Loans in North Carolina: payday, personal & title loan laws (2026)

In North Carolina, payday loans are not allowed, car title loans are not allowed, and personal installment loans are available from licensed lenders. Below are the verified rules, local lenders and credit unions for all 100 counties and 96 cities with 10,000+ residents.

Request a personal loan in North Carolina

✓ Free to use✓ About 3 minutes✓ No obligation✓ Bad credit OK to apply

1 Choose an amount and fill out the form
2 Get matched with a lender in our network
3 Review your offer and get funded, often next business day

Tip: apply on a weekday morning for the best chance of funding by the next business day.

No hard credit inquiry on our end; lenders may check your credit. Not a lender; approval, amount and terms come from the lender. Example: $1,000 over 12 months at 35.99% APR ≈ $100.46/month.

Payday Loans Not available

Payday lending is not legal in North Carolina.

Personal Loans

Tiered caps: 33% on first $4,000, 24% to $8,000, 18% above.

Title Loans Not available

North Carolina has no title-loan law.

North Carolina at a glance

10,730,404

Residents

$72,388

Median household income

2,058

FDIC bank branches

701

Credit-union branches

Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County Alexander County Alleghany County Anson County Ashe County Avery County Beaufort County Bertie County Bladen County Brunswick County Buncombe County Burke County Cabarrus County Caldwell County Camden County Carteret County Caswell County Catawba County Chatham County Cherokee County Chowan County Clay County Cleveland County Columbus County Craven County Cumberland County Currituck County Dare County Davidson County Davie County Duplin County Durham County Edgecombe County Forsyth County Franklin County Gaston County Gates County Graham County Granville County Greene County Guilford County Halifax County Harnett County Haywood County Henderson County Hertford County Hoke County Hyde County Iredell County Jackson County Johnston County Jones County Lee County Lenoir County Lincoln County Macon County Madison County Martin County McDowell County Mecklenburg County Mitchell County Montgomery County Moore County Nash County New Hanover County Northampton County Onslow County Orange County Pamlico County Pasquotank County Pender County Perquimans County Person County Pitt County Polk County Randolph County Richmond County Robeson County Rockingham County Rowan County Rutherford County Sampson County Scotland County Stanly County Stokes County Surry County Swain County Transylvania County Tyrrell County Union County Vance County Wake County Warren County Washington County Watauga County Wayne County Wilkes County Wilson County Yadkin County Yancey County

Cities in North Carolina

Charlotte Raleigh Greensboro Durham Winston-Salem Fayetteville Cary Wilmington High Point Concord Asheville Greenville Gastonia Jacksonville Apex Huntersville Chapel Hill Burlington Kannapolis Rocky Mount Wake Forest Mooresville Wilson Holly Springs Hickory Indian Trail Fuquay-Varina Monroe Salisbury Garner Goldsboro Cornelius New Bern Sanford Morrisville Matthews Statesville Leland Clayton Kernersville Asheboro Mint Hill Thomasville Waxhaw Shelby Clemmons Carrboro Knightdale Boone Lexington Harrisburg Mebane Kinston Elizabeth City Lumberton Lenoir Pinehurst Mount Holly Graham Hope Mills Havelock Morganton Stallings Albemarle Southern Pines Murraysville Davidson Belmont Hendersonville Eden Laurinburg Henderson Roanoke Rapids Reidsville Piney Green Anderson Creek Lewisville Weddington Newton Wendell Myrtle Grove Lake Norman of Iredell Smithfield Archdale Kings Mountain Lincolnton Spring Lake Spout Springs Summerfield Pineville Elon Tarboro Rolesville Winterville Mount Airy Waynesville

Frequently asked questions

Are payday loans legal in North Carolina?

Payday lending is not legal in North Carolina. The 1997 law that allowed deferred deposits expired in 2001 and was not renewed. Loans of $25,000 or less above the general usury rate need a Consumer Finance Act license and must stay within its rate caps.

How much do payday loans cost in North Carolina?

Unlicensed lenders: 16% a year on loans of $25,000 or less. Licensed consumer finance lenders: tiered rates up to 33% (see personal loans).

Are title loans legal in North Carolina?

North Carolina has no title-loan law. A car-secured loan of $25,000 or less above the usury rate needs a Consumer Finance Act license and must stay within its rate caps, so triple-digit title loans are illegal. Loans that break the Act are void.

What interest can title lenders charge in North Carolina?

Same as Consumer Finance Act installment loans: 33% / 24% / 18% tiers.

Is there a cap on personal loan interest rates in North Carolina?

Tiered caps: 33% on first $4,000, 24% to $8,000, 18% above.

Do personal loan lenders need a license in North Carolina?

Anyone in the business of lending or servicing loans of $25,000 or less at charges above what Chapter 24 allows needs a license from the Commissioner of Banks. Loans that violate the Act are void, and violations are Class 1 misdemeanors.