North Carolina Mortgage Broker - NMLS Bond
Overview
North Carolina writes its mortgage broker bond tiers directly into the SAFE Act statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 53-244.103 requires every licensed mortgage broker to maintain a surety bond scaled to loan volume — $75,000 for brokers with annual North Carolina originations of $10 million or less, $125,000 for volume over $10 million up to $50 million, and $250,000 for volume above $50 million. The bond is filed through NMLS in favor of the Commissioner of Banks, and licensed mortgage loan originators are covered through the bond of the company that sponsors them.
Who Needs This Bond?
Companies applying for or renewing a North Carolina mortgage broker license through NMLS under the North Carolina SAFE Act carry this bond — sole proprietors, LLCs, corporations, and partnerships alike, wherever headquartered. Mortgage lenders licensed in North Carolina follow the same statute at higher tiers ($150,000, $250,000, and $500,000 by volume), so confirm which license type your NMLS application actually seeks. Individual MLOs do not file separate bonds; their coverage runs through the sponsoring licensee's bond.
What is this Bond For?
Section 53-244.103 conditions the bond on the licensee's faithful performance of its obligations under the North Carolina SAFE Act. Borrowers and the state harmed by the broker's violations — misrepresentation, mishandled fees, unlawful origination conduct, including acts of sponsored MLOs — can recover from the surety up to the bond's penal sum, after which the broker must reimburse the surety. The bond is consumer protection mandated by statute, not insurance for the brokerage.
When is it Required?
The bond must be on the NMLS record before the Commissioner of Banks issues the license, must remain continuously in force through every annual renewal, and must be re-sized when your reported North Carolina volume crosses a statutory threshold. Note a recent change worth flagging to your compliance calendar: the former subsection (a1) of § 53-244.103 was repealed effective October 1, 2025, so review the current statute text — linked below — rather than older checklists when confirming your obligations.
Where Does it Apply?
The requirement is statewide, administered by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks with the bond maintained electronically through NMLS. It covers North Carolina mortgage brokerage activity no matter where your offices sit — out-of-state brokers serving North Carolina borrowers are squarely within the statute. Each additional state where you broker loans has its own bond, form, and amount schedule; this bond answers only to North Carolina.
How to Buy Online
Use 'Buy This Bond Online' to open the secure surety portal in a new tab, enter your volume tier, complete the application, and pay in one session. The executed bond is delivered for electronic submission to your NMLS record.
Why Bond Titan?
The exact tier amounts on this page come from the current text of § 53-244.103, cited in the Official Sources section below so your compliance team can verify them — including the 2025 repeal of subsection (a1). Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, with an online flow tuned to NMLS deadlines.
Official Sources
The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.
- Broker bond tiers of $75,000/$125,000/$250,000 and lender tiers of $150,000/$250,000/$500,000 by annual NC volume; MLO coverage through sponsor's bond; repeal of subsection (a1) effective October 1, 2025: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 53-244.103 (verified July 16, 2026)