Personal loans in Ohio
Consumer lending in Ohio is regulated by the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. Below are the sourced rules that affect what a lender can charge you, followed by the cities we cover.
Lending rules in Ohio
| Payday lending | Permitted and regulated — maximum loan amount: The total amount of the loan does not exceed $1,000; maximum loan term: (1) Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, the minimum duration of the loan is 91 days and the maximum duration of the loan is one year. (2) The minimum duration of the loan may be less than 91 days if the total monthly payment on the loan does not exceed an amount that is 6% of the borrower's verified gross monthly income or 7% of the borrower's verified net monthly income, whichever is greater. If the duration of a short-term loan is 91 days or greater, the licensee shall determine the recommended length of a loan based on the borrower's verified monthly income as described in division (B)(2) of §1321.39 of the Revised Code. The licensee shall provide the borrower with a written copy of its recommendation, which is not binding on the borrower. Finance charges: A licensee may charge, collect, and receive only the following fees and charges in connection with a short-term loan: (A) Interest not exceeding a rate of 28% per annum; (B) (1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, a monthly maintenance fee that does not exceed the lesser of 10% of the originally contracted loan amount or $30, provided the fee is not added to the loan balance on which interest is charged; (2) A licensee shall not charge, collect, or receive a monthly maintenance fee if the borrower is a person on active duty in the armed forces of the United States or a dependent of that person. (C) If the originally contracted loan amount is $500 or more, a loan origination charge in the amount of 2% of the originally contracted loan amount, provided the loan origination charge is not added to the loan balance on which interest is charged; (D) One check collection charge per loan not exceeding an amount equal to $20 plus any amount passed on from other financial institutions for each check, negotiable order of withdrawal, share draft, or other negotiable instrument returned or dishonored for any reason, provided that the terms and conditions upon which check collection charges will be charged to the borrower are set forth in the written loan contract described in division (C) of §1321.39 of the Revised Code; (E) If a licensee provides the proceeds of a loan in the form of a check, a fee to cash that check in an amount not exceeding $10; (F) Damages, costs, and disbursements to which the licensee may become entitled to by law in connection with any civil action to collect a loan after default, except that the total amount of damages and costs shall not exceed the originally contracted loan amount. Notwithstanding any provision of §1321.35 to 1321.48 of the Revised Code to the contrary, a licensee shall not charge, collect, or receive in connection with a short-term loan a total amount of fees and charges that exceeds 60% of the originally contracted loan amount. For purposes of this section, all charges made in connection with the loan shall be included when calculating the total loan charges except for all of the following: (A) The check collection charge authorized under §1321.40 of the Revised Code; (B) The check cashing fee authorized under §1321.40 of the Revised Code; (C) The interest charges on a loan that is refinanced in accordance with §1321.401 of the Revised CodeSource: National Conference of State Legislatures · as of 2023 |
|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment licensing | Consumer lenders must obtain a state license (Yes). Statutory basis: Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 1321.01 et seq. Licensing administered through NMLS: Yes.Source: Conference of State Bank Supervisors · as of 2026 |
| Interest rate cap (usury limit) | Usury limit: 8% (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. 1343.01). Finance rates and fees for licensed lenders: 25% per annum. 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 Ohio are licensed and supervised by the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions.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 Ohio Attorney General's Office. 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: Ohio Attorney General's Office · 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 Ohio Division of Financial Institutions; consumers can file complaints with the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions or the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.Source: Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) Consumer Access · as of 2026 |
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Cities in Ohio
CincinnatiClevelandColumbusDaytonAkronToledoYoungstownCantonLorainMiddletownSpringfieldParmaNewarkMansfieldLimaHamiltonKetteringElyriaCuyahoga FallsLakewoodEuclidDublinMentorBeavercreekStrongsvilleCleveland HeightsFairfieldHuber HeightsGrove CityDelawareLancasterFindlayReynoldsburgWarrenWestervilleUpper ArlingtonMarionGahannaHilliardBrunswickNorth RidgevilleStowFairbornMasonWestlakeNorth OlmstedMassillonNorth RoyaltonBowling GreenAustintownGarfield HeightsShaker HeightsKentGreenWoosterTroyMedinaXeniaBarbertonSanduskyAvon LakeMarysvilleZanesvillePerrysburgAvonAthensRiversideCentervilleSolonWadsworthWilloughbyMaple HeightsTrotwoodHudsonOxfordPickeringtonChillicotheSouth EuclidAllianceRocky RiverLebanonParma HeightsSidneyPiquaPainesvilleMayfield HeightsWhitehallForest ParkOregonMiamisburgBroadview HeightsAshlandTwinsburgWhite OakSylvaniaNorwoodSpringboroBereaBrook ParkTallmadgePortsmouthNilesSteubenvilleAshtabulaNorth CantonTiffinEastlakeNew PhiladelphiaPataskalaStreetsboroFairview ParkDefianceAuroraNorwalkMount VernonBay VillageMiddleburg HeightsFremontMonroeVandaliaWorthingtonWashington Court HouseEast ClevelandWillowickSharonvilleLyndhurstUniversity HeightsCirclevilleMaumeeNew FranklinPowellBexleyBeachwoodBellefontaineWarrensville HeightsBrecksvilleMariettaEnglewoodFinneytownBridgetownClaytonBlue AshMonfort HeightsLovelandDoverBedfordWest CarrolltonTrentonHarrisonGreenvilleFostoriaWickliffeAmherstWilmingtonConneautMacedoniaSalemAmeliaNortonSeven HillsBucyrusFranklinMackRavennaShilohBrooklynUrbanaDentCoshoctonSpringdaleNorthbrookNew AlbanyBedford HeightsCelinaMontgomeryVan WertRichmond HeightsIrontonVermilionReadingForestvilleHeathGalionLondonTipp CityCambridgeBlacklick EstatesStruthersEast LiverpoolWilloughby HillsWapakonetaLincoln VillageBeckett RidgeNorth College HillGirardLouisvilleOakwoodMadeiraCanal WinchesterSheffield LakeNapoleonBainbridgePerry HeightsNorth MadisonWyomingOlmsted FallsCheviotBryanHighland HeightsOrrvilleEatonSt. MarysShelbyOberlinBellevueKenwoodGroesbeckGrandview HeightsKentonWithamsvilleCampbellNorthridgeFairlawnHubbardCanfieldLandenIndependenceChesterlandDry RunWauseonBellbrookDelphosMentor-on-the-LakeCortlandLoganUniontownMount HealthyHuronKirtlandUnionPortage LakesPepper PikeHowland CenterColumbianaBelpreCovedaleOntarioUpper SanduskyMilfordSunburyHillsboroMoraineMartins FerryWheelersburgRossfordClydeFort ShawneeGraftonChampion HeightsJacksonNorthgateWillardSouth LebanonRittmanPort ClintonThe Village of Indian HillBrookvilleGenevaWatervilleGroveportMontrose-GhentGermantownTurpin HillsGranvilleNew CarlisleDeer ParkCarlisleWellstonTorontoObetzApple ValleyCanal FultonUhrichsvilleChardonRemindervilleNorthwoodAdaJohnstownSt. ClairsvilleMunroe FallsLexingtonDelhi HillsSilvertonWhitehouseMiami HeightsPleasant RunOttawa HillsReedurbanEast PalestineNew BurlingtonWest MiltonMount CarmelNewton FallsSummersideArchboldAshvilleCrestlineGeorgetownEdgewoodHuber RidgeOttawaCalcuttaColdwaterBlanchesterNew LexingtonNelsonvilleMulberryPark LayneSebringWest JeffersonWellingtonMount OrabGreenfieldWaverlyFruit HillSheffieldChagrin FallsCedarvilleLake DarbySt. BernardCherry GroveNew LebanonMineral RidgeSwantonSouth RussellMontpelierBellaireMount ReposePleasant Run FarmWintersvillePlain CityWoodlawnBlufftonNewcomerstownAmberleyGolf ManorHunterBallvilleTaylor CreekYellow SpringsMogadoreRichfieldGreenhillsPauldingSixteen Mile StandBrimfieldOakwoodBarnesvilleGreentownMount Healthy HeightsNorthfieldShadysideFour BridgesSalem HeightsCareyMariemontLocklandNorth BaltimoreSherwoodMingo JunctionLake LakengrenMoreland HillsDelshireOrangeMadisonClevesMayfieldDillonvaleJeffersonGallipolisLordstownHartvilleFort McKinleyMinervaCarrolltonMcDonaldWellsvilleLincoln HeightsMillersburgWest UnionFairport HarborMount GileadHicksvilleDry RidgeCadizDoylestownBeechwood TrailsWalbridgeMinsterRichville
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