Can a Notary Also Work as an MLO? Yes, and Here’s Why You Should

Turn Your Notary Experience Into a Lucrative MLO Career

Your established role as a notary gives you a massive head start in the mortgage industry. Think about the network you’ve built. The real estate agents, title company reps, and attorneys you see every week? Those are the exact people who send referrals to Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs). You aren’t starting from scratch—you’re starting from a place of trust and familiarity inside the industry.

This existing network is your built-in advantage. Instead of spending months cold-calling or trying to build relationships, you can kick off your MLO career with a warm list of professional contacts who already respect your work ethic. That immediately shortens the runway to profitability.

From Notary to Loan Originator: A Natural Transition

The skills you use daily as a notary are directly transferable to originating loans. Your meticulous approach to handling legal documents, verifying identities, and navigating the closing process is incredibly valuable. You understand the gravity of a real estate transaction from a unique perspective.

This insider knowledge gives you a distinct edge over someone coming in cold. It’s not just about knowing the paperwork; it’s about understanding the flow of a deal and the role everyone plays. That foundation makes the transition to becoming an MLO smoother and way less intimidating. And with our straightforward, NMLS-approved online education, the entire process is designed to get you licensed and earning more, fast.

The path to becoming a MLO while also being a notary is clear-cut, providing the perfect foundation for this next step in your career.

To really see how this move elevates your career, let’s compare the two roles side-by-side.

Career Comparison Notary Public vs Mortgage Loan Originator

This comparison makes it clear: becoming an MLO isn’t just a new job; it’s a strategic move into a role with far greater financial upside and long-term career potential. You leverage your notary experience to step into the more lucrative and central role of an MLO.

A Career Upgrade, Not a Career Change

Shifting from a notary to an MLO is less of a career change and more of a powerful career upgrade. You are simply adding a high-value, income-generating skill to your existing professional toolkit. We make this transition easy by providing everything you need in one online package.

• NMLS-Approved Education: Our courses are fully approved by the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System and Registry.
• Free Exam Prep: We include our comprehensive exam prep package at no extra cost to make sure you’re ready to pass the SAFE MLO Test.
• Online Convenience: Complete your education from anywhere, on a schedule that works for you, without disrupting your current work.

Why Your Notary Experience Is Your Greatest Asset

If you’re a notary thinking about a career change, you might be wondering if you have what it takes to become a Mortgage Loan Originator. The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, your background isn’t just a stepping stone—it’s a launchpad that gives you a massive head start.

Many people enter the mortgage world from completely unrelated fields, but you’re coming in with a serious competitive edge. Let’s break down exactly how your current skills make you an ideal candidate.

You’ve spent your career handling complex legal documents where a single mistake can have huge consequences. That meticulous attention to detail is the bedrock of a successful MLO. From loan applications to closing packages, accuracy is everything. Errors in the mortgage world are expensive, and you’ve already proven you know how to prevent them. That makes you a highly reliable professional from day one.

Leveraging Your Insider Knowledge

As a notary, you have a front-row seat to the final, most critical moments of a real estate transaction. You understand the pressure, the players, and the importance of a smooth, error-free closing. This isn’t just abstract knowledge; it’s practical, real-world experience that most rookie MLOs simply don’t have.

This familiarity dramatically shortens your learning curve. While others are still trying to figure out the roles of title companies, escrow agents, and real estate agents, you’ve already been in the trenches working alongside them. You already speak their language.

You’re not just entering a new field. You’re stepping into a more central and profitable role within an industry you already know inside and out. Your foundation allows you to focus on mastering the lending side of things, not the entire real estate ecosystem from scratch.

Your Network Is Your Net Worth

Here’s your secret weapon: the professional network you’ve already built. The relationships you have with real estate agents, title officers, and attorneys are the absolute lifeblood of an MLO’s business. These are the people who send referrals.

Instead of spending your first year cold-calling and trying to build connections, you can hit the ground running. Think about it:

• A Realtor you’ve worked with for years has a client who needs a mortgage pre-approval. Who are they going to call? The new MLO they’ve never met, or the trusted professional they’ve seen deliver flawlessly at countless closings? You’re their first call.
• A title company you frequent runs into a last-minute financing snag. They know you understand the closing process and can recommend you as a responsive MLO who can find a solution.

These aren’t just hypotheticals. This is how the business works, and you’ve already laid the groundwork. You’re not just some new MLO; you’re a trusted colleague who is expanding your services. This transforms a difficult cold start into a warm continuation of partnerships you’ve spent years building.

The Financial Benefits of Becoming an MLO

Let’s talk numbers. As a notary, you’ve built a business on a steady, reliable income stream. But becoming a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) doesn’t just give you a slight pay bump—it opens the door to a completely different financial reality and lets you make more money.

Your notary work is based on a fee-for-service model. You earn a set amount for each signature, often capped by the state. While the mobile notary market is definitely growing—forecasts predict it could hit USD 0.7 billion by 2033—the income per job is still fundamentally limited.

This is where becoming an MLO completely changes the game.

Shifting from Fees to Commissions

As an MLO, your income isn’t tied to a small, flat fee. It’s commission-based, directly linked to the value of the loans you help create. Instead of just handling the closing paperwork, you’re earning a percentage of the entire loan amount. That simple shift can dramatically raise your financial ceiling.

Let’s look at a real-world scenario:

• As a Notary Signing Agent: You might get paid $150 to $200 for handling the signing on a $400,000 home loan. It’s a critical role, but your earnings are fixed.
• As the MLO: Originating that same $400,000 loan could net you a commission of around 1%, which is $4,000. That’s more than 20 times the income from a single transaction.

Closing just one or two loans a month could easily double or triple what even the busiest notaries make. This isn’t about working more hours; it’s about stepping into a role where your effort is valued at a much higher level.

Building a Scalable Career

The financial upside goes well beyond a single commission check. An MLO career is scalable in a way that notary work simply isn’t. You’re no longer just trading time for money. You’re building a business founded on relationships, expertise, and referrals. Every loan you close strengthens your network and brings you the next opportunity.

The goal is to move from a transactional service provider to a high-value financial professional. Your income becomes a direct reflection of your ability to guide clients through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

This transition allows you to build a career with significant long-term growth and uncapped earning potential. You can find out more about what it takes by reviewing the mortgage loan originator license requirements and see how easy we make the process. With our fully online, NMLS-approved education—which includes our exam prep package for free—you have a clear path to achieving this financial upgrade.

Getting Your MLO License is Easy With Our Help

Thinking about leveling up your notary business and becoming a licensed Mortgage Loan Originator? It might feel like a huge leap, but we’ve streamlined the entire process to make it easy. You don’t have to press pause on your current work or drive to a classroom after a long day of signings. Our program is built for busy professionals like you.

It all starts with the mandatory 20-hour SAFE course. The best part? It’s entirely online, so you can tackle the coursework whenever it fits your life—whether that’s between appointments or late at night. The platform is ready when you are.

Everything You Need in One Simple Package

We’re all about making things straightforward and valuable. This isn’t just a course; it’s the complete toolkit you need to get licensed. When you sign up for our NMLS-approved education, you’re getting way more than just the required training hours.

A huge perk is that our comprehensive exam prep package is included for free. This isn’t some flimsy add-on. It’s a serious set of study tools designed to help you ace the SAFE MLO Test on your first try. Including this from the get-go shows we’re invested in your success.

Our education is fully approved by the NMLS (Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System and Registry), the national standard for the mortgage industry. This approval is your guarantee that you’re getting the required training to checks all of the regulatory educational boxes.

A Clear Path Forward

We’ve cut out the usual headaches that come with professional licensing. The whole process is clear, supported, and designed to get you across the finish line without any unnecessary friction.

Here’s what that looks like:

• 100% Online: Do all your required coursework from wherever you work best.
• Exam Prep Included: You get instant access to study guides and practice tests to walk into the exam with total confidence—all part of the package.
• NMLS Approved Nationwide: Our course sets the national foundation you need for a career that can take you anywhere.

This direct approach lets you focus on what really matters: learning the material, not fighting with a complicated system. To see the full picture, check out our guide on how to become a mortgage loan originator and see just how achievable this career upgrade is. We provide a simple, effective path to help you turn your notary experience into a more profitable future.

How Technology Is Reshaping Both Notary and MLO Roles

The world of real estate and finance is changing fast, and technology is in the driver’s seat. This digital shift is affecting both notaries and Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs) in similar ways, which is exactly why now is the perfect time for a notary to make this career move.

If you’re a notary, you’ve already seen this transformation up close. The rise of Remote Online Notarization (RON) has taken a service that was traditionally face-to-face and moved it completely online. This alone proves the industry is all-in on using tech for convenience and efficiency. Your comfort with these new platforms is a massive head start.

This tech-first mindset lines up perfectly with the tools modern MLOs rely on every single day. The entire mortgage process, from digital loan applications and automated underwriting systems to e-closings, has become dependent on sophisticated software. As a notary who already gets digital verification and secure online platforms, you’re already speaking the language.

Embracing a Shared Digital Future

The explosion of e-notary services is a huge sign of where things are headed. The e-notary software market, currently valued at USD 262 million, is expected to skyrocket to nearly USD 798 million by 2037. This mirrors the larger trend of digital transactions, where electronic signature use globally jumped more than eightfold in just five years.

This shared path in technology makes your transition from notary to MLO smoother than you might think. The skills you’ve picked up using RON platforms are directly transferable to the software you’ll use to manage loan pipelines, talk with clients, and finalize mortgages. You aren’t starting from scratch; you’re building on a solid foundation of digital skill.

This career step isn’t just a logical next move—it’s perfectly timed with industry trends. By becoming an MLO, you are positioning yourself as a forward-thinking professional who is comfortable and proficient in the very technologies shaping the future of real estate finance.

Staying Ahead with Continuous Learning

As technology keeps pushing forward, both notaries and MLOs have to stay on top of new tools and regulations. Committing to ongoing education is non-negotiable for long-term success and compliance in the mortgage industry.

Luckily, keeping up with these changes is easier than ever with online resources. For licensed professionals, you can explore options for MLO continuing education to ensure your knowledge stays sharp and your license remains active. Embracing this mindset of constant improvement is what separates the top earners from everyone else. Your journey into the MLO world is supported by a ton of accessible, modern training that keeps pace with the industry’s digital evolution.

Common Questions From Notaries Becoming MLOs

Making the leap from a trusted notary to a high-earning Mortgage Loan Originator is an exciting move. But it’s also completely normal to have questions about what that transition really involves. We’ve pulled together the most common queries we hear from notaries to give you the clear, direct answers you need.

This career upgrade is designed to be a natural next step. With our help, getting your MLO license is a straightforward process that builds on the solid professional foundation you already have.

Can I Work as a Notary and an MLO at the Same Time?

Absolutely. In fact, it’s one of the smartest ways to make the transition. Many professionals hold both licenses, which gives you the power to create multiple, independent streams of income.

You can keep your notary work going, providing a stable financial base, while you get your MLO business up and running. You’ll need to check your state’s specific rules about dual roles in the same transaction, but holding both licenses is a common and highly effective strategy.

How Long Does It Typically Take to Get an MLO License?

While the timeline can shift a bit depending on your state, our online education is built for speed. The required 20-hour NMLS course is designed to fit into your existing schedule so you can complete it quickly.

After the course, you’ll need to pass the SAFE MLO Test and finish your state’s application process, which includes a background check. Most motivated people can become fully licensed in just a few months. Our program even includes our exam prep package for free, helping you pass the first time around—saving you valuable time and money.

Is the Mortgage Market Too Competitive for Someone New?

The mortgage industry is definitely competitive, but your notary background is your secret weapon. You have a massive head start that people coming from other fields simply don’t.

You already understand the key players and the flow of a real estate closing. More importantly, you’ve already built a network of professional contacts, including:

• Real estate agents
• Title company officers
• Real estate attorneys

These are the exact people who send MLOs consistent, high-quality referrals. By simply reaching out to these existing relationships, you can build your client base much faster than someone starting from scratch.

What Is the Biggest Challenge for a Notary Moving into an MLO Role?

The most significant change is shifting from a mostly administrative function to a sales and advisory role. As a notary, you’re an impartial witness. As an MLO, you become a trusted guide and a powerful advocate for your clients.

Your main job becomes building client relationships, offering expert advice on complex mortgage options, and proactively finding new business. This calls for strong communication, networking, and sales skills.

But here’s the good news: your experience in a client-facing, high-trust role as a notary gives you a natural foundation for this transition. The incredible financial rewards and career growth make mastering these new skills more than worth it.

Ready to turn your notary experience into a high-income MLO career? 24hourEDU makes it easy with NMLS-approved online education that includes everything you need to succeed. Enroll today and start your journey at https://24houredu.com.