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Connecticut Interest Rate Laws

Rules relating to charging interest rates in the state of Connecticut are dealt under various titles of Connecticut General Statutes.  According to Title 37 (Interest) Chapter 673, Section 4, no person, firm, corporation or an agent shall loan money to any person and charge, demand, accept or make any agreement to receive an interest rate greater than 12 percent per annum.

Pursuant to Section 36a-573 of the Banking Law of Connecticut, no person is authorized to charge, contract or receive any interest or consideration greater than 12 percent per annum upon the loan, use or forbearance of money, or credit of the amount or value.  No loan will be enforced in the state of Connecticut if the rate of interest is charged more than 12 percent per annum as enumerated in this section.

According to Section 37-1 of Title 37 (Interest), in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, the compensation for forbearance of property loaned shall be at the rate of eight percent a year.  Moreover, unless otherwise provided by agreement, interest at the legal rate from the date of maturity of a debt shall accrue as an addition to the debt.

There are certain exceptions to fixed interest rates of interest.  Section 37-9 of Title 37, states that the limitation of charging an interest rate over 12 percent under Section 37-4 does not apply to national banks or any bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of Connecticut.  Furthermore, loans made before September 12, 1911, savings and loan, credit union, certain mortgages, loan for motor vehicle, boat loan, and loan for higher education are preempted from charging a specified rate of interest.

Section 21-44 of Title 21, Chapter 409 (Pawnbrokers), pawnbrokers and loan brokers are not allowed to take or receive any interest in excess of five percent for the use of money amounting to fifteen dollars or less.  Money exceeding fifteen dollars and not exceeding fifty dollars must not be charged interest at the rate of more than three percent per month, and for money more than fifty dollars two percent must be the interest rate.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 37-4

Loans at greater rate than twelve per cent prohibited.
No person and no firm or corporation or agent thereof, other than a pawnbroker as provided in section 21-44, shall, as guarantor or otherwise, directly or indirectly, loan money to any person and, directly or indirectly, charge, demand, accept or make any agreement to receive therefore interest at a rate greater than twelve per cent per annum.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-573

Charge of greater than legal interest.
No person, except as authorized by the provisions of sections 36a-555 to 36a-573, inclusive, shall, directly or indirectly, charge, contract for or receive any interest, charge or consideration greater than twelve per cent per annum upon the loan, use or forbearance of money or credit of the amount or value of (1) five thousand dollars or less for any such transaction entered into before October 1, 1997, and (2) fifteen thousand dollars or less for any such transaction entered into on and after October 1, 1997. The provisions of this section shall apply to any person who, as security for any such loan, use or forbearance of money or credit, makes a pretended purchase of property from any person and permits the owner or pledgor to retain the possession thereof, or who, by any device or pretense of charging for the person’s services or otherwise, seeks to obtain a greater compensation than twelve per cent per annum. No loan for which a greater rate of interest or charge than is allowed by the provisions of sections 36a-555 to 36a-573, inclusive, has been contracted for or received, wherever made, shall be enforced in this state, and any person in any way participating therein in this state shall be subject to the provisions of said sections, provided, a loan lawfully made after June 5, 1986, in compliance with a validly enacted licensed loan law of another state to a borrower who was not, at the time of the making of such loan, a resident of Connecticut but who has become a resident of Connecticut, may be acquired by a licensee and its interest provision shall be enforced in accordance with its terms.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 37-1

Legal rate. Accrual as addition to debt.
(a) The compensation for forbearance of property loaned at a fixed valuation, or for money, shall, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, be at the rate of eight per cent a year; and, in computing interest, three hundred and sixty days may be considered to be a year.
(b) Unless otherwise provided by agreement, interest at the legal rate from the date of maturity of a debt shall accrue as an addition to the debt.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 37-9

Sec. 37-9. Loans to which prohibitions do not apply.
The provisions of sections 37-4, 37-5 and 37-6 shall not affect: (1) Any loan made prior to September 12, 1911; (2) any loan made by (A) any bank, as defined in section 36a-2, or any out-of-state bank, as defined in section 36a-2, that maintains in this state a branch, as defined in section 36a-410, (B) any wholly-owned subsidiary of such bank or out-of-state bank, except a loan for consumer purposes, or (C) any Connecticut credit union, as defined in section 36a-2, or federal credit union, as defined in section 36a-2; (3) any bona fide mortgage of real property for a sum in excess of five thousand dollars; (4) (A) any loan, carrying an annual interest rate of not more than the deposit index determined pursuant to subsection (c) of section 49-2a for the calendar year in which the loan is made plus seventeen per cent, made to a foreign or domestic corporation, statutory trust, limited liability company, general, limited or limited liability partnership or association organized for a profit or any individual, provided such corporation, trust, company, partnership, association or individual is engaged primarily in commercial, manufacturing, industrial or nonconsumer pursuits and provided further that the funds received by such corporation, trust, company, partnership, association or individual are utilized in such entity’s business or investment activities and are not utilized for consumer purposes and provided further that the original indebtedness to be repaid is in excess of ten thousand dollars but less than or equal to two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or, in the case of one or more advances of money of less than ten thousand dollars made pursuant to a revolving loan agreement or similar agreement or a loan agreement providing for the making of advances to the borrower from time to time up to an aggregate maximum amount, the total principal amount of all loans owing by the borrower to the lender at the time of any such advance is in excess of ten thousand dollars but less than or equal to two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or (B) any loan made to a foreign or domestic corporation, statutory trust, limited liability company, general, limited or limited liability partnership or association organized for a profit or any individual, provided such corporation, trust, company, partnership, association or individual is engaged primarily in commercial, manufacturing, industrial or nonconsumer pursuits and provided further that the funds received by such corporation, trust, company, partnership, association or individual are utilized in such entity’s business or investment activities and are not utilized for consumer purposes and provided further that the original indebtedness to be repaid is in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or, in the case of one or more advances of money of less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars made pursuant to a revolving loan agreement or similar agreement or a loan agreement providing for the making of advances to the borrower from time to time up to an aggregate maximum amount, the total principal amount of all loans owing by the borrower to the lender at the time of any such advance is in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars; (5) any obligations, including bonds, notes or other obligations, issued by (A) the state, (B) any municipality, including any city, town, borough, district, whether consolidated or not, or other public body corporate, or (C) any authority, instrumentality, public agency or other political subdivision of the state or of a municipality; (6) any loan made by (A) the state, (B) any municipality, including any city, town, borough, district, whether consolidated or not, or other public body corporate, or (C) any authority, instrumentality, public agency or other political subdivision of the state or of a municipality; (7) any loan made for the purpose of financing the purchase of a motor vehicle, a recreational vehicle or a boat, carrying an interest rate of not more than (A) eighteen per cent per annum on loans made on or after July 1, 1981, and prior to October 1, 1985, and (B) on loans made on or after October 1, 1985, and prior to October 1, 1993, (i) sixteen per cent per annum for new motor vehicles, recreational vehicles or boats, and (ii) eighteen per cent per annum for used motor vehicles, recreational vehicles or boats, payable in four or more monthly, quarterly or yearly installments which is unsecured or in which a security interest is taken in such property; (8) any loan by an institution of higher education made to an individual for the purpose of enabling attendance at such institution and carrying an interest rate of not more than the greater of (A) the maximum rate then permitted by section 37-4, or (B) a rate which is not more than five per cent in excess of the discount rate, including any surcharge, on ninety-day commercial paper in effect from time to time at the federal reserve bank in the federal reserve district where such institution is located; (9) any loan made to a plan participant or beneficiary from an employee pension benefit plan as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, Public Law 93-406, as from time to time amended. The provisions of part III of chapter 668 shall not apply to loans made pursuant to subdivision (7) of this section. No provision of this section shall prevent any such bank, out-of-state bank, Connecticut credit union or federal credit union or other lender from recovering by an action at law the amount of the principal and the interest stipulated or interest at the legal rate, if interest is not stipulated, in any negotiable instrument which it has acquired for value and in good faith without notice of illegality in the consideration. For the purpose of this section: “Interest” shall not be construed to include attorney’s fees, including preparation of mortgage deed and note, security agreements, title search, waivers and closing fees, survey charges or recording fees paid by the mortgagor or borrower; “consumer purposes” shall mean the utilization of funds for personal, family or household purchases, acquisitions or uses.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21-44

Rates of interest.
No pawnbroker or person who loans money on the deposit or pledge of personal property shall take or receive, for the use of money loaned on personal property, any more than the following rates: For the use of money amounting to fifteen dollars or less, five per cent per month or fraction thereof; for the use of money exceeding fifteen dollars in amount and not exceeding fifty dollars in amount, three per cent per month or fraction thereof; for the use of money exceeding fifty dollars in amount, two per cent per month or fraction thereof.


Inside Connecticut Interest Rate Laws