Personal loans in Iowa
Consumer lending in Iowa is regulated by the Iowa Division of Banking. Below are the sourced rules that affect what a lender can charge you, followed by the cities we cover.
Lending rules in Iowa
| Payday lending | Permitted and regulated — maximum loan amount: A licensee shall not hold from any one maker a check or checks in an aggregate face amount of more than $500 at any one time; maximum loan term: Not to exceed 31 days. Finance charges: A licensee shall not charge a fee in excess of $15 on the first $100 on the face amount of a check or more than $10 on subsequent $100 increments on the face amount of the check for services provided by the licensee, or pro rata for any portion of $100 face valueSource: National Conference of State Legislatures · as of 2023 |
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| Small-loan / installment licensing | Consumer lenders must obtain a state license (Yes). Statutory basis: Iowa Code §§ 536, 536A, 537. Licensing administered through NMLS: Yes.Source: Conference of State Bank Supervisors · as of 2026 |
| Interest rate cap (usury limit) | Usury limit: 5% for general agreements not made in writing. Maximum rate for agreements made in writing is set by the state's superintendent of banking at a rate of 2% above the monthly average 10-year constant maturity interest rate of U.S. government bonds, rounded to the nearest .25% per year. (Iowa Code § 535.2) Lenders may not charge an interest rate greater than that permitted by Iowa Code § 535.2 unless otherwise specifically authorized by law to do so. Under Iowa law, supervised financial institutions may charge up to 21%, licensees under Iowa Code chapter 536, may charge up to 36% (depending on the loan amount), and licensees under Iowa Code chapter 536A may charge up to 10% per year Discount plus a service charge of 2% that is capped at $120. The Iowa legislature opted out of the federal law authorizing state-chartered banks to export interest rates, meaning that out-of-state banks lending in Iowa are subject to Iowa’s interest rate limitations and are authorized to charge up to 21%. Finance rates and fees for licensed lenders: 36% per anum on the portion not exceeding $3,000 24% per annum on the portion between $3,000-$8,400 18% per annum on the portion between $8,400-$10,000 21% on the remainder exceeding $10,000. CSBS 50-state survey of consumer finance laws; state-verified usury catalog.Source: Conference of State Bank Supervisors · as of 2026 |
| Consumer lending regulator | Consumer lenders in Iowa are licensed and supervised by the Iowa Division of Banking.Source: Conference of State Bank Supervisors · as of 2026 |
| Debt collection rules | Third-party debt collectors must comply with the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq.; state consumer-protection and debt-collection enforcement is handled by the Iowa Office of the Attorney General. The FDCPA expressly authorizes state attorneys general to enforce it (15 U.S.C. § 1692l). Some states also require collection agencies to be licensed.Source: Iowa Office of the Attorney General · as of 2026 |
| Military lending protections | The federal Military Lending Act (MLA) caps the Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR) at 36% for consumer credit extended to active-duty service members, their spouses and certain dependents, and bars mandatory arbitration and prepayment penalties on covered loans. Federal protection that applies nationwide, including in this state.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · as of 2024 |
| Complaint / licensing lookup | Check whether a lender holds a state license through NMLS Consumer Access (nmlsconsumeraccess.org) or the Iowa Division of Banking; consumers can file complaints with the Iowa Division of Banking or the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.Source: Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) Consumer Access · as of 2026 |
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Cities in Iowa
Des MoinesDavenportCedar RapidsIowa CityWaterlooSioux CityDubuqueWest Des MoinesAnkenyAmesCouncil BluffsUrbandaleMarionCedar FallsBettendorfMarshalltownMason CityOttumwaFort DodgeClintonBurlingtonMuscatineWaukeeJohnstonCoralvilleNorth LibertyAltoonaCliveNewtonIndianolaGrimesNorwalkBooneOskaloosaSpencerStorm LakeLe MarsPellaFort MadisonWaverlyCarrollPleasant HillKeokukFairfieldGrinnellMount PleasantDenisonSioux CenterPerryWebster CityDecorahClear LakeCrestonKnoxvilleCharles CityWashingtonHiawathaBondurantNevadaAtlanticEldridgeOrange CityMaquoketaIndependenceOelweinEsthervilleAdelAsburyRed OakClarindaSheldonDeWittOsceolaAlgonaPolk CityCentervilleAnamosaWintersetSpirit LakeGlenwoodWindsor HeightsIowa FallsCherokeeManchesterVintonSergeant BluffHarlanShenandoahHumboldtLe ClaireEvansdaleCamancheMount VernonTiffinHamptonHuxleyForest CityDyersvilleCharitonJeffersonCarlisleRock ValleyMonticelloCrescoWest LibertyWaukonCarter LakeAlbiaEmmetsburgEagle GroveOsageNew HamptonStory CityRobinsWilliamsburgMilfordWest BurlingtonTiptonTamaGarnerSolonSaylorvilleWiltonOnawaPark ViewClarionSibleyFairfaxGrundy CenterMadridMarengoPostvilleMissouri ValleyHawardenEldoraBloomfieldKalonaRock RapidsMitchellvilleWest UnionCenter PointHudsonNew LondonJesupBelmondBelle PlaineRockwell CityLa Porte CityBellevueWest BranchLamoniHullAtkinsElyPeostaNorthwoodSumnerAltaColumbus JunctionCascadeLake MillsMediapolisToledoAudubonIda GroveGrangerColfaxKent EstatesLisbonBrittWapelloSac CityPleasantvilleWalcottOgdenDenverBlue GrassRemsenMount AyrDurantPrairie CityMonroeSigourneyEpworthParkersburgOaklandReinbeckCorydonDallas CenterLake CityLeonMovilleMansonAckleyFarleyGreenfieldBrooklynStuartState CenterShell RockCorningDysartGuttenbergNora SpringsGuthrie CenterHartleyMononaSlaterPanoraFairbankLoganVan MeterAkronManningNashuaWalfordHolsteinLenoxStrawberry PointWellmanUrbanaPocahontasKingsleyTraerWoodbineRolandUniversity HeightsAltonManlyClarksvilleSanbornBedfordEarlhamMontezumaTripoliLaurensElkaderSpringvilleAvocaCoon RapidsFruitlandHamburgMelcher-DallasLake ParkCentral CityDikeWaylandDunlapNew SharonSloanWoodwardGreeneVilliscaNewhallFayetteMalvernSt. AnsgarAllisonSwisherConradMarcusGeorgeEddyvilleLone TreePrestonGilbertGriswoldPaloBuffalo CenterClarenceRiversideFredericksburgJanesvilleSheffieldMapletonDe SotoWinthropDanvilleWinfieldLawtonLong GroveSchleswigUnderwoodMerrill
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