The Department of Financial Institutions manage the licensing of mortgage broker and consumer loan businesses within the State of Washington.
To qualify for and maintain a license, a surety bond is mandated by the Department—either a Mortgage Broker Business Bond or a Consumer Loan Business Bond.
The Mortgage and Consumer Loan Business Bonds stated above are provided by Jet Insurance Company to act as a financial assurance to the Department that the licensee will uphold state regulations. In addition, the bond provides a legal guarantee that restitution is available to any damaged party should the licensee commit a violation (e.g. negligence, misrepresentation, and/or fraud).
According to the Department, both limits for the Mortgage Broker Business Bond and the Consumer Loan Business Bond are based on the total loan volume conducted by the licensee in their previous year of business (details on how to determine your bond limit are available in the price charts).
At Jet, the cost of a surety is a small fraction of the limit and is based on a soft credit check of the applicant.
In the following charts, you will find state-required limits for each bond, as well as Jet’s preferred tier rates. For example, let’s say you qualify for a $20,000 Mortgage Broker Business Bond, rates are as low as $100 for a one-year bond term or just $10 per month.
Total Loan Volume | Bond Limit | Monthly | 1-Year |
---|---|---|---|
Less than $20 million | $20,000 | $10 | $100 |
$20 to $40 million | $40,000 | $15 | $150 |
More than $40 million | $60,000 | $23 | $225 |
Total Loan Volume | Bond Limit | Monthly | 1-Year |
---|---|---|---|
Less than $20 million | $30,000 | $11 | $113 |
$20 to $40 million | $50,000 | $19 | $188 |
$40 to $50 million | $100,000 | $38 | $375 |
More than $50 million | $150,000 | $56 | $563 |
The Washington Department of Financial Institutions utilizes the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) for the administration of mortgage broker business and consumer loan business licenses, as well as the filing of surety bonds. So once you purchase the appropriate license bond with Jet, it must be filed with the NMLS.
Jet can handle filing your bond for you! We need you to grant us permission to act as your designated surety company with the NMLS (Jet Insurance Company NAIC #16379). If you are unsure how to do this, the NMLS breaks it down within the Electronic Surety Bond for Licensees webpage.
It is important to note that the Mortgage Broker Business Bond requires a 30-day cancellation period while the Consumer Loan Business Bond contains a 45-day cancellation clause. For more information on Jet’s cancellation process, take a look at the appropriate link at the bottom of the page.
If you are in need of further details on the mortgage industry, licensure processes in multiple states, and applicable surety bond regulations, take a look at Jet’s comprehensive Mortgage License Bonds Guide.