Colorado lending rules
Personalloaner covers 270 Census places in Colorado, which together hold an estimated 4,391,096 people. Licensed lenders set personal-loan terms here under Colorado law, and the sourced rules below reach every borrower in the state.
Key rules for borrowers in Colorado
| 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 |
Places we cover in Colorado
The Census Bureau counts 270 places in Colorado, and the largest are linked below.
Common questions
How high can interest rates legally go in Colorado?
The answer turns on the product and on which statute applies to it. This page's table sets out Colorado's usury cap and licensing rules, and each row carries its publisher and a link to the primary source.
What is Colorado's position on payday lending?
Each state handles payday lending on its own: some permit it, some cap it, some prohibit it. The sourced row on this page gives Colorado's current position.
How do I know a lender is licensed in Colorado?
Consumer lenders generally need a licence issued by the state regulator identified on this page. Verify that licence with the regulator before you commit to anything.