State reference · CO
Colorado lending rules
Colorado has 270 Census places covered on Paydayloaning, with a combined estimated population of 4,391,096. Payday and small-loan terms in Colorado are set by licensed lenders under state law; the sourced rules below apply to every borrower in the state.
Advertising disclosure: Paydayloaning may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. Read the full disclosure.
The verdict
Permitted but capped at 36% APR (Proposition 111, effective February 1, 2019)
Source: Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-3.1-105 (Deferred Deposit Loan Act) · as of 2026-09-16
- Maximum rate
- UCCC finance-charge ceilings: 12% per year on non-supervised consumer loans
- Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-2-201 (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 5)
- Licensing
- Supervised lender license required from the UCCC Administrator…
- Colorado Attorney General — Uniform Consumer Credit Code licensing
- Regulator
- Colorado Attorney General's Office
- Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection Section
Rules are quoted from the cited sources. How payday lending is regulated.
Key rules for borrowers in Colorado
Quoted from the statute, regulator or agency named in each row.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | UCCC finance-charge ceilings: 12% per year on non-supervised consumer loans; supervised loans 36% on the first $1,000, 21% on $1,000–$3,000, 15% above $3,000 (or 21% flat); 21% on revolving accounts Source says: "not exceeding twelve percent per year on the unpaid balance of the amount financed"; "Thirty-six percent per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is one thousand dollars or less"; "Twenty-one percent per year on the unpaid balances of the amount financed". |
Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-2-201 (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 5) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted but capped at 36% APR (Proposition 111, effective February 1, 2019) Source says: "a finance charge for each deferred deposit loan or payday loan that must not exceed an annual percentage rate of thirty-six percent". |
Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-3.1-105 (Deferred Deposit Loan Act) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required from the UCCC Administrator (master license required for more than one place of business); deferred deposit lenders must hold a supervised lender's license Source says: "if a supervised lender has more than one place of business, they must obtain a master license"; "no person shall engage in the business of deferred deposit loans without having first obtained a supervised lender's license" (C.R.S. § 5-3.1-116). |
Colorado Attorney General — Uniform Consumer Credit Code licensing as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Colorado Attorney General's Office — Consumer Credit Unit (Administrator of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code) Source says: "The Consumer Credit Unit regulates (through licensure/registration programs) companies and individuals involved in consumer lending"; it "licenses non-bank lenders such as finance companies and payday lenders". |
Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection Section as of 2026-09-16 |
Cities in Colorado
All Colorado citiesWe cover 270 Census places in Colorado.
Advertising disclosure: Paydayloaning may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. Read the full disclosure.