Payday Loans Longview TX: What the 2016 Ordinance Caps
Payday loans in Longview, Texas are arranged through licensed credit access businesses (CABs) under Texas Finance Code Chapter 393 — but unlike most East Texas cities, Longview isn't relying on state law alone. A February 2016 city ordinance caps single-payment loans at 20% of a borrower's gross monthly income, limits rollovers, and requires every CAB to register annually with the Longview Police Department. Gregg County's seat sits at roughly 83,652 residents in 2026, and the ordinance still leaves plenty of room for a triple-digit APR — it just puts a ceiling on how large a loan a paycheck can be sold against.
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Every July, the Great Texas Balloon Race fills the sky above Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex with envelopes in every color, and Longview leans hard into its unofficial title as the Balloon Race Capital of Texas. It's a good weekend for the city. It's also not remotely representative of how most Gregg County residents make a living the other 51 weeks of the year.
Eastman Chemical runs a manufacturing complex here with roughly 1,500 jobs, turning out everything from automotive interior plastics to food-safe preservatives. Health care and social assistance is the single largest employment sector in the city. Retail trade fills out the Loop 281 corridor. None of it pauses for a festival, and a fair amount of it pays by the hour.
What the 2016 Ordinance Actually Requires
In February 2016, the Longview City Council adopted a credit access business ordinance — the same Texas Fair Lending Alliance model that roughly 45 other Texas cities have passed since 2011, including Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. It caps single-payment payday loans at 20% of a borrower's gross monthly income. Title loans are capped at the lesser of 3% of gross annual income or 70% of the vehicle's retail value.
The ordinance goes further than the cap. Every CAB operating in Longview must register annually with the Longview Police Department, keep a record of every transaction, verify a customer's income before writing a loan, post a Certificate of Registration where customers can see it, and hand out referrals to nonprofit agencies offering financial education. Tyler, about 35 miles east, has never passed a version of this rule.
Longview Payday Loan Rules — What Applies Here
- Lender type: Credit access businesses (CABs), licensed by Texas OCCC
- Local ordinance: Yes — adopted February 2016
- Loan amount cap: 20% of borrower's gross monthly income (single-payment loans)
- Title loan cap: Lesser of 3% of gross annual income or 70% of vehicle retail value
- Local registration: Annual Certificate of Registration through Longview Police Department
- State fee cap: None — Texas doesn't regulate CAB arrangement fees
- Typical effective APR: 300%–660% on short-term loans
- Military protection: MLA caps active-duty loans at 36% APR
- State regulator: Texas OCCC — (800) 538-1579 — occc.texas.gov
Where the Storefronts Actually Sit
ACE Cash Express runs three Longview locations — 2309 Gilmer Rd, 215 S High St, and 1211 E Marshall Ave. Check 'n Go operates out of 2010 Gilmer Road, Suite 100. Gilmer Road carries most of the north-side retail traffic feeding ZIP codes 75604 and 75605, while the High Street and Marshall Avenue addresses sit closer to downtown and the neighborhoods east of Loop 281.
Every one of those storefronts needs two things posted or available on request: an active Texas OCCC license and a current Longview Police Department Certificate of Registration. The second one is the piece a lot of borrowers don't know to ask for — it's the local enforcement layer sitting on top of the state license, and it's what makes Longview's 20% cap something the city can actually check.
Longview Payday Loan Cost Examples (Under the 20% Cap)
- $2,400/month income → max loan $480: typical fee $65–$100 → repay $545–$580
- $3,000/month income → max loan $600: typical fee $85–$130 → repay $685–$730
- $300 loan (14-day term): $50–$90 fee → repay $350–$390
- $500 loan (14-day term, qualifying income): $80–$135 fee → repay $580–$635
Texas has no fee cap, and Longview's ordinance caps loan size against income rather than the fee itself, so these ranges reflect typical market rates from licensed Longview CABs — individual lenders vary. Federal law requires a written APR disclosure before you sign. Compare at least two licensed CABs before committing.
The Paychecks Behind the Median Income Number
Longview's median household income sits around $63,340, with a poverty rate near 17%. That average covers a wide spread — Eastman Chemical's plant jobs pay well above it, while retail and food-service shifts along the Loop 281 corridor and the health care support staff at Longview's hospital systems often sit well below it. Add Dana Incorporated's driveshaft manufacturing plant and Longview ISD's cafeteria and custodial staff, and the 20% income cap becomes the difference between a $480 loan and an uncapped one for a lot of actual borrowers here.
The city has grown slowly but steadily — up to roughly 83,652 residents in 2026, about half a percent a year. LeTourneau University and the Kilgore College Longview campus, both clustered around the 75603 ZIP, add a smaller population of students and staff to that mix, most of whom aren't the typical CAB customer but sit in the same local lending market regardless.
Cheaper Than a CAB — What to Try First
- Longview Community Ministries: Emergency financial assistance, a food pantry, and case management for Gregg County residents facing a short-term cash gap.
- Community Loan Center of East Texas: A nonprofit alternative offering small-dollar installment loans at a fraction of a CAB's effective rate, with terms built to actually pay the balance down.
- Texas 211: Dial 211, available 24 hours, for emergency cash and utility assistance programs covering Gregg County.
- Local credit unions: Several Longview-area credit unions offer NCUA-regulated payday alternative loan (PAL) products capped at 28% APR — well below a CAB's effective rate.
- Earned wage access apps: Dave, Earnin, and Brigit advance wages already worked, typically for a few dollars rather than a $65–$130 CAB fee, for employees with direct deposit through a Longview-area employer.
If a licensed CAB ends up being the only option, confirm both the OCCC license and the Longview Police Department Certificate of Registration before you sign anything. The city's 20% income cap only protects you if the lender you're sitting in front of is actually following it — ask for the written fee disclosure and the math behind the loan amount before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Payday Loans in Longview
Does Longview have a local ordinance limiting payday loans?
Yes. The Longview City Council passed a credit access business ordinance in February 2016, joining roughly 45 other Texas cities — including Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth — in adopting the Texas Fair Lending Alliance's model rule. It caps single-payment payday loans at 20% of a borrower's gross monthly income, caps title loans at the lesser of 3% of gross annual income or 70% of the vehicle's retail value, and requires every CAB to register annually with the Longview Police Department, keep transaction records, and post a Certificate of Registration where customers can see it. Nearby Tyler, about 35 miles east, has never passed one.
What does a payday loan cost in Longview?
Texas sets no statewide fee cap, and Longview's ordinance doesn't set one either — it limits how big the loan can be, not what the lender charges per dollar. A $300 loan at a 14-day term typically runs a $50–$90 arrangement fee, an effective APR in the 435%–780% range. A borrower earning $2,400 a month can't legally be offered more than $480 under the city's 20% cap, so a $400–$450 loan at that income level might carry a $65–$100 fee. Get the written APR disclosure federal law requires before signing, and compare more than one licensed CAB.
Where can I get a payday loan in Longview?
ACE Cash Express operates three Longview storefronts — 2309 Gilmer Rd, 215 S High St, and 1211 E Marshall Ave. Check 'n Go has a location at 2010 Gilmer Road, Suite 100. All three ACE addresses and the Check 'n Go store sit along Longview's main retail corridors — Gilmer Road and the Marshall Avenue/High Street stretch near downtown. Every CAB operating in city limits must carry both an OCCC license and a current Longview Police Department Certificate of Registration; ask to see both before filling out an application.
Who actually takes out payday loans in the Balloon Race Capital of Texas?
Longview hosts the Great Texas Balloon Race every July at Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, drawing pilots from across the country. The people who keep the city running the other 51 weeks of the year work at Eastman Chemical's Longview manufacturing complex — about 1,500 jobs producing everything from automotive interior components to food preservatives — plus the health care and social assistance sector, which employs more people in Longview than any other industry, and retail trade along the Loop 281 corridor. Add Dana Incorporated's driveshaft plant and Longview ISD's payroll, and you've got an hourly workforce that doesn't get a break because a hot air balloon festival is in town.
Why does Longview have a rate cap when nearby Tyler doesn't?
Longview's city council took up the Texas Fair Lending Alliance's model ordinance and passed it in February 2016. Tyler's council has discussed the same idea — a 2025 Goodwill East Texas report on predatory lending specifically recommended it — but hasn't brought it to a vote. Two cities roughly 35 miles apart, same state law underneath, different local outcome. A borrower comparing the two: a Longview lender can't offer more than 20% of your gross monthly income on a single-payment loan; a Tyler lender faces no such ceiling.
What do I do if a Longview lender ignores the income cap?
File a complaint with the Longview Police Department, which handles CAB registration enforcement under the city ordinance, and with the Texas OCCC at occc.texas.gov or (800) 538-1579, which handles the state license. Every licensed CAB in Longview must disclose the arrangement fee and effective APR under the federal Truth in Lending Act, and must not exceed 20% of your verified gross monthly income on a single-payment loan. If a lender skips the income verification step or won't show you the fee before you sign, that's a red flag regardless of what's posted on the wall.