State ad rules
Federal ad rules apply to every piece. On top of those, a piece is checked against the rules of the states that matter to it: the states you are licensed in, and any state the words name.
Which states a piece is checked against
| Where the piece comes from | States checked |
|---|---|
| Your own content | Your Licensed States, plus any state the words name |
| A company page or company piece | Your company’s licensed states, plus any state the words name |
Naming a state only ever adds that state. Nothing in the words can remove a state you are licensed in, and federal rules always apply.
When a state rule flags a line, the note says why it ran, for example “This is a Texas rule, checked because you are licensed in Texas.” Other endings are “because your company is licensed in” a state, or “because the piece names” it.
Setting your Licensed States
If your Licensed States are not set, TrueTone asks: “Which states are you licensed in? Your pieces are then checked against those states’ rules as well.” Pick your states and choose Save states, or Not now. Until they are set, a check covers federal rules and any state the words name, and says so.
On a company account your Licensed States are set by your company. TrueTone tells you who to contact to add them.
Warnings or stops
- On your own account, state rules always show as warnings. They are advice only.
- On a company account, each state rule keeps the level it was written with, and your company’s settings decide what a blocking line means for release. See Gate Coverage.
How state rules are added
TrueTone researches each state’s mortgage advertising rules and adds them in batches. A new state rule is first written as a draft, tested against sample ads that break it and ads that follow it, and only goes live when TrueTone releases it. Until a state’s rules are released, pieces for that state are checked against federal rules (and your company’s own rules, if you have any).
Live today: Colorado, Arizona and Texas. Their rules show as warnings. More states are being added in batches, and this page lists each one once it is live.
State rules check what the words in an ad say. Some states also ask for licensing details, such as your NMLS ID, on every ad. Those are handled by your profile and your NMLS line rather than by a flag on each caption. See Your NMLS line and Equal Housing.