Ohio Governor signs bill limiting payday lending

State Issues Payday Lending State Legislation

On July 30, Ohio’s governor signed into law HB 123, which “modifies the Short-Term Loan Act, specifies a minimum loan amount and duration for loans made under the Small Loan Law and General Loan Law, and limits the authority of credit services organizations to broker extensions of credit for buyers.” Under these amendments, payday lenders in the state will now be restricted to short-term loans of $1,000 or less, with terms for a single short-term loan set at a 91-day minimum and a one year maximum. Exemptions provided under the legislation will allow short-term loans with a minimum term of less than 91 days if the total monthly payments do not exceed an amount greater than six percent of the borrower’s verified gross monthly income or seven percent of the borrower’s verified net monthly income. Moreover, lenders are: (i) prohibited from demanding collateral for short-term loans; (ii) restricted to a small-dollar loan cap—including both fees and interest—set at 60 percent of the original principal; and (iii) required to grant borrowers three business days to rescind loans without interest. HB 123 further prohibits credit service organizations from extending credit in amounts of $5,000 or less, with repayment terms of one year or less, or with annual percentage rates exceeding 28 percent. The amendments, which take effect 90 days after the governor’s signature, will “apply only to loans that are made, or extensions of credit that are obtained, on or after the date that is [180] days after the effective date of this act.”