North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate: Usury Laws and Legal Limits — Best Proven Guide (2026)

North Dakota maximum interest rate is the answer to “maximum interest rate allowed by law in North Dakota”. This guide gives the North Dakota figures in a dated table, explains in plain words what they mean, walks through the steps, and points to the official forms and free help.

The North Dakota maximum interest rate figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and North Dakota sources as of October 2026; the statute named here is where to check them yourself.

What the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate Means

In North Dakota, usury means charging more interest than state law allows. The legal rate applies only when a debt carries interest but the parties never agreed on a rate. The contract cap is the higher ceiling a lender may charge when the rate is agreed in writing. It moves with federal Treasury rates, so the current figure should be checked against the month the loan was made.

The North Dakota maximum interest rate Figures

The North Dakota maximum interest rate figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and North Dakota sources as of October 2026; the statute named here is where to check them yourself.

Who the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate Applies To

The cap generally covers loans between individuals and from lenders that do not hold a state license or charter. Banks chartered in other states and national banks can usually charge what their home state allows, under federal law. Licensed consumer lenders, such as money brokers and installment lenders licensed by the Department of Financial Institutions, follow the rules in their own licensing laws instead of this cap.

Credit card issuers are usually national or out-of-state banks, so this cap does not limit their rates.

Credit Cards and the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate

Most credit cards come from national banks or banks chartered in another state. Federal banking law lets these banks charge the interest rate their home state allows to customers anywhere in the country. Many card banks are based in states with high or no rate limits, so a card rate above the North Dakota cap is usually legal. Confirm with the card agreement or the issuer’s regulator.

What Happens When a Lender Breaks the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate

Under N.D.C.C. 47-14-10, knowingly charging usurious interest generally means the lender loses all interest on the debt plus 25% of the principal. A borrower who already paid the interest may sue to recover twice the interest paid plus 25% of the principal, within four years of the transaction. The borrower may instead offset twice the interest paid against what they owe that lender. Secondary sources report that N.D.C.C.

47-14-11 makes usury a class B misdemeanor, separate from the civil remedies. Confirm with the statute or an attorney.

How to Check a Loan Against the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate

1) Find the stated interest rate or APR in your loan papers. 2) Note the date the loan was made and whether the rate was agreed in writing. 3) Look up the maximum rate the Department of Financial Institutions published for that month. 4) Check whether the lender is a bank, a licensed lender or a private party, and whether the loan falls in an exempt group.

5) Compare the two rates, and confirm with the statute, the court clerk or an attorney.

Where to Report a Loan Above the North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate

The North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions licenses and supervises state banks, credit unions and consumer lenders, and it takes complaints at dfi.nd.gov. You may also file a complaint with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

Common Mistakes With North Dakota maximum interest rate

The most common mistake is missing a deadline: court and creditor deadlines run whether or not you have read the papers, and a missed one usually cannot be undone. The second is relying on an old article or a friend’s experience in another state — the rules on this page differ from state to state and change often, which is why every figure here is dated.

The third is not keeping copies: every letter, form, receipt and bank statement may matter later, so keep them together and note the date you received each one.

Free Help With North Dakota maximum interest rate in North Dakota

You do not have to handle this alone or pay to get answers. The North Dakota court self-help center explains the forms and the steps, and court clerks can tell you where and how to file, although they cannot give legal advice.

Legal aid organizations represent many people at no cost when income is limited, and the North Dakota bar’s lawyer referral service can connect you with a lawyer for a low-cost first consultation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints about lenders, banks and debt collectors nationwide.

How We Verify the North Dakota maximum interest rate Figures

Every figure in the table above comes from our 50-state data file, built by reading the North Dakota statute or an official compilation of it, and each one carries the month we last checked it. Our writers do not change those figures; they explain them. When the law changes, the figure is updated and the date moves.

If something on this page no longer matches the statute, the statute controls — and we want to hear about it.

Instead of suing, a borrower who paid usurious interest may offset twice that interest against other debts owed to the same lender (N.D.C.C. 47-14-10). The civil penalty generally applies only when the excess interest was charged knowingly.

Next rung: the North Dakota payday loan page covers the short-term loans that have their own caps.

North Dakota Maximum Interest Rate FAQ

What is the maximum interest rate allowed by law in North Dakota?

Without an agreement: 6% per year. In a written contract: in writing, up to 5.5 points above the average 6-month Treasury bill rate, never less than 7% — published monthly by the Department of Financial Institutions.

Official North Dakota Sources & Resources

• Statute and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors 50-state usury survey (verified by each state regulator) — maximum legal interest rate: https://www.csbs.org/50-state-survey-consumer-finance-laws
• Statute and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors 50-state usury survey (verified by each state regulator) — maximum legal interest rate: https://facts.csbs.org/consumer-finance-law/dev
• North Dakota statute / opinion: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t47c14.pdf
• North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions: https://www.dfi.nd.gov/
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov

This North Dakota maximum interest rate guide was last verified against official North Dakota sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current rule with the statute or a licensed attorney.

More North Dakota Money Rights Guides

• North Dakota Payday Loan Laws
• North Dakota Judgment Expiration
• Money Rights Guides for All 50 States

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Bonus Bank Daily is an independent educational resource — not a law firm, not a bank, not a debt collector and not a government agency. Judgment, levy, interest-rate and debt rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it.

Confirm the current rule with the statute, the court clerk or a licensed attorney in your state before you act.