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NMLS State Distance Requirements from MLO Residence to Mortgage Branch Office
NMLS State Distance Requirements from MLO Residence to Mortgage Branch Office: What states have NMLS MLO personal residence to mortgage branch distance requirements?
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3 Replies
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Certain states has a maximum distance from the MLO personal residence to the mortgage company’s headquarters or licensed mortgage branch office.
The answer to the following question of the following:
NMLS State Distance Requirements from MLO Residence to Mortgage Branch Office: What states have NMLS MLO personal residence to mortgage branch distance requirements?
Current state MLO residence-to-branch proximity rules
There is no single national NMLS mileage rule. NMLS tracks work-remote information, but each state determines whether an MLO may work remotely, must be tied to a licensed office, or must live within a particular distance of that office. (Nationwide Licensing System)
These are the current rules or standards I could substantiate:
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Wisconsin — 100 miles; hard rule. An MLO must be assigned to a licensed or registered office or branch within 100 miles of the MLO’s residence. If the assigned office is farther away, the MLO’s residence generally must be licensed as a branch. (DFI)
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Wyoming — 100 miles; Division policy. Wyoming’s Division of Banking uses a “commutable distance” standard requiring branch managers, licensed MLOs, and other originators to live within 100 miles of the licensed location where they work.
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New Hampshire — 100 miles; conditional home-office rule. An MLO may work from home, but the home or other publicly identified location must be within 100 miles of the supervising New Hampshire licensed office under the applicable exception. This is not a blanket rule for every residence; it is tied to the home-office/location arrangement. (banking.nh.gov)
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Vermont — “reasonable commuting distance”; no stated mileage. MLOs working under a mortgage broker license must be assigned to a licensed broker location and live within a reasonable commuting distance of that location. Vermont does not set a published mile limit in this rule. (Legal Information Institute)
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New York — commutable-distance limitation; no verified numeric standard. New York DFS materials confirm that commutable-distance limitations tied to mortgage-banker licensing remain in place, but I did not find a current published mileage or time threshold. Treat this as a regulator-confirmation state before placing a remote MLO far from the assigned office. (Department of State)
Rules often mistaken for active distance caps
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South Carolina: The state may allow an MLO’s residence to be licensed as a branch when it is more than 75 miles from the commercial branch. That is not a rule requiring every MLO to live within 75 miles. (South Carolina Legislature)
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New Mexico: The former 75-mile commutable-distance practice is not a current hard cap; the state says its remote-work guidance remains in place. (NM RLD)
Outdated rules to remove from compliance charts
Mississippi’s old 125-mile assignment rule was removed effective July 1, 2025. Pennsylvania now permits MLOs to work from remote locations. Connecticut removed its former 100-mile MLO office requirement in 2022, and Maryland ended its distance-affidavit requirement in 2017. (dbcf.ms.gov)
For a multi-state branch policy, treat Wisconsin as the clearest hard 100-mile rule. Obtain written regulator guidance before relying on a distance standard in New York, Vermont, Wyoming, or New Hampshire—especially for an MLO working permanently from home.
mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org
Frequently asked questions about working remote.
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Here’s a blog post about this topic as well https://gustancho.com/how-to-obtain-a-mortgage-broker-license/
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Based on the search results, several states have specific distance requirements between a Mortgage Loan Originator’s (MLO) personal residence and their company’s branch office, while others have explicitly removed such requirements. Here’s a breakdown of the states with distance requirements:
States with Distance Requirements:
- Rhode Island has provisions requiring that a remote work location be within a “reasonable distance” of the licensed place of business or branch location.
- Several other states have mandatory distance requirements between an MLO’s residence and the nearest branch office, though the specific states aren’t fully detailed in the search results
- North Carolina has specific requirements where MLOs can work from home but cannot originate residential mortgage loans from their residence unless it’s also a licensed branch office.
States Without Distance Requirements:
- Ohio explicitly states there are “no minimum or maximum distance requirements” for MLOs in relation to company office locations
- Massachusetts clarifies that “MLOs are not required to live within a certain distance of a branch office.
- Pennsylvania permits in-person consumer interaction at remote locations that are not personal residences
- California has issued guidance permitting remote work by employees of licensees under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act
- Illinois amended its Residential Mortgage License Act of 1987 to specify requirements for licensed MLOs working from remote locations
- Montana enacted legislation permitting MLOs to work remotely.
The specific distance requirements vary by state, and what constitutes a “reasonable distance” in states like Rhode Island may be subject to interpretation by regulators. Additionally, some states that have written distance requirements may not apply them as strictly as written, as noted in Rhode Island’s case.
For the most current and detailed information about specific distance requirements in each state, you should consult the NMLS state licensing resource or contact your state regulator directly.
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