telemarketing rules, 47 CFR 64 subpart L
The FCC's rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act: the Do Not Call rules for telephone solicitations, 64.1200 and its neighbours.
Read the text -
Regulation Z thresholds for 2026, 90 FR
Effective 1 January 2026. The 2026 HOEPA total loan amount and points-and-fees thresholds, and the qualified mortgage points-and-fees limits.
What it is and where to find it -
Regulation Z thresholds for 2025, 89 FR
Effective 1 January 2025.
What it is and where to find it -
HPML appraisal threshold for 2026, 90 FR
Effective 1 January 2026. The loan amount below which a higher-priced mortgage loan is exempt from the appraisal requirement.
What it is and where to find it -
Regulation Z asset size for 2026, 91 FR
Effective 7 January 2026.
What it is and where to find it -
Regulation C asset size for 2026, 91 FR
Effective 7 January 2026.
What it is and where to find it -
Regulation Z notice, 90 FR, December 2025
Effective 1 January 2026. The Regulation Z consumer credit exemption threshold adjustment.
What it is and where to find it -
FinCEN AML rule for originators, 77 FR 8148
Effective 16 April 2012.
What it is and where to find it
Guides
Agency guidance and program handbooks. Guidance says how a rule is read; it is not the rule.
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Ability to repay and QM, comparison chart
A side-by-side chart of the General, Seasoned and Small Creditor qualified mortgage definitions after the 2021 amendments.
What it is and where to find it -
ATR/QM amendments of December 2020, CFPB
The Bureau's own summary of the December 2020 ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage final rules.
What it is and where to find it -
ATR/QM amendments of April 2021, CFPB
The Bureau's own summary of the April 2021 rule that moved the mandatory compliance date for the General QM definition.
What it is and where to find it -
Prepaid interest and the General QM APR
How prepaid interest is treated in the annual percentage rate when a loan is tested against the General QM price threshold.
What it is and where to find it -
Ability to repay and QM rule, CFPB guide
The ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage rules end to end: the eight underwriting factors, the QM categories and the protections each carries.
What it is and where to find it -
Servicing transfers, CFPB bulletin 2014-01
What the Bureau expects of a servicer when servicing is transferred, and the servicing rules a transfer does not suspend.
What it is and where to find it -
PMI cancellation, CFPB bulletin 2015-03
How the Homeowners Protection Act cancellation, automatic termination and final termination rules for private mortgage insurance are applied.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB buying a house guide to closing forms
A consumer walk-through of the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure, page by page and box by box.
What it is and where to find it -
CHARM booklet, adjustable-rate mortgages
The consumer handbook a creditor gives with an adjustable-rate mortgage application: indexes, margins, caps and payment shock.
What it is and where to find it -
ECOA baseline review modules, CFPB
The examination modules an ECOA baseline review works through, from the credit lifecycle to fair lending risk.
What it is and where to find it -
ECOA examination procedures, CFPB
The examination procedures for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Regulation B.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB ECOA valuations delivery factsheet
When a copy of an appraisal or other written valuation has to reach the applicant under the ECOA valuations rule.
What it is and where to find it -
ECOA valuations rule, CFPB guide
The ECOA valuations rule explained: which valuations are covered, the notice, the delivery deadline and the waiver.
What it is and where to find it -
ECOA valuations coverage, CFPB factsheet
Which transactions the ECOA valuations rule reaches, and which it does not.
What it is and where to find it -
Escrow disclosures, CFPB guidance
The escrow account disclosure forms and the guidance that goes with them under Regulation X.
What it is and where to find it -
HELOCs, the CFPB consumer brochure
The consumer brochure a creditor gives with a home equity line of credit application: how a HELOC works and what it costs.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB HMDA ethnicity and race collection v2
How ethnicity and race are collected and reported under Regulation C, including collection by observation.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB HMDA institutional coverage chart 2023
A chart for working out whether an institution reports under Regulation C.
What it is and where to find it -
Reportable HMDA data chart, 2024
Every data point a covered institution reports under Regulation C, with what each one records.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB HMDA sample data collection form
The sample form for collecting an applicant's ethnicity, race and sex under Regulation C.
What it is and where to find it -
HMDA small entity compliance guide, CFPB
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act rules end to end: who reports, which transactions count, what is collected and when it is filed.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB HMDA transactional coverage chart 2023
A chart for working out whether a transaction is reportable under Regulation C.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB HOEPA small entity compliance guide
The high-cost mortgage rules: the three coverage tests, the restrictions a high-cost mortgage carries, and the homeownership counseling requirement.
What it is and where to find it -
HPML appraisal rule, CFPB guide
The appraisal requirements for a higher-priced mortgage loan: when an appraisal is required, when a second one is, and the exemptions.
What it is and where to find it -
HPML escrow exemption, CFPB summary
The Bureau's summary of the 2021 rule exempting certain insured depository institutions from the HPML escrow requirement.
What it is and where to find it -
HPML escrow rule, CFPB guide
The escrow requirement for a higher-priced mortgage loan: which loans need one, for how long, and who is exempt.
What it is and where to find it -
Loan originator compensation, CFPB rule
The 2013 final rule on loan originator compensation and qualification, with the Bureau's reasoning for each provision.
What it is and where to find it -
Loan originator rule, CFPB guide
The loan originator rule: who is an originator, the compensation that is prohibited, the anti-steering rule and the qualification requirements.
What it is and where to find it -
Origination examination procedures, CFPB
The examination procedures for mortgage origination, module by module.
What it is and where to find it -
Origination rules coverage, CFPB chart
Which of the mortgage origination rules reach which transactions, in one chart.
What it is and where to find it -
Dodd-Frank mortgage rules readiness guide
A readiness checklist across the mortgage rules, with the requirements each one adds.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB mortgage servicing coverage chart
Which servicing rules apply to which servicers and which loans, in one chart.
What it is and where to find it -
Servicing examination procedures, CFPB
The examination procedures for mortgage servicing.
What it is and where to find it -
Servicing small entity guide, CFPB
The Regulation X and Regulation Z servicing rules: error resolution, information requests, force-placed insurance and loss mitigation.
What it is and where to find it -
Eligibility for making Qualified Mortgages
A chart for working out which qualified mortgage definition a loan is eligible for.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB RESPA other applicable documents HUD
The HUD-era RESPA material the Bureau still publishes, including the statements of policy on affiliated business arrangements.
What it is and where to find it -
Small Creditor Qualified Mortgage Flowchart
A flowchart for working out whether a creditor is a small creditor and whether a loan is a small creditor qualified mortgage.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID 2017 amendments executive summary
The Bureau's summary of the 2017 amendments to the TRID disclosure rules.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID 2017 detailed summary of changes
Every 2017 change to the TRID rules, provision by provision.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID 2018 amendments executive summary
The Bureau's summary of the 2018 amendment that addressed the black hole in resetting tolerances.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID combined construction loan guide
How the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure are completed for a construction loan disclosed as one transaction.
What it is and where to find it -
TRID disclosure timeline example
A worked timeline of a transaction under the TRID rules, from application to consummation.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID factsheet assumptions
When an assumption is a new transaction under the TRID rules, and which disclosures it triggers.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID factsheet title insurance
How title insurance premiums are disclosed on the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure, including the simultaneous issuance calculation.
What it is and where to find it -
Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure guide
The Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure completed line by line, with the rule behind each field.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB TRID separate construction loan guide
How the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure are completed for a construction loan disclosed as two transactions.
What it is and where to find it -
TRID small entity compliance guide, CFPB
The TRID disclosure rules end to end: coverage, the two forms, the timing, the tolerances and what resets them.
What it is and where to find it -
CFPB your home loan toolkit
The toolkit a creditor gives with a purchase-money application: how a borrower shops for a loan and reads the two disclosure forms.
What it is and where to find it -
FFIEC guide to HMDA reporting 2024
The reporting guide for Regulation C: the loan register, the data fields and how each one is coded.
What it is and where to find it -
Fair lending examination procedures, FFIEC
The separate Appendix is not yet fetched.
What it is and where to find it -
Mortgage fraud white paper, FFIEC
97 pages; the interagency fraud symposium's catalogue of schemes, red flags and controls, the fullest public-domain fraud primer in the corpus.
What it is and where to find it -
FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1
The FHA handbook, origination to endorsement: underwriting and closing a forward mortgage. PDF pages 127 to 525 of the 1,081-page consolidation.
What it is and where to find it -
FHA handbook 4000.1, appraisals
PDF pages 555 to 624 of the same consolidated handbook file as hud-handbook-4000-1, read from its own outline.
What it is and where to find it -
FHA handbook 4000.1, insurance premiums
PDF pages 1044 to 1045 of the same consolidated handbook file as hud-handbook-4000-1, read from its own outline.
What it is and where to find it -
VA Lenders Handbook, pamphlet 26-7
Chapters 2 to 11 of the VA handbook: entitlement, the guaranty, underwriting and the funding fee. PDF pages 71 to 411 of the 616-page compilation.
What it is and where to find it -
USDA guaranteed loan handbook, HB-1-3555
551 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
HUD handbook 4235.1, reverse mortgages
The FHA reverse mortgage handbook: what a home equity conversion mortgage is, who is eligible, and how the payment plans and the principal limit work.
Read it at the publisher -
SAR filing instructions, FinCEN
Background for the BSA/AML items.
What it is and where to find it -
Mortgage loan fraud, FinCEN 2006
21 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
Mortgage loan fraud, FinCEN 2008
54 pages.
What it is and where to find it
Manuals and reference documents
Not law, and not ours to reproduce: the handbook that describes the test, the model state law, the enterprise guides and forms. Named here and linked, never authority for what the law requires.
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MLO Testing Handbook, NMLS Resource Center
SRR's own handbook for the SAFE MLO test: the content outline and its five areas, the test specifications, enrollment, scheduling, test-day rules and retakes.
Read it at the publisher -
CSBS/AARMR Model State Law
The source for the Uniform State Content section, beside 12 USC 5101 and 12 CFR 1008.
What it is and where to find it -
SAFE Act to Model State Law table
Used to walk from a federal SAFE Act requirement to the model law provision and back.
What it is and where to find it -
Nontraditional mortgage risks, CSBS 2006
12 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
Mortgage examination manual, MMC 2011
263 pages; background for the Uniform State Content section on what state regulators examine for.
What it is and where to find it -
Fannie Mae Selling Guide, September 2026
Fannie Mae's own rules for selling a loan to it: eligibility, underwriting the borrower and the property, and the documents a file carries.
What it is and where to find it -
Fannie Mae Selling Guide, the glossary
PDF pages 1143 to 1196 of the same guide file as fannie-mae-selling-guide-2026-09, read from its own outline.
What it is and where to find it -
URLA instructions, form 1003
15 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
URLA, form 1003, the 2021 form
9 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
URLA, form 1003, the 2005 form
5 pages.
What it is and where to find it -
Mortgage fraud red flags, Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae's three-page table of fraud red flags by category: appraisal, application, credit report, employment and income, assets, title and closing.
What it is and where to find it -
Virginia SCC reports on SRR and NMLS
Five reports, one per calendar year 2021 (RD291, which also carries 2020) to 2025 (RD427).
Read it at the publisher
Not here, and why
These belong to the subject but have no current text to carry. Here is why each one is missing.
- Freddie Mac Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide
Online only at guide.freddiemac.com, Freddie Mac copyright. Pointed to from a card where needed; not bundled.