Which offers follow New Hampshire's payday rules?
New Hampshire has a payday loan law (RSA Chapter 399-A) that defines short-term loans (i.e. payday loans) as being secured or unsecured loans that are not title loans. The chapter defines small loans as personal, family or household loans of $10,000 or less with a minimum APR of 10%. The 10% figure is to define the category and is not a payday loan rate cap.
Businesses subject to the chapter require a New Hampshire license to lend in the state or to consumers located there. Exemptions to the licensing chapter include banks and credit unions. For a nonbank offer, identify the legal lender in the agreement, and verify its New Hampshire authority through the NMLS Consumer Access. Verify the company name, license status and contact information, and only then provide bank or personal information. If uncertain about the licensing status, contact the Banking Department.
Not every small-dollar loan uses payday rules. Loans made under RSA 399-A:16, with contractual terms of at least six months and with an APR no greater than 36% as calculated in that section, are not payday or title loans. Separate rules for those small loans allow a limited number of application and membership fees. Those exceptions do not sanction fees on payday loans.
New Hampshire payday loan limits
The following limits and borrower rights are described in RSA 399-A:17, the payday lender statute. Permission under the law does not mean that a lender is presently offering this product or that a borrower is qualified.
| Loan term or practice | New Hampshire rule |
|---|---|
| Principal | No more than $500 owed to the payday lender at any time. |
| Price | The APR limit is 36%. This lender is only allowed to charge interest and cannot charge fees. |
| Collection date | If you secure the loan with a check or permission to debit your account, the lender must agree to wait until the specified maturity date to collect it. This date must be between 7 to 30 days from the date of the loan. |
| Interest after maturity | For that maturity provision, interest may not be set greater than 6% per year after the specified date. |
| Renewal | The lender cannot refinance, renew, or extend the loan. |
| Recent borrowing | A lender can not give a payday loan to a person who still has money owing on a payday loan or title loan or owed money on either type of loan during the past 60 days. |
Payday loan laws differ by state. What may be a fee or renewal practice allowed in another state may not be allowed for payday loans in New Hampshire.
What 36% APR means in dollars
An APR of 36% means 36% over the course of a year. This doesn’t mean that lenders will charge you 36% of the loan amount over a two week period. For a hypothetical $300 loan with the cap at 36% APR with no fees and with the full principal outstanding, using a simple interest formula and a 365 day year, the estimate is:
14 days: $300 × 0.36 × 14 ÷ 365 = about $4.14 in interest, for about $304.14 due.
30 days: $300 × 0.36 × 30 ÷ 365 = about $8.88 in interest, for about $308.88 due.
These are illustrations, not offers or firm payoff quotes. Payment date and method, the interest calculation method, and rounding can affect the payoff quotes. Paying down the principal balance earlier will adjust the outstanding principal balance on which interest will accrue.
Fees quoted in a processing, origination, or check-cashing agreement do not qualify as extra allowances under the payday rule. Under the law, a payday lender or an affiliated check casher cannot charge to cash a loan proceeds check. Compare the agreement's interest, APR, cash advanced, and total due. The cost of credit is a function of the price of the credit and the time the credit is kept.
Canceling or paying down the loan
The law requires your contract to include a cancellation provision. To cancel, you must return the entire advance in cash or another funds instrument to the lender by the lender’s closing time on the business day immediately following the transaction date. Maintain a dated record of the return of the funds and of the cancellation.
Before maturity, you can reduce your balance or completely repay your loan. Pay the principal you are repaying and any interest that has built up and remains unpaid. Your lender can’t charge you for taking partial payments of $50 or more. The lender must give you a receipt for every payment. The receipt must be signed, have a date, and show the new balance.
The agreement must include the amount borrowed, the amount of interest, APR, and applicable terms of payment security and maturity. The lender must provide you with a duplicate original when the loan is advanced. You must be given the pamphlet in plain language that explains your rights before you enter into the loan. The contract cannot waive the protections the law gives you or authorize a confession of judgment. It cannot authorize a lawsuit against you outside of New Hampshire.
When repayment will not fit
Because renewals and extensions are barred, another payday loan cannot be your repayment plan. The 60-day check asks if a payday or title loan was still unpaid within the last 60 days. This is not a check of your last application date. The lender must obtain a written statement made under oath regarding your borrowing history.
If you don't think there will be enough money for essentials after a scheduled payment, like housing, utilities, food or medicine, call the lender before the due date to set up legal collection arrangements. No universal extended payment plan is provided in Section 399-A:17. Ask for and keep written information for your balance and payment and do not assume an informal discussion changes the due date.
As for the expense that caused the shortfall, you can ask the biller whether it can either split the balance or move the due date. Other options to payday loans include assistance for qualified expenses and credit-union small-dollar loans. Terms and availability differ.
Checking a disputed charge or withdrawal
A bounced check used to secure a payday loan cannot be a basis for the lender to initiate criminal proceedings against you or to use the threat of prosecution against you. A lawful civil collection action may be taken. Respond to the court papers within the time stated.
For an unwanted automatic debit, inform the lender and your bank that you are revoking your authorization. The CFPB’s information on stopping payday-loan withdrawals provides details on how to issue a stop-payment order. Give the bank at least 3 business days before the payment date. If the bank requires written confirmation of your oral order, provide this within 14 days. Bank stop-payment orders may come with a fee. Stopping a debit does not cancel a lawful debt.
If a lender charges more than the law permits, RSA 399-A:15(V) states that the contract is not valid and the lender cannot collect the principal or charges, unless the extra charge is due to an accidental or bona fide error. Additionally, the law states, losing or surrendering a license does not invalidate preexisting lawful contracts. You should consult an attorney to find out how the law applies to your situation before coming to the conclusion that the money is not owed.
Keep agreement, payment receipts, account statements, and messages about the disputed amount. The complaint instructions from the New Hampshire Banking Department tell you what to include, for example, a dated description of the events, copies of the evidence you’re submitting, and the resolution that you are requesting. Use the submission instructions of the department, and keep your originals.
Statutory provisions reviewed October 3, 2026. This guide explains payday loans covered by RSA 399-A; other loan types and exempt institutions may follow different rules.