Georgia Loosens Felony Hiring Restrictions in Mortgage Industry — Changes Take Effect July 1, 2025

Starting July 1, 2025, Georgia will amend its restrictions on hiring individuals with felony convictions within the mortgage industry. Under these changes, the Georgia Division of Banking and Finance will, under specific circumstances:

• Issue a Mortgage Loan Originator license to someone with a felony conviction, and

• Allow mortgage lenders and brokers to employ or retain staff with felony records.

These changes are applicable only if:

• The felony conviction is *more than seven years old*, and

• The conviction is *not on a specific list* of serious ‘disqualifying crimes’.

What is a disqualifying crime?

A disqualifying crime under Georgia’s mortgage licensing law is any serious felony involving fraud, dishonesty, or financial misconduct. This includes crimes like theft, embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, forgery, and identity theft. It also covers offenses such as tax evasion, insider trading, kickbacks, and making false statements. Various types of disqualifying crimes also include mortgage, credit card, check, medical, bank, and securities fraud. Lastly, crimes like cyberattacks, social engineering, and any other felony directly related to financial services may also disqualify someone.