Our licensing and compliance team understands the unique issues faced by private lending businesses like yours. We are well equipped to bring you peace of mind with every loan — no matter the state.

50-State Surveys: Licensing and Compliance

Scaling a lending business presents challenges due to the variety of requirements and regulations across states. As the largest private lending law firm in the U.S., we are well-versed in the intricacies of lending regulations across all 50 states and can provide the guidance you need for a successful expansion.

50-State Licensing

Expanding your lending operations to a new state requires thorough knowledge of licensing requirements. Our comprehensive licensing research covers requirements for all parties through the life cycle of a business purpose mortgage loan, including loan originators, processors, underwriters, brokers, lenders, servicers, sellers and purchasers, and owners of mortgage servicing rights. We provide clarity on whether a license is required and even explore the possibility of leveraging a broker’s license.
Each state’s summary details:
The surveys also contain information on:
This is especially helpful for those currently use or plan to use Lightning Docs for drafting files. The Lightning Docs system will automatically insert all the necessary language and documentation to make for a smooth closing process; however, it does not provide protection if loans are arranged without the appropriate licenses in place.

50-State Licensing

To ensure compliance, you must be aware of each state’s list of requirements. Protect your investments with these supplementary surveys:
*Note that the document above contains all surveys grouped into one. Each survey is available separately.
If you’d like more information about our 50-State Surveys, reach out to our team below!
50-State Licensing and Compliance Resources
The End of Chevron Deference – And Business Purpose Loans?
California Compliance Toolkits For Private Lenders
Making Your Advertising Compliant
A Private Lender's Roadmap to State Privacy Laws
CFPB Continues to Regulate Private Lenders – The Small Business Lending Data Collection Rule
“Show Me the Equity!”
Qualifying your borrower: What Lenders Need to Know About Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
Origination Fees: DOs and DON’Ts for Mortgage Professionals
Do you Know Your Borrower? Investor? A Private Lender’s Guide to AML and Red Flags
Compliance For Private Lenders
Making Sense of the Recording Process and Why You Should Record
Complying with California Threshold and Multi-Lender Broker Reporting Requirements
5 Things You Need to Know About Dodd-Frank
Three Things All Lenders Must Consider When Making a Cannabis Loan
Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act: A New Regulatory Chapter for Lenders
8 Tips on Avoiding Usury in California
Usury Law 101: 5 Things to Know about Usury
Commercial Loan Basics: What Small Business Owners Need to Know When Seeking Alternative Financing
Understanding Deeds of Trust and Their Benefits
Pandemic and Privacy Do Not Mix
[COVID-19] 5 Terms to Include in Your Servicing Agreement with Lenders If You Are Brokering Loans
[COVID-19] Implications for California Tenant-Landlord Relationships
What to Do as a CIO to Prepare for Compliance with the CCPA
CCPA Is Here - What Lenders Need to Know Now
Unconscionability and Usury: Where Do You Draw the Line?
Records Retention Advice for California Real Estate Professionals
Clarifying California’s Complex Usury Laws
Tips on Becoming a Private Lender
What You Need to Know Before Lending To a Cannabis Business
Dodd-Frank's Effect on Hard Money Lending

Contact Our Banking & Finance Team

Please note that our firm focuses primarily on private lenders. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with consumer matters.