State lending rules
Payday & Small-Dollar Loan Laws by State
Compare payday and small-dollar loan rules across all 50 states, including APR caps, loan limits, rollover restrictions, cooling-off periods, and regulator contacts.
States covered
50
Payday legal
29
Restricted / capped
9
Prohibited
12
High-volume state law guides
Start with these major lending markets and high-interest regulatory states.
Compare rules before borrowing
State law can change whether payday loans are legal, how much a borrower may receive, what fees can be charged, and whether rollovers are allowed. Use the state pages with calculators before comparing loan options.
Payday loans legal (29 states)
36% APR-capped / restricted (9 states)
Payday loans prohibited (12 states)
Strict protection states
These pages are useful for understanding where traditional payday lending is prohibited or sharply limited.
About this data
Summaries are compiled from state regulator information, consumer-finance guidance, and primary statute references where available. Lending rules change; verify current limits with the state regulator before borrowing. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Reviewed by Darnell Pierce, MBA. See our fact-checking policy.