{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unilateral-servicing-authority","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/unilateral-servicing-authority","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"unilateral-servicing-authority","term":"Unilateral Servicing Authority","group":"Doing the deal","definition":"A lender's ability to take certain actions regarding an SBA loan without prior SBA approval. This streamlines routine loan administration and speeds up minor adjustments.","what_it_means":"Preferred Lender Program (PLP) lenders, for instance, have unilateral servicing authority for many actions like deferments or minor loan modifications. This means they don't need to wait for SBA approval, making post-closing adjustments quicker. Understand what actions your lender can take without SBA sign-off, as it impacts flexibility.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unilateral-servicing-authority","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"servicing","term":"Servicing","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/servicing"},{"slug":"plp-lender","term":"PLP lender","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/plp-lender"},{"slug":"delegated-authority","term":"Delegated authority","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/delegated-authority"},{"slug":"loan-agreement","term":"Loan agreement","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/loan-agreement"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What factors allow a lender to use their delegated authority (e.g., Preferred Lender status) to speed up SBA loan approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-factors-allow-a-lender-to-use-their-delegated-authority-e-g-preferred-lender-status-t"},{"question":"Are there annual servicing fees or other recurring charges beyond the SBA servicing fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-annual-servicing-fees-or-other-recurring-charges-beyond-the-sba-servicing-fee"},{"question":"What servicing actions require prior written SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-servicing-actions-require-prior-written-sba-approval"},{"question":"How is the ongoing servicing fee calculated and remitted to the SBA?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-is-the-ongoing-servicing-fee-calculated-and-remitted-to-the-sba"},{"question":"Which servicing actions can a 7(a) lender take without prior SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/which-servicing-actions-can-a-7-a-lender-take-without-prior-sba-approval"},{"question":"What servicing actions can a 7(a) lender take without prior SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-servicing-actions-can-a-7-a-lender-take-without-prior-sba-approval"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Unilateral Servicing Authority","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unilateral-servicing-authority","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}