Mortgage Agent Licensing Across Canada: A Province-by-Province Guide (2026)

Canada has no national mortgage licence. Each province regulates mortgage brokering itself, with its own regulator, its own courses, and its own job titles — an Ontario mortgage agent level 1 and an Alberta mortgage associate do broadly similar work under completely different rules. Two provinces are changing those rules this autumn. Here is the 2026 map. See how transferring between provinces works.

The short answer

Licensing is provincial. You need the licence for the province where the property and borrower are, plus a brokerage licensed there to sponsor you. Ontario uses a three-tier structure (agent level 1, agent level 2, broker); most other provinces use a two-tier associate-and-broker model. British Columbia's new Mortgage Services Act comes into force 13 October 2026, and Quebec's probationary rules change 14 September 2026 — if you are licensing in either, work from the regulator's current page, not a guide written last year.

Who regulates what

• Ontario — Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA)
• British Columbia — BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA)
• Alberta — Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA)
• Quebec — Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
• Manitoba — Manitoba Securities Commission
• Saskatchewan — Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan
• New Brunswick — Financial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB)
• Nova Scotia — Office of the Registrar of Mortgage Regulation
• Newfoundland and Labrador — Digital Government and Service NL
• Prince Edward Island — Office of the Superintendent of Insurance

Ontario — three tiers, and new CE requirements

Ontario is the most granular regime in the country, and the tier you hold determines which lenders you may deal with:

• Mortgage agent level 1 — complete FSRA's approved level 1 education programme. You may arrange mortgages only with financial institutions and approved lenders under the National Housing Act.
• Mortgage agent level 2 — you must have held a level 1 licence for at least 12 months out of the last 24, and complete an FSRA-approved level 2 course. This unlocks all other lenders: mortgage investment corporations, syndicates, private individuals and brokerages.
• Mortgage broker — you must have held a level 2 licence for at least 24 months out of the last 36, plus an approved course and exam.

That level 1 restriction is the detail newcomers underestimate: without level 2 you cannot place a private or MIC deal, which is a large share of the files that reach a broker. FSRA has also introduced continuing education with two components — a mandatory Conduct CE course and 10 hours of professional development. See FSRA's licensing pages and our detailed level 1 vs level 2 guide.

British Columbia — a new Act, in force October 2026

BC is mid-transition and this is the single most important thing on this page if you are licensing there. The Mortgage Services Act comes into force on 13 October 2026, repealing and replacing the Mortgage Brokers Act. From 4 August 2026, prospective applicants must complete the new Mortgage Services Licensing Course and pass its examination. The previous UBC Sauder "Mortgage Brokerage in British Columbia" course closed to new registration on 15 July 2026, and the old "submortgage broker" terminology is being retired with the outgoing Act.

If you are reading an article that tells you to register as a submortgage broker, it is out of date. Work from BCFSA's Mortgage Services Act licensing page. Note also that agents entering BC under labour mobility must still pass the BC jurisprudence examination.

Alberta — RECA, two courses, and mandatory private-lending education

Alberta licenses mortgage professionals through RECA under the title mortgage associate. Pre-licensing education is two courses with exams: Fundamentals of Mortgage Brokerage and Practice of Mortgage Brokerage. Baseline eligibility is the age of majority, legal eligibility to work in Canada, government-issued identification, and a Canadian high-school education or equivalent.

Alberta also introduced mandatory re-licensing education on private lending, administered by the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association, which licensees must complete before beginning renewal. See RECA's pre-licensing education page.

Quebec — AMF certification, and probation rules changing in September

Quebec runs the most structured entry path in the country. You complete the two mandatory courses of the Mortgage Brokerage Qualification Program and pass the examinations at the Collège des professions financières, which is a prerequisite for admission to the AMF examinations. A mortgage brokerage certificate from the AMF is then required to practise.

Quebec also imposes a supervised probationary period, and it changes on 14 September 2026: the current minimum of 28 hours per week is removed and replaced with a 40-hour weekly cap, with the period requiring a minimum of 336 hours completed within 24 weeks. That is meaningfully more flexible than the old rule. Confirm current requirements at the AMF.

The smaller provinces

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island each license mortgage brokering through the regulators listed above, generally on a two-tier associate-and-broker model with an approved education requirement, a suitability check, and a sponsoring brokerage. Volumes are smaller and the rules change less often, but they are still province-specific — check the regulator directly rather than assuming an Ontario or BC process applies.

What every province has in common

• An approved education requirement before licensing.
• A sponsoring brokerage. You cannot hold a working licence in isolation.
• Suitability screening — criminal record and financial background.
• Annual renewal with continuing education.
• Errors and omissions insurance, usually arranged through the brokerage.
• FINTRAC obligations, which are federal and apply identically everywhere — see FINTRAC and compliance support.

Where Mortgage Squad Advisors can license you today

We are licensed by FSRA in Ontario — Brokerage #13737 — and Ontario is where we can currently sponsor an agent's licence. We are expanding, and we would rather say that plainly than imply a national footprint we do not yet have. If you are licensed or licensing elsewhere in Canada and want to hear from us when we register in your province, tell us confidentially.

If you are becoming licensed in Ontario, start with how to become a mortgage agent in Ontario and our FSRA licensing page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one mortgage licence for all of Canada?

No. Every province and territory licenses mortgage brokering separately through its own regulator. Labour mobility under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement makes it easier to be recognised in a second province, but there is no single national licence.

Which province's licence do I need for a deal?

Generally the province where the property and the borrower are, not where you are sitting. Confirm with your brokerage and the relevant regulator before taking an out-of-province file.

What is changing in British Columbia in 2026?

The Mortgage Services Act comes into force on 13 October 2026, replacing the Mortgage Brokers Act. Since 4 August 2026 applicants take the new Mortgage Services Licensing Course, and the old submortgage broker terminology is being retired. Check BCFSA for current requirements.

How long does it take to get licensed?

It varies by province and by how quickly you complete the coursework — commonly a few months from starting the course to holding a licence, assuming you have a sponsoring brokerage lined up. Quebec's supervised probationary period makes its path longer than most.

Do I need a brokerage before I get licensed?

You need one to hold an active licence, so most people line up a brokerage while completing the coursework. It is also the point at which the terms you are offered matter most — see questions to ask before joining a brokerage.

Licensing rules change, and two provinces are changing theirs this autumn. Always confirm against the regulator's own current page before acting on any guide, including this one. If you are licensing in Ontario, talk to us confidentially.