Payday Loans Are Illegal in Georgia: What You Can Borrow Instead

What you can legally borrow in Georgia is an installment loan of up to $3,000 from a state-licensed lender, repaid over as long as 36 months and 15 days, or a loan from a bank, credit union or pawnbroker. Payday loans are banned, in stores and online.

Charges on a Georgia Installment Loan, $500 to $3,000

Instead of one APR cap, the Georgia Installment Loan Act limits each charge separately, so the most you can pay depends on the contract's face amount and term.

Worked out from Georgia law, not offers from lenders in our network; a lender can charge less. On loans of 18 months or less, interest can be taken up front, so the cash you receive may be less than the face amount. Compare offers by the amount financed and APR on the Truth in Lending disclosure.

The usury limit in O.C.G.A. § 7-4-18 binds Georgia-licensed installment lenders under the Installment Loan Act: their interest and loan fee together can't exceed it. A late charge is allowed only after 5 days, and almost nothing else can be added.

Why a Payday Loan Made to You Is Void

• You owe nothing on it. The lender has no right to collect the principal, finance charges or fees.
• You can sue for triple. Borrowers can recover three times the interest and charges, plus attorney fees.
• Each loan is a crime. Up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine per loan; a felony after three convictions.
• Distance is no defense. The ban reaches lenders outside Georgia, and the Attorney General says tribal immunity doesn't change that.

If a payday lender targets you, tell your county solicitor (or district attorney if your county has none) and DBF at [email protected].

How to Spot an Illegal Payday Offer

• It's sold as a payday loan, cash advance or deferred presentment. Georgia law calls all of these illegal.
• It charges a flat fee for two weeks; the CFPB says that typically works out to almost 400% APR.
• The contract says disputes go to another state's courts. Georgia lawmakers call that unconscionable.
• The company has no Georgia installment lender license and isn't a bank or credit union.

Banks, Credit Unions and Pawn Loans

Banks, credit unions and, since a 2026 law, their wholly owned subsidiaries don't need an installment lender license, and pawnbrokers are regulated separately by the state. Short for a bill? The Attorney General also suggests asking the creditor for more time or talking to a credit union or nonprofit credit counselor.

Applying for a Georgia Installment Loan

1. Decide how much you need, up to $3,000, and over how many months.
2. Submit one request through LendUp. Lenders in our network review it, and any offer shows the APR, payments and total cost before you sign.
3. Compare offers by amount financed and APR, and check the lender's license.

Checking a Georgia Lender in NMLS

1. Search by the company's NMLS number, the most accurate search, or by its legal or trade name.
2. Find Georgia under State Licenses/Registrations and check that Authorized to Conduct Business says Yes.
3. Look under Regulatory Actions, and match the name to the one on your contract.

A loan of $3,000 or less from a lender that needed a license and lacked one is void, and a licensed lender that overcharges owes you twice the interest and loan fees, at least $100. Report a licensed lender at [email protected]; for help with a dispute, call the CFPB at (855) 411-2372 or the Attorney General at (404) 651-8600.

Common Questions

Official Sources

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