Section 50002 Of Chapter 1. General From California Financial Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 1.
50002
. (a) No person shall engage in the business of making
residential mortgage loans or servicing residential mortgage loans,
in this state, without first obtaining a license from the
commissioner in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 50120) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
50130), and any rules promulgated by the commissioner under this
law, unless a person or transaction is excepted from a definition or
exempt from licensure by a provision of this law or a rule of the
commissioner.
(b) (1) An employee of a licensee or of a person exempt from
licensure is not required to be licensed when acting within the scope
of his or her employment and shall be exempt from any other law from
which his or her employer is exempt, except that an individual who
meets the definition of a mortgage loan originator in Section 50003.5
shall be subject to this division.
(2) A person exempt from this division may apply to the
commissioner for an exempt company registration for the purpose of
sponsoring one or more individuals required to be licensed as
mortgage loan originators as defined in Section 50003.5 and pursuant
to the SAFE Act.
(3) An exempt person applying under the exempt company
registration procedure shall comply with all rules and orders that
the commissioner deems necessary to ensure compliance with the SAFE
Act and shall pay an annual registration fee established by the
commissioner.
(c) The following persons are exempt from subdivision (a):
(1) Any bank, trust company, insurance company, or industrial loan
company doing business under the authority of, or in accordance
with, a license, certificate, or charter issued by the United States
or any state, district, territory, or commonwealth of the United
States that is authorized to transact business in this state.
(2) A federally chartered savings and loan association, federal
savings bank, or federal credit union that is authorized to transact
business in this state.
(3) A savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union
organized under the laws of this or any other state that is
authorized to transact business in this state.
(4) A person engaged solely in business, commercial, or
agricultural mortgage lending.
(5) A wholly owned service corporation of a savings and loan
association or savings bank organized under the laws of this state or
the wholly owned service corporation of a federally chartered
savings and loan association or savings bank that is authorized to
transact business in this state.
(6) An agency or other instrumentality of the federal government,
or state or municipal government.
(7) An employee or employer pension plan making residential
mortgage loans only to its participants, or a person making those
loans only to its employees or the employees of a holding company, or
an owner who controls that person, affiliate, or subsidiary of that
person.
(8) A person acting in a fiduciary capacity conferred by the
authority of a court.
(9) A real estate broker licensed under California law, when
making, arranging, selling, or servicing a residential loan.
(10) A California finance lender or broker licensed under Division
9 (commencing with Section 22000), when acting under the authority
of that license.
(11) A trustee under a deed of trust pursuant to the Civil Code,
when collecting delinquent loan payments, interest, or other loan
amounts, or performing other acts in a judicial or nonjudicial
foreclosure proceeding.
(12) A mortgage loan originator who has obtained a license under
Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 50140), provided that the
mortgage loan originator is employed by a residential mortgage lender
or servicer.
(13) A registered mortgage loan originator described in
subdivision (e).
(d) An individual, unless specifically exempted under subdivision
(e), shall not engage in the business of a mortgage loan originator
with respect to any dwelling located in this state without first
obtaining and maintaining annually a license in accordance with the
requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 50140) and any
rules promulgated by the commissioner under that chapter. Each
licensed mortgage loan originator shall register with and maintain a
valid unique identifier issued by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing
System and Registry.
(e) A registered mortgage loan originator is exempt from licensure
under subdivisions (a) and (d), when he or she is employed by a
depository institution, a subsidiary of a depository institution that
is owned and controlled by a depository institution and regulated by
a federal banking agency, or an institution regulated by the Farm
Credit Administration.
(f) A loan processor or underwriter who is an independent
contractor employed by a residential mortgage lender or servicer may
not perform the activities of a loan processor or underwriter under
this division unless the independent contractor loan processor or
underwriter obtains and maintains a license under Section 50120.