source:
  type: guide
  id: hud-4000-1-i-n-advertising
  authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — n. Advertising
    (09/14/2015)
  description: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — n. Advertising
    (09/14/2015).
  coverage_tier: operative
obligations:
- id: hud-4000-1-i-n-advertising-full
  canonical_id: hud-4000-1-i-n-advertising-full
  section: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — n. Advertising
    (09/14/2015)
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - fha
  - hud-handbook
  - corpus-expansion
  - tier-operative
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — n. Advertising
      (09/14/2015)
    source_class: hud-handbook
    source_url: https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/single-family-handbook-4000-1
    snapshot_id: 8c03836f77f317e1
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T00:28:40Z'
    content_hash: sha256:411430f29b13f9b54a2ebb0e6f6e7087ecd2b90d0da22eb0c8c792eaa2d7d0df
    paragraph_quote: 'n. Advertising (09/14/2015) i. Definitions (A) Advertising Advertising
      is any communication made to an outside entity or individual that describes
      or calls attention to a Mortgagee’s FHA products or services. (B) Advertising
      Device An Advertising Device is a channel or instrument used to solicit, promote,
      or advertise FHA products or programs. Advertising Devices are present in the
      entire range of electronic and print media utilized by Mortgagees, including,
      but not limited to, websites, website addresses, business names, aliases, DBA
      names, domain names, email addresses, direct mail advertisements, solicitations,
      promotional materials, and correspondence. ii. Standard (A) Advertising A Mortgagee
      is solely responsible for the content of its advertising. This includes advertising
      abuses by employees of the approved Mortgagee, and any violations committed
      by employees of Affiliates or companies that advertise or generate FHA mortgage
      leads or other FHA business on behalf of the Mortgagee. The Mortgagee must ensure
      that all of its advertising communications and Advertising Devices, and I. DOING
      BUSINESS WITH FHA A. FHA Lenders and Mortgagees (09/20/2021) 6. Post-approval
      Operations Handbook 4000.1 56 Last Revised: 11/26/2025 the communications and
      Advertising Devices of its Affiliates, comply with all applicable state licensing
      and regulatory requirements. (B) Advertising Device A Mortgagee must not create
      the false impression that any of its Advertising Devices are official government
      forms, notices, or documents or that otherwise convey the false impression that
      an Advertising Device is authored, approved, or endorsed by HUD or FHA. The
      Advertising Device must be written, formatted, and structured in a manner that
      clearly identifies the Mortgagee as the sole author and originator of the Advertising
      Device. The Advertising Device must reflect the Mortgagee’s name, location,
      and appropriate contact information. (1) HUD and FHA Names and Acronyms The
      use of the words “federal,” “government,” “national,” “U.S. Department of Housing
      and Urban Development,” “Federal Housing Administration,” and/or the letters
      “HUD” or “FHA,” either alone or with other words or letters, by an FHA- approved
      Mortgagee, non-approved Mortgagee, or sponsored TPO in a manner that falsely
      represents that the Mortgagee’s business services or products originate from
      HUD, FHA, the government of the United States, or any federal, state or local
      government agency is strictly prohibited. (2) HUD and FHA Logos and Seals Other
      than permissible use of the official FHA-Approved Lending Institution logo and
      the Equal Housing Opportunity logo, a Mortgagee must not use FHA or HUD logos
      or seals, any other official seal or logo of the U.S. Department of Housing
      and Urban Development, or any other insignia that imitates an official federal
      seal. No person, party, company, or firm, including FHA-approved Mortgagees,
      may use these logos or seals on any Advertising Device. (a) FHA-Approved Lending
      Institution Logo User Restrictions Only an FHA-approved Mortgagee may display
      the official FHA-Approved Lending Institution logo on an Advertising Device
      for the purpose of illustrating to the public the fact that the Mortgagee originates
      FHA-insured mortgage products. The Mortgagee must not permit its sponsored TPOs
      to use the official FHA- Approved Lending Institution logo on any Advertising
      Device; unless the sponsored TPO is also an FHA-approved Mortgagee. I. DOING
      BUSINESS WITH FHA A. FHA Lenders and Mortgagees (09/20/2021) 7. Post-approval
      Changes Handbook 4000.1 57 Last Revised: 11/26/2025 (b) FHA-Approved Lending
      Institution Logo Content Restrictions The FHA-Approved Lending Institution logo
      must be displayed in a discreet manner. The Advertising Device, when taken as
      a whole, must emphasize the institution or DBA name of the Mortgagee, and not
      the federal government. When using the FHA-Approved Lending Institution logo
      on an Advertising Device, the Mortgagee must include a conspicuous disclaimer
      that clearly informs the public that the Mortgagee displaying the Advertising
      Device is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD, FHA, or the federal
      government. The disclaimer must be prominently displayed in a location proximate
      to where the FHA-Approved Lending Institution logo is displayed on each Advertising
      Device. The Mortgagee may not alter or modify the FHA-Approved Lending Institution
      logo in any way. (3) Advertising Devices of Sponsored Third-Party Originators
      Advertising Devices used by sponsored TPOs must reflect the sponsored TPO’s
      name, location, and appropriate contact information. Sponsored TPOs are prohibited
      from engaging in any activity or authoring or distributing any Advertising Device
      that falsely advertises, represents, or otherwise conveys the impression that
      the sponsored TPO’s business operations, products, or services either originate
      from or are expressly endorsed by HUD, FHA, the government of the United States,
      or any federal, state or local government agency. iii. Required Documentation
      The Mortgagee must retain copies of any Advertising Device it produces that
      is related to FHA programs for a period of two years from the date that the
      Advertising Device is circulated or used for advertisement, educational, or
      promotional purposes. Copies of Advertising Devices related to FHA programs
      may be kept in either electronic or print format and are to be provided to HUD
      upon request. 7. Post-approval Changes The Mortgagee has an ongoing requirement
      to notify FHA of any changes to the information outlined in its application
      for FHA approval or that affect the Mortgagee’s compliance with any of FHA’s
      eligibility requirements. I. DOING BUSINESS WITH FHA A. FHA Lenders and Mortgagees
      (09/20/2021) 7. Post-approval Changes Handbook 4000.1 58 Last Revised: 11/26/2025'
  judgment: false
