How to verify a real estate license in Maryland

The five trades at a glance

Real estate agents and brokers

An individual must be licensed by the Real Estate Commission before providing brokerage services (§ 17-301). A salesperson or associate broker works for a licensed broker.

• Use the license search on the Commission’s site to find an agent by name or registration number, or a brokerage by location.
• Check the Commission’s disciplinary actions page, which you can search by licensee name.
• A client who suffers a loss from theft, embezzlement, false pretenses, forgery, fraud or misrepresentation by a licensee may claim from the Guaranty Fund, up to $50,000 per claim, within 3 years of discovering the loss (§ 17-404).

Mortgage loan originators (NMLS)

An individual may not act as a mortgage loan originator without a Maryland license (Financial Institutions § 11-602). The licensee’s NMLS unique identifier is the license number, and the license shows the licensee’s name and employer (§ 11-603). Look up the person on NMLS Consumer Access (nmlsconsumeraccess.org) and confirm the employer matches the lender you are dealing with. A licensee may not originate under a different name or employer than the one on the license. I could not open NMLS Consumer Access when researching this article, so I describe its use only through the Maryland statute.

Home inspectors

Maryland requires a license before anyone provides home inspection services (§ 16-3A-01). Exceptions include building code officials, licensed plumbers, electricians and engineers working within their license, and others not claiming to be a licensed home inspector.

To qualify, an inspector must complete a 72-hour approved course and pass the National Home Inspector Examination. Licensed inspectors must carry general liability insurance of at least $150,000, and licenses run on a 2-year cycle. Check the license on the Licensing Queries page under the Commission’s name. See home inspection cost for what an inspection includes.

Appraisers (state board and national registry)

Providing real estate appraisal services in Maryland requires a license from the Commission (§ 16-702). The Commission describes four levels:

• Licensed: non-complex one- to four-unit homes under $1,000,000 in federally related transactions
• Certified Residential: one- to four-unit homes without regard to value
• Certified General: all property types
• Trainee: works under supervision of a certified appraiser

Search the state lookup, then the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry, which lists appraisers authorized by a State to appraise for federally related transactions. See home appraisal cost.

Land surveyors

A person must be licensed by the State Board for Professional Land Surveyors to practice land surveying or property line surveying (§ 15-301). Search “Land Surveyors” on Licensing Queries. For fees and what a survey tells you, see land survey cost.

What to do if a license is expired, suspended or missing

• Do not hire the person until the lookup shows an active license that matches the person’s name and number.
• File a complaint with the licensing body. For agents, use the “file a complaint” link in the Commission’s consumer section. For appraisers and home inspectors, a complaint must be in writing and under oath (§ 16-601).
• Check the closing company too. Title agents and settlement companies are licensed separately by the Maryland Insurance Administration; see real estate attorney in Maryland.