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Payday Loans in Washington, DC: No Longer Licensed. Here Are the Legal Options

Washington, DC no longer licenses payday loans: the law that allowed them was repealed. Below is what the law says, and the licensed ways to borrow in Washington, DC that we track.

What Washington, DC law says

The District no longer authorizes deferred deposit (payday) loans by check cashers: the check casher chapter's definition of "deferred deposit" was repealed by D.C. Law 17-42 (2007), and the statute says "No licensee shall at any time cash or advance any monies on a post dated check." Other small loans are held to the 24% per year interest cap.

Source: D.C. Code § 26-301(3) (repealed), § 26-319(b) · verified Oct 9, 2026

This means no lender holds a Washington, DC license to make payday loans. A payday loan offered to someone in Washington, DC, in a store or online, would not come from a lender licensed for it in Washington, DC.

If someone offers you a payday loan in Washington, DC

Some lenders based in other states or online still advertise payday loans to Washington, DC residents. A loan from a lender that is not licensed in Washington, DC may not come with the protections that licensed lenders must give, such as cost limits and complaint rights. Before you borrow, check that the lender is licensed in Washington, DC.

To report a lender or ask a question, contact the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.

Questions people ask

Are payday loans legal in Washington, DC?

No. Washington, DC no longer licenses payday lenders. The District no longer authorizes deferred deposit (payday) loans by check cashers: the check casher chapter's definition of "deferred deposit" was repealed by D.C. Law 17-42 (2007), and the statute says "No licensee shall at any time cash or advance any monies on a post dated check." Other small loans are held to the 24% per year interest cap (D.C. Code § 26-301(3) (repealed), § 26-319(b)).

Answers are generated from the listings and verified rules on this page; see Sources below.

Sources

Where the facts on this page come from, and when we last checked them.

  1. D.C. Code § 26-301(3) (repealed), § 26-319(b) · Payday loan ban Last verified Oct 9, 2026 · high confidence
  2. District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking · Licensing and complaints Date not recorded

We re-check sources regularly and show the date each was last verified. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll check it against the source.

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