Virginia Code 6.2-1801: License requirement
A. No person shall engage in the business of making loans to individuals for personal, family, household, or other nonbusiness purposes, and charge, contract for, or receive, directly or indirectly, on or in connection with any loan interest, charges, compensation, consideration, or expense that in the aggregate is greater than the interest permitted by § 6.2-303, whether or not the person has a location in the Commonwealth, except as provided and authorized by this chapter, Chapter 15 (§ 6.2-1500 et seq.), or Chapter 22 (§ 6.2-2200 et seq.) and without having first obtained a license under this chapter from the Commission.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-1801
- Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
- Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
- Interest: means all charges payable directly or indirectly by a borrower to a licensee as a condition to a loan, including fees, service charges, and renewal charges, and any ancillary product sold in connection with a loan, but does not include the monthly maintenance fees, deposit item return fees, or late charges authorized under § 6. See Virginia Code 6.2-1800
- Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
- Principal: means any person who, directly or indirectly, owns or controls (i) 10 percent or more of the outstanding stock of a stock corporation or (ii) a 10 percent or greater interest in a nonstock corporation or a limited liability company. See Virginia Code 6.2-1800
B. No person shall engage in the business of arranging or brokering short-term loans for any consumer residing in the Commonwealth, whether or not the person has an office or conducts business at a location in the Commonwealth.
C. The provisions of subsection A shall apply to any person who seeks to evade its application by any device, subterfuge, or pretense whatsoever, including:
1. The loan, forbearance, use, or sale of (i) credit, as guarantor, surety, endorser, comaker, or otherwise; (ii) money; (iii) goods; or (iv) things in action;
2. The use of collateral or related sales or purchases of goods or services, or agreements to sell or purchase, whether real or pretended; receiving or charging compensation for goods or services, whether or not sold, delivered, or provided; and
3. The real or pretended negotiation, arrangement, or procurement of a loan through any use or activity of a third person, whether real or fictitious.
D. Any loan made in violation of this section is void, and no person shall have the right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, fees, or other charges in connection with the loan.
2002, c. 897, § 6.1-445; 2005, c. 571; 2010, c. 794; 2020, cc. 1215, 1258.