Personal loans in Billings, MT
If you are considering a personal loan in Billings, Montana, begin with the monthly payment you can carry and work backward. At about 120,864 residents, Billings is bigger than roughly 99% of the places in Montana. The 2020 count to the 2023 estimate shows about 3.2% growth. To lend to consumers in Montana, a company must hold a state licence, and each sourced row below names the regulator behind it. Judge offers on total cost, not on how quickly the money arrives. As the largest city in Montana, Billings has no bigger in-state peer to benchmark against.
Borrowing in Billings: the local picture
What follows is Billings's place in the Census record, alongside the Montana rules that govern a personal loan made here.
- Population: about 120,864, ranked 1st of 127 places in Montana (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: A gain of roughly 3.2% between 2020 and 2023.
- Size percentile: about 99% of Montana's Census places are smaller than it.
- Location: 45.7885, -108.5525 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest smaller places: Laurel (13 mi); Broadview (27 mi); Joliet (29 mi).
What Montana law requires in Billings
Read the table as a lender's compliance picture for Billings: the rule, the sourced figure, the publisher and the date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Legal; deferred deposit lenders must be licensed; fee capped at 36% per annum Source says: "A licensee may not charge a fee for making or carrying each deferred deposit loan authorized by this part that exceeds 36% per annum" | Montana Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer loan license required under the Montana Consumer Loan Act (32-5-101); licensing through NMLS Source says: "A consumer loan license is needed to engage in business as defined in the Montana Consumer Loan Act" | Montana Department of Administration, Division of Banking and Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (BFID), Department of Administration Source says: "The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (Division) does all of its licensing through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)." | Montana Department of Administration, Division of Banking and Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Deferred deposit loan license requirement (MCA 31-1-705) | A person may not engage in or offer to engage in the business of making deferred deposit loans unless licensed by the department Source says: "A person may not engage in or offer to engage in the business of making deferred deposit loans unless licensed by the department." | Montana Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | Greater of 15% or prime rate + 6 percentage points per year (written agreement); regulated lenders exempt Source says: "Parties may agree in writing to the payment of any rate of interest that does not exceed the greater of 15%" | Montana Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated) as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Billings personal loan looks like
Because a personal loan payment is fixed, the total cost is knowable in advance — the main difference from a credit card, where the balance revolves. A lender who will not put the terms in writing is a reason to walk away. Borrowing is a decision to make calmly, not one to rush.
A pre-application checklist for Billings
A sensible order of operations for a loan in Billings:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Montana licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
Common questions
What are my options in Billings if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Billings?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Billings?
Does comparing loans in Billings cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Laurel, MT — population 7,193
- Broadview, MT — population 138
- Joliet, MT — population 620
- Fromberg, MT — population 422
- Bridger, MT — population 714
- Lavina, MT — population 139
- Roundup, MT — population 1,960
- Columbus, MT — population 1,906