Money transmitter license cost in California

$5,000.00 is the Money transmitter, new license filing fee in California, cited to the California Legislature. The receipt lists every other cited line, and Cornerstone Licensing quotes the service charge separately.

By LicenseStore

Last updated 15 October 2026.

LicenseStore publishes cited government and NMLS fees for ARM, lending, money transmitter, and mortgage company licenses. Each amount comes from a state regulator, a statute, or the NMLS chart. The service quote opens at Cornerstone Licensing. Editorial policy.

National table: money transmitter license fees and money transmitter license cost. This page is the California receipt.

LicenseStore.com cost receipt

Money transmitter license California

Government fees retrieved 29 August 2026

Money transmitter, new license filing fee California Financial Code § 2032(a); confirmed on the DFPI money-transmitter page 1 $5,000.00
Money transmitter, annual licensee fee (on or before July 1) California Financial Code § 2038(c) 2 $2,500.00
Money transmitter, annual fee per California licensee branch office California Financial Code § 2038(d) 3 $125.00
Money transmitter, annual fee per California agent branch office California Financial Code § 2038(e) 4 $25.00
Money transmitter, application to acquire control California Financial Code § 2038(b) 5 $3,500.00

Cited lines, separate cases Itemized

California Legislature. Retrieved 29 August 2026. Source entry
California Legislature. Retrieved 29 August 2026. Source entry
California Legislature. Retrieved 29 August 2026. Source entry
California Legislature. Retrieved 29 August 2026. Source entry
California Legislature. Retrieved 29 August 2026. Source entry

How to read this receipt

Each government line is one fee this file can cite. The numbered marker opens its source. The lines are separate components, and the green stub is the Cornerstone Licensing service quote.

The regulator named on this page publishes whether California requires the license for a given activity.

What the cited lines cover

Money transmitter, new license filing fee. California Financial Code § 2032(a); confirmed on the DFPI money-transmitter page
Money transmitter, annual licensee fee (on or before July 1). California Financial Code § 2038(c)
Money transmitter, annual fee per California licensee branch office. California Financial Code § 2038(d)
Money transmitter, annual fee per California agent branch office. California Financial Code § 2038(e)
Money transmitter, application to acquire control. California Financial Code § 2038(b)

NMLS and federal fees when you file that way

Nationwide fees

Nationwide fees. Each amount is the figure on the cited page.
Published fee	When it applies	Source	Amount
NMLS company initial set-up / application processing per agency / per license	Each new or transitioned company license filed through NMLS (Form MU1).	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$120.00
NMLS company annual processing per agency / per license	Each annual renewal request filed through NMLS.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$120.00
NMLS branch initial set-up / application processing per agency / per license	Each new or transitioned branch license filed through NMLS (Form MU3).	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$25.00
NMLS branch annual processing per agency / per license	Each annual branch renewal request filed through NMLS.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$25.00
NMLS individual initial set-up / application processing per agency / per license	Each new or transitioned individual license filed through NMLS (Form MU4).	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$35.00
NMLS individual annual processing per agency / per license	Each annual individual renewal request filed through NMLS.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$35.00
NMLS criminal background check per request	Livescan or print-card capture. Charged once per filing regardless of how many licenses are in that filing. Print cards add a $10 card packet fee.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$36.25
NMLS credit report per request	Charged when NMLS does not already have a credit report less than 30 days old. Single charge per filing.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$15.00
NMLS credit-card service fee per card transaction	Visa or Mastercard payments through NMLS. ACH has no added service fee.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	2.5% of the card charge
Uniform Authorized Agent Reporting processing per licensee / year	Assessed at renewal on the agent count as of August 16. Licensees with 100 or fewer active agents pay no UAAR processing fee.	Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (CSBS / SRR)	$0.25 per active agent after the first 100; $25,000 annual cap
FinCEN MSB registration (FinCEN Form 107) federal registration	FinCEN states there is no cost for MSB registration. Registration is not a state license.	Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	$0

Official agencies

California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Money transmitters, California Financing Law, mortgage, and collection-related programs

Confirm the current license name, NMLS participation, and any unpublished state fee on the NMLS License Requirements and Fees Chart.

Doing it yourself

Filing yourself removes the service charge. The government fees stay the same. DIY or a service

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Other California cost pages

The other license families in California each have their own cited receipt.

All Money transmitters states / All cost hubs / Sources

Price another state

Choose another state to open its cited receipt for this license family.

Provider compare for this filing

Cornerstone Licensing quotes the service charge for this filing. The table records published price-list status, scope, and track record.

Government fees are set by the regulator and apply on every path. Cornerstone figures are as published on cornerstonelicensing.com. Service prices are quotes.
Path	Public price list for these licenses	Published scope	Published figures	Next step
DIY	No service fee. You pay government and NMLS fees directly.	You file with the state agency or NMLS yourself.	Not a vendor.	Read the DIY stack
LegalZoom	Publishes formation and some general-business prices. No public price list for ARM, lending, money-transmitter, or mortgage company licenses.	Public site focuses on entity formation, trademarks, and general legal documents.	Public company. See investor materials for corporate history.	See the full table
Harbor Compliance	No public per-state price list for these four financial-license families.	Public site markets multi-state licensing and registered-agent services.	Not restated here. Use the provider’s own published figures.	See the full table
Cornerstone Licensing	No public price list. Quote only.	Public site lists multi-state licensing, surety bonds, insurance, registered agent, and Atlas tracking for financial-services firms.	28 years, 525,000+ filings, 99.995% on-time filing rate, as published on cornerstonelicensing.com.	Get a quote cornerstonelicensing.com

Service-dollar ranges are omitted on purpose. If a firm does not publish a price, LicenseStore will not invent one. See sources.

Get the service charge in writing.

LicenseStore.com prices the government fees. Cornerstone Licensing quotes the service charge for ARM, lending, money transmitter and mortgage licenses.

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