Restricted Verified 2026-09-07 · ver. 0.2.3 How we verify these rules

Payday Loans in Maine

Maine permits payday-style lending only within its broader supervised consumer-credit framework. Payday lenders are supervised lenders, and the current closed-end finance-charge schedule is tiered rather than a separate high-cost payday fee regime.

Maine legal category: Payday Loan under Maine Supervised Loan framework · Maine Consumer Credit Code, Title 9-A, including §§1-301, 2-301 and 2-401

Maine payday loans at a glance

Legal status
Restricted
Legal category
Payday Loan under Maine Supervised Loan framework
Maximum amount in this regime
Maine defines payday loans within its Consumer Credit Code but the cited provisions do not create a separate payday-only dollar ceiling. The $200–$1,000 range used here is editorial routing, not a Maine statutory maximum.
Term
The cited Maine provisions do not establish one payday-specific maximum term. A payday loan is defined by the deferred check/account-debit structure and remains subject to the Maine Consumer Credit Code.
Regulator
Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection
Verified
2026-09-07

Choose a loan type by amount

PLS Cash Advance currently presents request amounts from $200 to $5,000. The ranges below are navigation guidance between our state loan guides — not statutory limits, eligibility rules, or a promise of approval.

$200–$1,000 Current guide

Payday Loans in Maine

Editorial payday-intent route inside Maine’s supervised-loan framework; $1,000 is not a statutory payday maximum.

$1,000–$5,000

Installment Loans in Maine

Editorial multi-payment route; Maine’s statutory framework extends beyond the site’s $5,000 selector.

See Installment Loans

Amount and term limits

Maine defines payday loans within its Consumer Credit Code but the cited provisions do not create a separate payday-only dollar ceiling. The $200–$1,000 range used here is editorial routing, not a Maine statutory maximum.

The cited Maine provisions do not establish one payday-specific maximum term. A payday loan is defined by the deferred check/account-debit structure and remains subject to the Maine Consumer Credit Code.

Interest, fees and repayment

Maine does not authorize a separate triple-digit payday pricing schedule. Payday loans are consumer-credit transactions and, when supervised, operate within the same statutory finance-charge framework applicable to covered consumer loans.

For closed-end consumer loans within the current site range, §2-401 permits 30% per year on the first $2,000 of unpaid balance, 24% on the portion above $2,000 through $4,000, and 18% on the portion above $4,000.

The payday form is defined by a future check presentment or account debit; the underlying transaction remains subject to Maine consumer-credit protections.

Principal bandMaximum annual interest rate
$0–$2,000 30%
$2,000–$4,000 24%
Over $4,000 18%

Rollovers, refinancing and early payment

Rollover allowed?
Not reduced to a yes/no rule
No separate universal payday-rollover rule is encoded from the cited provisions; any renewal or refinancing must comply with the Maine Consumer Credit Code.
Prepayment penalty allowed?
No
Maine generally gives consumers the right to prepay a consumer credit transaction in full or in part without penalty, subject to statutory exceptions not relevant to this unsecured payday-style guide.

Maine borrower protections

  • Non-bank supervised lenders, including payday lenders, must hold the appropriate Maine license.
  • Covered closed-end consumer-loan finance charges are tiered at 30% / 24% / 18% within the current $200–$5,000 site range.
  • Consumers generally may prepay covered consumer credit without penalty.
  • The $1,000 payday routing breakpoint on this site is editorial and not a Maine statutory amount ceiling.

Maine loan cost calculator

Why there is no single statutory calculator: The same tiered consumer-loan rate framework can apply to multiple structures, and Maine does not supply a separate payday-only fee formula. A single payday calculator would imply more specificity than the law provides.

How to verify a lender in Maine

Regulator: Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection.

Supervised Lender / Payday Lender

Verify a lender license

Official sources

  1. Maine Consumer Credit Code §1-301 — Payday loan, supervised lender and supervised loan definitions · primary
  2. Maine Consumer Credit Code §2-401 — Finance charge for consumer loans · primary
  3. Maine Consumer Credit Code §2-509 — Right to prepay · primary
  4. Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection — Supervised Lenders · primary

Last regulatory verification: 2026-09-07. Laws can change; verify current terms and lender status before borrowing. Read our research methodology.