All 51 jurisdictions · Statutes, caps & databases

Payday loan laws by state

Payday lending is licensed and fee-capped in 25 jurisdictions, priced out by 36% APR ceilings in 13, and prohibited in 13. Pick a state for its legal limits, the statute behind them, the rollover rules and the regulator that enforces them — verified September 6, 2026.

State	Status	Max loan	Fee / APR cap	Max term	Statute
Alabama	Allowed	$500	17.5% of loan amount ($17.50 per $100)	10-31 days	Ala. Code § 5-18A-1 et seq.
Alaska	Allowed	$500	15% of face value + $5 fee	14-30 days	Alaska Stat. § 06.50.010 et seq.
Arizona	Not permitted	—	36% APR Cap	—	A.R.S. § 6-601 et seq.
Arkansas	Not permitted	—	17% APR Cap	—	Ark. Const. art. XIX, § 13
California	Allowed	$300	15% of face value ($17.65 per $100 advanced)	Max 31 days	Cal. Fin. Code § 23000 et seq.
Colorado	36% APR cap	$500	36% APR Cap	6 months min	C.R.S. § 5-3.1-101 et seq.
Connecticut	Not permitted	—	36% APR Cap	—	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-555 et seq.
Delaware	Allowed	1 loan at a time	No fee cap (set by contract)	Max 60 days	Del. Code tit. 5, § 2227 et seq.
Florida	Allowed	$500	10% of loan amount + $5 verification fee	7-31 days	Fla. Stat. § 560.401 et seq.
Georgia	Not permitted	—	16% APR Cap	—	O.C.G.A. § 16-17-1 et seq.
Hawaii	36% APR cap	No fixed dollar cap	36% APR Cap	N/A	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 480F-1 et seq. / Act 56
Idaho	Allowed	1 loan at a time	No fee cap (set by contract)	Max 31 days	Idaho Code § 28-46-401 et seq.
Illinois	36% APR cap	No fixed dollar cap	36% APR Cap	N/A	815 ILCS 123/ (Predatory Loan Prevention Act)
Indiana	Allowed	$550	15% on first $250, 13% on $250-$400, 10% on $400-$550	14-31 days	Ind. Code § 24-4.5-7-101 et seq.
Iowa	Allowed	$500	$15 on first $100, plus $10 per additional $100	Max 31 days	Iowa Code Ch. 533D
Kansas	Allowed	$500	15% of cash advance ($15 per $100)	7-30 days	K.S.A. 16a-2-404
Kentucky	Allowed	$500	$15 per $100 advanced + $1 database fee	14-60 days	KRS 286.9-010 et seq.
Louisiana	Allowed	$350	16.75% of check amount ($16.75 per $100) + $10 documentation fee	Max 30 days	La. R.S. 9:3578.1 et seq.
Maine	36% APR cap	No fixed dollar cap	36% APR Cap	N/A	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 9-A, § 2-308
Maryland	Not permitted	—	33% APR Cap	—	Md. Code Ann., Com. Law § 12-301 et seq.
Massachusetts	Not permitted	—	23% APR Cap	—	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 96 et seq.
Michigan	Allowed	$600	15% on first $100, 14% on 2nd $100, 13% on 3rd $100, 12% on 4th $100, 11% on 5th & 6th $100	Max 31 days	MCL 487.2121 et seq. (Deferred Presentment Service Transactions Act)
Minnesota	36% APR cap	$350	36% APR Cap	Max 30 days	Minn. Stat. § 47.60 et seq.
Mississippi	Allowed	$500	$20 per $100 advanced	Max 30 days	Miss. Code Ann. § 75-67-501 et seq. (Check Cashers Act)
Missouri	Allowed	$500	75% of initial principal limit for interest/fees combined	14-31 days	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 408.500 et seq.
Montana	36% APR cap	No fixed dollar cap	36% APR Cap	N/A	Mont. Code Ann. § 32-5-101 et seq.
Nebraska	36% APR cap	$500	36% APR Cap	Max 34 days	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-901 et seq. (Initiative 428)
Nevada	Allowed	25% of monthly income	No fee cap (set by contract)	Max 35 days	NRS Chapter 604A
New Hampshire	36% APR cap	No fixed dollar cap	36% APR Cap	N/A	N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 399-A:1 et seq.
New Jersey	Not permitted	—	30% APR Cap	—	N.J.S.A. 2C:21-19 / N.J.S.A. 17:16C-1 et seq.
New Mexico	36% APR cap	10 loans per year	36% APR Cap	120 days min	N.M. Stat. Ann. § 58-15-1 et seq.
New York	Not permitted	—	16% APR Cap	—	N.Y. Banking Law § 340 / N.Y. Penal Law § 190.40
North Carolina	Not permitted	—	30% APR Cap	—	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 53-164 et seq.
North Dakota	Allowed	$500	20% of loan amount ($20 per $100)	Max 60 days	N.D. Cent. Code § 13-08-01 et seq.
Ohio	36% APR cap	1 loan at a time	28% APR + $10 monthly fee (36% APR Cap)	91-365 days	R.C. § 1321.35 et seq. (Short-Term Loan Act)
Oklahoma	Allowed	$500	$15 per $100 for first $300, $10 per $100 above $300	12-45 days	Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 3101 et seq.
Oregon	36% APR cap	$500	36% APR + 10% loan fee (up to $30)	31-60 days	ORS § 725A.010 et seq.
Pennsylvania	Not permitted	—	6% APR Cap	—	7 P.S. § 6201 et seq. (Consumer Discount Company Act)
Rhode Island	Allowed	$500	15% of amount advanced ($15 per $100)	13 days min	R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-14.4-1 et seq.
South Carolina	Allowed	$550	15% of face value of check ($15 per $100)	Max 31 days	S.C. Code Ann. § 34-39-110 et seq.
South Dakota	36% APR cap	$500	36% APR Cap	N/A	S.D. Codified Laws § 54-4-36 et seq.
Tennessee	Allowed	$500	15% of face value of check ($17.65 per $100 advanced)	Max 31 days	Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-17-101 et seq.
Texas	CSO model	No fixed dollar cap	No state fee cap ($20-$25 per $100 typical CSO fee + 10% interest cap)	7-180 days	Tex. Fin. Code Ch. 393
Utah	Allowed	No fixed dollar cap	No fee cap (set by contract)	Max 10 weeks for interest accrual	Utah Code § 7-23-101 et seq.
Vermont	Not permitted	—	24% APR Cap	—	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 8, § 2200 et seq. / 9 V.S.A. § 41a
Virginia	36% APR cap	2 loans max	36% APR + $25 monthly maintenance fee	120-730 days	Va. Code Ann. § 6.2-1800 et seq. (Fairness in Lending Act)
Washington	Allowed	$700	15% on first $500 ($15 per $100), 10% on amount over $500	Max 45 days	RCW 31.45.010 et seq.
Washington, D.C.	Not permitted	—	24% APR Cap	—	D.C. Code § 28-3301 / D.C. Code § 26-301 et seq.
West Virginia	Not permitted	—	31.5% APR Cap	—	W. Va. Code § 46A-3-101 et seq.
Wisconsin	Allowed	1 loan at a time	No fee cap (set by contract)	Max 90 days	Wis. Stat. § 138.14
Wyoming	Allowed	No fixed dollar cap	Greater of $30 or 20% of principal per month ($20 per $100)	8-31 days	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 40-14-362 et seq.

Where payday lending is not permitted

13 jurisdictions do not license high-cost payday lending at all, and 13 more hold small-dollar credit to a 36% APR ceiling that classic two-week pricing cannot meet. In both groups, any lender offering payday-style fees to residents is operating outside the law — often through unlicensed online offers.

Arizona , Arkansas , Colorado , Connecticut , Georgia , Hawaii , Illinois , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Montana , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New Mexico , New York , North Carolina , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania , South Dakota , Vermont , Virginia , Washington, D.C. and West Virginia — each link explains what is legal instead and what to do about an illegal offer.

How the three legal models differ

Direct-cap states write the fee into statute — for example $15 per $100 in South Carolina or 15% of the check in California — and most enforce a one-loan rule through a statewide database. 36% APR cap states license only installment-style products under a rate ceiling, which is why storefronts there sell longer-term small-dollar loans. Texas is the one CSO state: a licensed credit access business brokers the loan from a third-party lender, the broker fee sits on top of the note, and no per-loan dollar cap applies — the effective cost is disclosed on every Texas page of this site.

The common thread: in every state where payday lending exists, the lender must hold that state’s license and obey that state’s caps — the internet does not change the statute.

Questions about state payday loan laws

In which US states are payday loans legal?

Payday lending is licensed and regulated in 25 jurisdictions — 24 states with direct statutory fee caps plus Texas, which runs a credit-services-organization (CAB) model. Another 13 states allow only installment-style small-dollar loans priced under a 36% APR cap, and 13 prohibit high-cost payday lending outright. This page links the specific statute for every jurisdiction.

What is the maximum payday loan amount by state?

Typical statutory caps run from $300 in California and Montana’s old $50–$300 band up to $1,000 in Idaho and Delaware. Several states set no dollar figure and instead cap the loan at a share of the borrower’s income (25–30% of gross monthly income in Idaho, Nevada, Texas and Washington), and Virginia licenses $2,500 installment plans. Every state’s ceiling is listed in the table above.

Which states have banned payday lending?

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia. In the “36% APR cap” states the product is not banned by name — the rate ceiling simply makes two-week payday pricing impossible to license. In the banned states, lending without a license is a violation the state attorney general or financial regulator can prosecute.

Are online payday loans legal where storefront loans are legal?

Only when the online lender holds the same state license that a storefront needs. A license from another state, an offshore charter or a tribal charter does not exempt an internet lender from the caps of the state where the borrower lives. Statewide loan databases in states such as Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington and North Dakota cover online loans exactly like store loans.

What is the highest APR a payday lender can charge?

It depends entirely on the state. A standard two-week fee of $15 per $100 works out to roughly 391% APR; Texas CSO loans commonly land in the 400%–600% APR range, while the 36%-cap states top out at 36%. Each state page on this site converts its own fee schedule into a real APR on a worked example.

How do I check whether a payday lender is licensed in my state?

Every state law page on LendMap USA names the regulator and links to its license lookup. Search the regulator’s database for the lender’s exact legal name before you sign — if the company is not listed, the loan is being made outside the law and is worth reporting. Data on this page was last verified September 6, 2026.