The mission of the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending is to supervise and regulate the residential mortgage lending and state savings industries in order to protect Texans, provide a healthy residential mortgage lending environment, and maintain safe and sound savings banks and savings associations.
To accomplish its mission, the Department:
The Department’s goal is to provide exceptional service to all of its customers: chartered financial institutions, licensees and registrants; related professions and service providers (e.g., title companies, attorneys, accountants, etc.); depositors; creditors and borrowers; consumers; members and agencies of state and federal government.
To achieve this goal the Department’s objectives are to:
Individuals who originate residential mortgage loans in Texas, unless specifically exempt by statute, must be licensed by the Department as a residential mortgage loan originator. Mortgage entities who originate residential mortgage loans in Texas, unless specifically exempt by statute, must be licensed or registered with the Department. Entities that provide third party servicing for mortgage loans on Texas properties must be registered with the Department.
Licensing and registration requirements, applications, and instructions are available on the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) website. A searchable database is also available at the NMLS Consumer Access website permitting lenders, investors, the public and others to determine the status of a licensee, or to obtain the names of all licensees in their city, or who are associated with a particular mortgage entity.
Applications for renewal of mortgage entities and residential mortgage loan originators are due each year no later than December 31st.
Individuals or entities desiring to charter a state savings bank or savings and loan association may obtain the requisite applications from the Department’s Corporate Activities section or from its website. Applications for additional offices, establishment of subsidiaries, mergers, acquisitions, changes of control and other activities requiring regulatory approval are also available from these sources.
The Department’s website also contains links to applicable statutes and regulations for mortgage entities and individuals, mortgage servicers, and savings institutions, along with other relevant information.
The Department welcomes constituent suggestions and comments regarding the operations of the Department and its regulated entities and individuals. Suggestions and comments regarding staff, or Departmental policies and procedures are welcome at all staff levels and may be made verbally or in writing. Complaints regarding entities or individuals regulated by the Department must be in writing.
All written complaints are reviewed by staff and assigned to an investigator for investigation. Written complaints regarding savings institutions, mortgage companies, mortgage banker companies, mortgage servicer companies, and residential mortgage loan originators are forwarded to the regulated entity or individual for a response to the complaint allegations. Depending upon the nature of the complaint and its complexity, the licensee may be provided up to 30 days to respond to the Department. It is the Department’s goal to complete evaluation of the facts and respond to all written complaints received within 10 days of receiving all of the information necessary for a full and complete evaluation of the complaint.
Complaints, open records requests, general questions and comments may be directed to the Department in writing, by telephone or fax, or through e-mail at the address and phone numbers below.
Customer Relations Representative:
Executive Assistant to the Commissioner, smlinfo@sml.texas.gov
Address and Telephone Numbers:
2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Suite 201
Austin, Texas 78705
Office: (512) 475-1350
Fax: (512) 475-1505
Consumer Hotline: (877) 276-5550
Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending
Hector Retta, Commissioner
2601 N. Lamar, Suite 201,
Austin, TX 78705
1-877-276-5550
smlinfo@sml.texas.gov