Cheapest States for MLO License
50 states ranked by lowest licensing costs for MLO licensing, updated for 2026.
#1
Arkansas
$241.25
Arkansas ranks #1 for lowest licensing costs among all states for MLO licensing. Pre-licensing: 20 hrs.
View Arkansas MLO requirements →Full Rankings
| # | State | Total Fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas (AR) | $241.25 |
| 2 | Iowa (IA) | $241.25 |
| 3 | Kentucky (KY) | $241.25 |
| 4 | Missouri (MO) | $246.25 |
| 5 | South Carolina (SC) | $246.25 |
| 6 | North Dakota (ND) | $266 |
| 7 | Alabama (AL) | $266.25 |
| 8 | Oregon (OR) | $271 |
| 9 | Maine (ME) | $271.25 |
| 10 | Minnesota (MN) | $281.25 |
| 11 | Oklahoma (OK) | $291 |
| 12 | Georgia (GA) | $291.25 |
| 13 | Indiana (IN) | $291.25 |
| 14 | Kansas (KS) | $291.25 |
| 15 | Vermont (VT) | $294 |
| 16 | Wyoming (WY) | $311.25 |
| 17 | North Carolina (NC) | $316 |
| 18 | Washington (WA) | $319 |
| 19 | New Hampshire (NH) | $326.25 |
| 20 | Nevada (NV) | $336.25 |
| 21 | Texas (TX) | $336.25 |
| 22 | New Mexico (NM) | $341.25 |
| 23 | South Dakota (SD) | $341.25 |
| 24 | Virginia (VA) | $341.25 |
| 25 | Utah (UT) | $343.25 |
| 26 | Nebraska (NE) | $346.25 |
| 27 | New Jersey (NJ) | $346.25 |
| 28 | Ohio (OH) | $391 |
| 29 | Idaho (ID) | $391.25 |
| 30 | Illinois (IL) | $391.25 |
| 31 | Louisiana (LA) | $391.25 |
| 32 | Tennessee (TN) | $391.25 |
| 33 | Colorado (CO) | $395 |
| 34 | West Virginia (WV) | $396.25 |
| 35 | Mississippi (MS) | $397.25 |
| 36 | Florida (FL) | $410.25 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $413 |
| 38 | Maryland (MD) | $416.25 |
| 39 | Delaware (DE) | $441.25 |
| 40 | Wisconsin (WI) | $446.25 |
| 41 | New York (NY) | $455.5 |
| 42 | Michigan (MI) | $471.25 |
| 43 | California (CA) | $491 |
| 44 | Connecticut (CT) | $491.25 |
| 45 | Alaska (AK) | $541.25 |
| 46 | Arizona (AZ) | $541.25 |
| 47 | Montana (MT) | $591.25 |
| 48 | Massachusetts (MA) | $691.25 |
| 49 | Rhode Island (RI) | $791.25 |
| 50 | Hawaii (HI) | $1,026.25 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on official state licensing data collected from state real estate commissions and regulatory bodies. Fee data includes application, examination, license, and fingerprinting costs as published by each state. Data is verified regularly and updated for 2026.