A Hong Kong money lender's licence lasts 12 months, and the register shows when it ends.
The Registrar of Money Lenders publishes free lists of every licensee with its licence expiry date. Here is what they show and what to check beyond them.
By Matthew Lee
1,943 licensed money lenders in Hong Kong in August 2026. That is the Registrar of Money Lenders' own monthly count, down from 2,490 in 2021.
Under the Money Lenders Ordinance (Cap. 163), anyone carrying on business as a money lender in Hong Kong needs a licence. Three bodies share the work. The licensing court decides applications. The Registrar of Money Lenders, a role performed by the Registrar of Companies, processes them and keeps the public register. The Commissioner of Police examines applications, enforces the Ordinance and investigates complaints.
Where to search
The Companies Registry publishes dated lists on its website and e-Services Portal. Use the latest available list, record its effective date and check separately for changes or renewal applications.
| List | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Existing licensees, by English name or by licence number | MLR number, licence number, English and Chinese name, licence expiry date |
| Applications for licences | Who has applied and is waiting for a decision |
| Expired licences | Lenders whose licence has lapsed |
| Dismissed or withdrawn applications | Applicants who did not get a licence |
On the existing licensees list, the remark R means an application for renewal is in progress.
For more than a name, search the Register of Money Lenders itself through the e-Search Services on the e-Services Portal. A search costs HK$17, and copies HK$6 a page. The paper search at the Money Lenders Section ended on 22 December 2023.
Twelve months at a time
The licensing court grants a licence valid for 12 months. A lender can apply to renew within the 3 months before expiry, and the Registry says renewal is normally granted in 2 to 3 months.
A licensee must notify the Registrar in writing of any change in its registered particulars within 21 days. Failing to do so is an offence, with a fine of HK$100,000 and 2 years' imprisonment on conviction.
The conditions on every licence
A licence carries the conditions the licensing court imposes. The Registrar's Guidelines on Licensing Conditions, for licences granted on or after 3 March 2025, explain them.
- Due diligence before the loan (Conditions 1 to 5): the lender asks the borrower whether any third party helped arrange the loan, records the answer in the agreement, deals only with third parties it has appointed and named on the Register, lets no one charge the borrower a fee for arranging the loan, and explains the repayment terms with a record kept.
- Anti-money laundering (Condition 14): the lender complies with the Registrar's AML/CFT guideline for licensed money lenders. That brings in the customer due diligence of Schedule 2 to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615): identify and verify the customer, any beneficial owner and anyone acting for the customer, and keep the records for at least 5 years after the relationship ends.
- Affordability (Condition 15): before an unsecured personal loan, the lender assesses whether the borrower can repay affordably, and keeps a record.
The 48% cap
Since 30 December 2022 the statutory interest rate cap has been 48% a year, down from 60%. The threshold for an extortionate rate fell from 48% to 36%, as the Government announced when the Legislative Council passed the amendment.
The Registry's note to borrowers puts it plainly: a loan with an effective interest rate above 48% a year is illegal. The agreement must state the rate as a percentage a year, and the borrower gets a copy on signing.
What to check
- A borrower: the lender's name and licence number on the existing licensees list, an expiry date in the future, the rate in the agreement, and that any intermediary is an appointed third party on the Register. No one should charge you a fee for arranging the loan.
- A bank onboarding a money lender: a current licence or an R remark, a registered particulars search matching the company particulars and directors, and the lender's own AML/CFT procedures under Condition 14.
- A law firm acting on a loan or its enforcement: that the licence covered the date of the agreement. For a lender no longer current, the expired licences list shows that it once held one.
The Registry's lists show a licence. They do not show the borrower. Identity, property and court records sit elsewhere, and the money lending page sets out the checks behind a loan file.
How Fill Easy fits in
We list the money lenders register search from the Registrar of Money Lenders, returned as a PDF with the source documents. Order it by email to agent@fill-easy.com or through the API; price and turnaround are confirmed with the order. For the borrower, iAM Smart confirms identity with the government, and land, litigation and bankruptcy and winding-up searches come back with your loan reference. The wider rules are on our Hong Kong KYC and AML page.
When did your team last confirm that every lender you bank, fund or act for still holds a current licence?