North Dakota at a glance
- Personal loansAllowed 36% APR
- Installment loansAllowed 36% APR
- Emergency loansAllowed 36% APR
- Payday loansAllowed Fee cap
- Title loansNot allowed
Loan options in North Dakota
Every loan type we cover is listed, including the ones North Dakota law does not allow, so you can see why and what else can work.
- Personal loansAllowedA lump sum you repay in fixed monthly payments. See what your state allows and what a loan can cost.
- Installment loansAllowedFixed payments over months, not weeks. See your state's rate limits and a worked cost example.
- Emergency loansAllowedMoney for an urgent bill, usually a smaller installment loan. Check your state's limits before you borrow.
- Payday loansAllowedA short loan usually due in one payment on your next payday. Allowed in fewer states, so read the fee limits first.
- Title loansNot allowedA loan secured by your car title. Allowed in fewer states, and your car is at risk if you cannot repay.
Other ways to borrow
- Credit union payday alternative loans: small loans from federal credit unions with an APR capped at 28% under NCUA rules. (12 CFR 701.21)
- Credit-builder loans: a small loan held in savings while you pay it off, which can help build a payment history.
- Secured credit cards: a card backed by a deposit you make, which can help build credit when you pay on time.
- Payment plans: many utilities, hospitals and lenders offer hardship plans if you ask before you miss a payment.
What a loan can cost in North Dakota
Worked examples at an illustrative rate, never above North Dakota's rate cap for that loan amount where the law sets one. They are examples, not quotes.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $500
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 29.99%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $48.74
- Finance charge
- $84.88
- Total of payments
- $584.88
Example: a $500 installment loan at 29.99% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $48.74 costs $584.88 in total, including a finance charge of $84.88. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $1,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 29.99%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $97.48
- Finance charge
- $169.76
- Total of payments
- $1,169.76
Example: a $1,000 installment loan at 29.99% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $97.48 costs $1,169.76 in total, including a finance charge of $169.76. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $3,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 29.99%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $292.45
- Finance charge
- $509.40
- Total of payments
- $3,509.40
Example: a $3,000 installment loan at 29.99% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $292.45 costs $3,509.40 in total, including a finance charge of $509.40. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Resources in North Dakota
Free and low-cost places to turn in North Dakota, each linked to its official source and dated when we last checked it.
Lending regulator and complaints
North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) licenses lenders in North Dakota. Check a lender's license here, and file a complaint if something goes wrong.
Check a lender's license File a complaint
nd.gov Checked September 23, 2026
Attorney general consumer protection
The attorney general's consumer protection office takes complaints about scams, unfair debt collection and other business practices.
attorneygeneral.nd.gov Checked September 23, 2026
211
Call 211 or visit your local 211 site to reach help with rent, utilities, food and other urgent bills.
myfirstlink.org Checked September 23, 2026
Legal aid
Free civil legal help for people with low incomes, including debt collection, repossession and eviction problems. Income limits vary.
lsnd.org Checked September 23, 2026
Nonprofit credit counseling
Nonprofit counselors can help you build a budget or set up a debt management plan. Look for an NFCC or FCAA member agency.
nfcc.org Checked September 23, 2026
Benefits portal
The official site for checking whether you qualify for food, cash or other benefits in North Dakota, and for signing up.
hhs.nd.gov Checked September 23, 2026
Federal complaints
Submit a complaint about any lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Submit a complaint to the CFPB
consumerfinance.gov Checked September 23, 2026 Available in Spanish
Cheaper options to try first
Worth checking whatever your credit: these can cost less than a high-rate loan.
- Credit union payday alternative loans (PALs). Federal credit unions may offer small loans of up to $2,000 with terms of up to 12 months and an APR no higher than 28%, under NCUA rules (12 CFR 701.21). You usually need to be a member.
- Nonprofit credit counseling. A counselor accredited by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling can help you build a budget or a debt management plan.
- Ask your creditor for a payment plan. Utilities, hospitals and many lenders offer hardship or extended payment plans if you ask before you miss a payment.
- Local assistance. Call 211, or visit 211.org, for emergency help with rent, utilities and food in North Dakota.
The rules lenders follow in North Dakota
These rules protect you as a borrower and explain the labels above. Each one links to the source we took it from. How we research state rules.
Allowed in North Dakota: installment and personal loans and payday loans. Not allowed: title loans.
| Product | Status | APR cap | Amount | Term | License | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installment and personal loans[1][2][3][4] | Allowed | 36% APR | Not set by statute | Not set by statute | Money Broker license under N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-04.1, issued by the North Dakota... | N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-04.1; 13-04.1-09.3 |
| Title loans[5][6][4] | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not set by statute | Not set by statute | None confirmed | NDCC 13-08-12. |
| Payday loans[5][6][4] | Allowed | Fee cap | Up to $600 | Up to 2 months | Deferred Presentment Service Provider license under N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08,... | N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08; NDCC 13-08-12 |
| Verified against the statute and regulator on September 23, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the regulator before you borrow. | ||||||
Bars place each APR cap on a 0 to 400% scale; the pin marks the cap. A striped bar means the statute sets no numeric cap.
Rate, fee and license rules in North Dakota
Installment and personal loans
- Rate cap
- Under N.D. Cent. Code 13-04.1-09.3(1), a licensed money broker may not contract for or receive finance charges in excess of an annual rate of 36%, including all charges and fees necessary for the extension of credit incurred at origination.
- Fees
- Late or nonpayment charges may not exceed 5% of the payment, and for loans of $50,000 or less may not exceed $20 per late payment (13-04.1-09.3(2)). For small loans under $2,000: equal installments, maximum term 36 months, no balloon payment, and refinance fees capped at $100 per calendar year (13-04.1-09.3(4)).
- License
- Money Broker license under N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-04.1, issued by the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).
Title loans
- Fees
- N/A; product not authorized under a confirmed license.
- License
- None confirmed; no dedicated title loan license was identified. NDCC 13-08-12 bars payday licensees from taking vehicle titles as collateral, which functionally forecloses a title-loan product under that license type.
Payday loans
- Rate cap
- Payday loans (called 'deferred presentment service' transactions) are regulated under N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08. A licensee's fee cannot exceed 20% of the amount advanced to the customer (e.g., a maximum $20 fee on a $100 advance); over a typical loan period this computes to an effective APR of approximately 487% per secondary-source calculation, not a directly stated APR figure in the fee-cap statute itself.
- Fees
- Maximum finance charge is 20% of the amount advanced. Under NDCC 13-08-12, 'No property, titles to any property, or mortgage may be received or held directly or indirectly by the licensee as a condition of a deferred presentment service transaction or as a method of collection on a defaulted deferred presentment service transaction without proper civil process' -- i.e., payday licensees may not take a vehicle title as collateral.
- License
- Deferred Presentment Service Provider license under N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08, issued by the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).
Money snapshot for North Dakota
Guides for North Dakota borrowers
Check your options in North Dakota
North Dakota questions
Does North Dakota law allow payday loans?
North Dakota law allows payday loans. State law caps the fee rather than the APR. Source: N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08; NDCC 13-08-12.
What is the most a lender can charge in North Dakota?
By loan type in North Dakota: Installment and personal loans: 36% APR. Title loans: Not allowed. Payday loans: Fee cap.
Where can I file a complaint about a lender in North Dakota?
You can file a complaint with North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), and you can also submit one to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Both links are under Resources in North Dakota on this page.
How do I check a lender's license in North Dakota?
North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) licenses lenders in North Dakota. Use the license link under Resources in North Dakota on this page to check a lender before you share your information.
Is there free help paying bills in North Dakota?
Yes. Resources in North Dakota on this page lists free help, including 211, legal aid, nonprofit credit counseling and benefits portal.
Can I get a loan in North Dakota with a 500 credit score?
Lenders look at more than your score, such as income and existing debts, and each sets its own rules. BadCreditMD cannot tell you whether a lender will approve you.
Nearby states
- South DakotaAllowed 36% APR
- MinnesotaAllowed 33% APR (top tier)
- NebraskaAllowed 24% APR (top tier)
- MontanaAllowed 36% APR
- WyomingAllowed 36% APR (top tier)
Sources
- ndlegis.gov/assembly/67-2021/testimony/HIBL-2103-20210317-9662-F-KREBS_COREY.pdf. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ndlegis.gov. N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-04.1. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- nd.gov/dfi/about-dfi/non-depository/frequently-asked-questions-non-depository. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- nd.gov. North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ndlegis.gov/cencode/t13.html. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ndlegis.gov. N.D. Cent. Code Chapter 13-08. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- National Low Income Housing Coalition. Out of Reach 2026: North Dakota. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Vintage 2024 National and State Population Estimates. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), All States, Seasonally Adjusted. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
Important disclosures
Illustrative range for installment loans in North Dakota: APRs from 5.99% to 35.99%, where the state APR cap is 36%. This range is not a quote; each lender sets its own rates. Your APR depends on your credit, income, state and the lender.
- BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker and does not make loans or credit decisions. When you submit a request, a lending network partner shares it with third-party lenders, and those lenders or the partner may pay us a fee for each referral. The lenders decide whether to offer you a loan.
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- Short-term loans are costly and are not a long-term financial solution. Borrow only what you can repay on time.
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- Questions about a lender licensed in North Dakota? Contact the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) or file a state complaint.
- You can submit a complaint about any lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.