Nebraska mortgage advertising rules

License and NMLS ID display

Statute. Guidance is not law.

Last verified 2026-09-17.

[STATUTE] Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-736: "The unique identifier of any licensee shall be clearly shown on all residential mortgage loan application forms, solicitations, or advertisements, including business cards or websites, and any other documents as established by rule, regulation, or order of the director." On its face: one element, the licensee's unique identifier. No Nebraska statutory requirement to display a state license number in advertising was located.

[GUIDANCE] Interpretative Opinion No. 5 makes the requirement conditionally conjunctive. and this is the operative practical rule in Nebraska. The Department interprets § 45-736 to require:

"1. A web site established by a mortgage banker and used to solicit residential mortgage loan applications must disclose the mortgage banker's unique identifier. 2. A web site established by a mortgage loan originator and used to solicit residential mortgage loan applications must disclose the mortgage loan originator's unique identifier and the unique identifier of any mortgage banker identified in the advertisement. 3. A web site established by a mortgage banker which contains a list of employees or that otherwise identifies one or more mortgage loan originators (for example, a welcome message from the President of the company who is licensed as a mortgage loan originator, or an invitation for the reader to contact one or more loan originators for further information) must contain the unique identifier of the mortgage banker and each mortgage loan originator identified. 4. Business cards and stationery which identifies a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must contain the unique identifier of each mortgage banker and/or mortgage loan originator identified. 5. Mail or email solicitations which identify a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must contain the unique identifier of each mortgage banker and/or mortgage loan originator identified. 6. Print, audio, and video advertisements which identify a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must also contain the unique identifier of each... 7. An outbound, pre-recorded telephone solicitation which identifies a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must also contain the unique identifier of each... 8. Internet postings including, but not limited to, bulletin boards such as Craigslist, which solicit residential mortgage loan applications and identify a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must also contain each... unique identifier. 9. Promotional items, including, but not limited to, pens, rulers, calendars, refrigerator magnets, etc., which identify a mortgage banker and/or one or more mortgage loan originators must also identify the unique identifier of each..."

And the Department states the negative rule explicitly: "By contrast advertising or solicitations which do not identify individual mortgage loan originators do not need to contain the unique identifiers of the individual mortgage loan originators who originate loans on behalf of the mortgage banker. Section 45-736 does not require a mortgage banker to list its mortgage loan originators in any advertising or solicitation... However, once the mortgage banker identifies one or more specific mortgage loan originators, it must also identify the unique identifiers for such individuals."

Format requirements from the same Interpretative Opinion:

"1. The unique identifier must appear in legible type, or in the case of an audio solicitation such as a radio advertisement, the disclosure must be audible. 2. The unique identifier must be identified on all advertising and solicitations including those advertisements and solicitations which are not directly soliciting consumers. For example, a marketing piece directed to real estate agents which identifies one or more mortgage loan originators must contain the unique identifier of each mortgage loan originator identified. 3. The unique identifier must be immediately preceded by 'Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System Number,' 'NMLS #' or other similar derivative. 4. The unique identifier must appear immediately after or immediately below the mortgage loan originator's or mortgage banker's name so that the consumer will be readily able to associate the unique identifier with the correct mortgage loan originator. 5. If both a mortgage banker's and a mortgage loan originator's unique identifiers appear on the same document, it must be readily apparent which unique identifier belongs to the mortgage banker and which unique identifier belongs to the mortgage loan originator."

Label carefully: this is `[GUIDANCE]`, not law. It is an NDBF Interpretative Opinion construing § 45-736. It is the Department's stated examination position, but it is not a statute or a regulation.

Prohibited claims

Statute. Guidance is not law.

Last verified 2026-09-17.

[STATUTE] Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-740(1)(h): a licensee, officer, employee or agent shall not "Advertise, display, distribute, broadcast, televise, or cause or permit to be advertised, displayed, distributed, broadcasted, or televised, in any manner, including by the Internet, any false, misleading, or deceptive statement or representation with regard to rates, terms, or conditions for a residential mortgage loan or any false, misleading, or deceptive statement regarding the qualifications of the licensee or of any officer, employee, or agent thereof."

Note the two distinct targets: (i) rates/terms/conditions, and (ii) the qualifications of the licensee or its people. The second prong is unusual. it reaches "#1 lender in Nebraska," "award-winning," "20 years' experience" type claims about the advertiser itself, not just the loan.

[STATUTE] § 45-740(1)(c): may not "Misrepresent or conceal material facts or make false promises intended to influence, persuade, or induce an applicant for a residential mortgage loan or a borrower to take a residential mortgage loan..." [STATUTE] § 45-740(1)(f): may not "Engage in any transaction, practice, or business conduct that is not in good faith or that operates a fraud upon any person in connection with the making of any residential mortgage loan."

No express Nebraska ban on "lowest," "best," "cheapest," "guaranteed," "free," "pre-approved," or government affiliation was located. Searched the full RMLA text (§§ 45-701 to 45-754) and the NDBF Interpretative Opinions. NOT VERIFIED.

Social media and character-limited media

Statute. Guidance is not law.

Last verified 2026-09-17.

[GUIDANCE] Interpretative Opinion No. 5, footnote 1: "A mortgage loan originator does not need to disclose his or her unique identifier in connection with a web site that is not used for the purpose of soliciting residential mortgage loan applications. For example, a mortgage loan originator would not need to disclose his or her unique identifier on a social networking web site such as Facebook unless it was being used to solicit residential mortgage loan applications."

This is not a character-limit accommodation. it is a purpose-based carve-out. A personal social profile that does not solicit applications is outside § 45-736; the moment the profile is used to solicit, the full identifier requirements attach.

[STATUTE] § 45-740(1)(h) expressly reaches advertising "by the Internet." [STATUTE] § 45-702(19) defines "offer" to include "all general and public advertising, whether made in print, through electronic media, or by the Internet." [GUIDANCE] Interpretative Opinion No. 5 item 8 expressly covers "Internet postings including, but not limited to, bulletin boards such as Craigslist."

No abbreviated-disclosure accommodation for character-limited media (SMS, X/Twitter) was located. NOT VERIFIED.

Penalties

Statute. Guidance is not law.

Last verified 2026-09-17.

[STATUTE] Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-740(2): "Any person who violates any provision of subsection (1) of this section is guilty of a Class III misdemeanor." [STATUTE] § 45-740(3): "Any person who violates any provision of subsection (1) of this section is liable to the applicant for a residential mortgage loan or to the borrower for the fees, costs, and charges incurred in connection with obtaining or attempting to obtain the residential mortgage loan, damages resulting from such violation, interest on the damage from the date of the violation, and court costs, including reasonable attorney's fees." The RMLA also authorizes the director to impose administrative fines and to suspend or revoke licenses (see §§ 45-731 and 45-748 series). NOT VERIFIED as to the specific maximum administrative fine amount. the dollar figure was not retrieved in the text reviewed.