Montana Payday Loan Law and Legislation

Montana Payday Loan Regulations
Legal Status
Legal (restrictions apply)
Interest Rate (APR)
36% small loan cap
Minimum Loan Amount
$50
Maximum Loan Amount
$300
Minimum Loan Term
14 days
Maximum Loan Term
31 days
Number of Rollovers
0
Finance Charges
$1.39 for a $100 loan given for 2 weeks
Statute of Limitations
8 years (from the last payment)
Database Loan Tracking
No

Payday lending is legal in Montana (however, restrictions apply).

Montana has a limit on payday loans offered in the state: $50-$300. The minimum loan term is 14 days; the maximum loan term is 31 days. The APR is capped at 36%, lenders cannot set higher rates for their loans. Rollovers are not allowed. Criminal actions against borrowers are prohibited.

From 1999 to 2010 Montana was a place to be a payday lender. The industry flourished and interest rates reached 400%. However, the situation changed with the passing of HB 118. As of today, payday lenders can legally operate in the state provided that they comply with the 36% APR cap (all lenders, online ones as well). As a result, according to the 2016 report in the Journal of Economics and Business, there were no licensed lenders in Montana and only 57 were revealed altogether, judging by the data about payday lenders based on NAICS codes.

Montana Payday Lending Statutes

Payday lending in Montana is regulated by Mont. Code Ann. 31-1-701.

All lenders willing to give loans to Montana residents (including online ones) must have a license to operate in the state.

All restrictions imposed on the lenders by the state are meant to protect the residents from the trouble with indecent lenders.

Loan Amount in Montana

  • The maximum amount of payday loan allowed in Montana is $300.
  • The minimum equals $50.

Rates, Fees and Other Charges in Montana

  • In Montana, a licensed lender is not permitted to charge any fee for making or maintaining a payday loan that is greater than 36% per year. Outside of the “insufficient funds” fee that is authorized in subsections (3) and (4) of Mont. Code Ann. 31-1-722.
  • Any loan of $100 provided for two weeks may carry a charge of no more than $1.39
  • According to Montana law, a loan agreement is required to contain provisions that a consumer may rescind their transaction if, by 5 p.m. of the lender’s first day of business after the loan is initiated, a borrower provides the lender with monies equaling 100% of the amount that was advanced to the borrower (Mont. Code Ann. 31-1-715).

The Maximum Term for a Payday Loan in Montana

  • According to the Montana legislation, payday loans in the state are allowed for a period of 14 to 31 days.
  • No rollovers are allowed; nor are any renewals, or refinance, or extensions.
  • It is also illegal for a lender to make a borrower get a new loan in order to repay the previous one. Moreover, no interest can be charged for this.

Consumer Information

Attention
From July 2020, lenders are not required to check a borrower’s ability to repay a loan.
Be careful, evaluate your financial situation, don’t get into a debt trap.
The rule was changed by the CFPB.

  • In terms of collection, payday lenders in Montana are allowed to charge one insufficient funds fee in the amount not exceeding $30 and also some reasonable attorney fee.
  • Any criminal actions are prohibited as in the state of Montana. Payday loan debts and non-repayments are considered a civil offense and are not in any case fraught with imprisonment. If a borrower is unable to repay, they should inform a lender in a written form about the matter in advance. Borrowers should not get scared of the threats about criminal prosecutions and the like; what is more, as a rule, lenders are unwilling to deal with anything involving legislation and courts. Therefore, one thing is required from a borrower – to be legally literate and be aware of the state laws.

More information about payday loans in Montana can be found on the official website of the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions.

Regulator: Complaints & Information

Division of Banking and Financial Institutions

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 200546, Helena, MT 59620
Address: 301 S Park Ave #316, Helena, MT 59601
Phone: 406-841-2920
Fax: 406-841-2930
Url: https://banking.mt.gov/
File a Complaint: https://banking.mt.gov/Complaints

CFPB Submit a Complaint Submit a Complaint to the CFPB

Number of Montana Consumers Complaints by Topics

According to CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

  • Not exiting debt ( 13 )
  • Charges from account ( 10 )
  • Loan to return ( 6 )
  • Fraud and threat ( 6 )
  • Not requested loan ( 3 )
  • Lender is not available ( 1 )
  • Credit rating ( 1 )

The History of Payday Loans in Montana

  • 1999 – Montana legalized payday lending. For more than a decade, payday lenders flourished in the state and offered loans at exorbitant rates.
  • 2006 – The Military Lending Act effectively capped payday loans offered to the military at 36% APR. This federal law has no exceptions, thus, no lender in Montana is now allowed to offer loans to the military in excess of 36% APR.
  • 2010 – Finally, after all these years of triple-digit APR, the State Legislature passed HB 118. The new law reinstated usury laws in the state and effectively capped interest rates at 36%. The situation forced many lenders to go online; however, those also were requested to comply with the state laws.
  • June 2, 2016 – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a Payday Loan Rule that hasn’t yet fully come into effect (expected in November 2020).
  • Present days – Payday loans are officially legal in Montana, however, since 2010 the number of lenders has dropped to a minimum.

[Updated As of February 2020]

Was this information helpful?