Northeast · 36% APR cap
Payday loans in Maine
Maine does not license classic two-week payday pricing: a 36% APR cap keeps typical payday fees out of the market. The storefronts that remain sell installment products under that cap.
Classic payday pricing is not licensed here, so treat any two-week, high-fee offer as a red flag.
The rules behind the numbers
High-cost payday lending is prohibited under Maine law, which subjects consumer loans to interest rate caps.
Statute: Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 9-A, § 2-308
Regulator: Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection · www.maine.gov
Questions people ask here
Why can't I find two-week payday stores in Maine?
Maine caps small-loan APR at 36%. At that rate a two-week $300 loan earns a lender about $4 — which is why classic payday pricing can't legally exist here. Storefronts that remain offer installment loans under the cap.
What can I legally borrow instead in Maine?
Installment loans priced under the 36% cap, federal credit-union PAY loans, and employer advance programs are the lawful routes. Anything advertising "no credit check" two-week fees is not licensed here.
A lender offered me a payday loan online anyway. Is that legal?
Not for a Maine resident. The 36% cap applies regardless of where the lender is based — that offer is illegal in this state, and worth reporting.
Who enforces the cap in Maine?
Complaints about a licensed lender go to the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (www.maine.gov) — keep the loan agreement and every fee disclosure you were given.