Licensed money lenders in Hong Kong

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Licensed money lenders in Hong Kong

Before borrowing from a money lender, it is worth checking that it holds a licence. In Hong Kong the Companies Registry publishes the list of existing money lenders licensees (as at 31 Aug 2026), together with lists of applications, expired licences and dismissed or withdrawn applications. Search all four here by name, money lender’s licence number or MLR number: a current licensee has a page of its own, and a former lender shows when its licence expired or what became of its application.

What a money lender’s licence is

According to the Companies Registry, a person carrying on business as a money lender in Hong Kong must obtain a money lender’s licence; the licensing of money lenders and the regulation of money-lending transactions are governed by the Money Lenders Ordinance (Cap. 163). The Licensing Court determines applications and grants licences. The Registrar of Money Lenders — a role performed by the Registrar of Companies — processes applications for licences, renewals and endorsements, and keeps a register of money lenders for inspection by the public. The Commissioner of Police enforces the Ordinance, examines applications and investigates complaints against money lenders.

Checking a lender’s licence before borrowing

The Companies Registry says you can check whether a company is a licensed money lender by searching, free of charge, its List of Existing Money Lenders Licensees and List of Applications for Money Lenders Licences, on its website or its e-Services Portal. The registered particulars of a licensed money lender can be inspected on the Register of Money Lenders through the e-Services Portal, for a search fee of HK$17.

1. Search for the lender on this page or on the Registry’s lists, by its name or licence number.
2. Compare the name and the money lender’s licence number with what the lender gave you.
3. For the lender’s registered particulars, search the Register of Money Lenders on the Registry’s e-Services Portal.

The four lists

The List of Existing Money Lenders Licensees gives each licensee’s licence number and expiry date; a remark “R” means an application for renewal is in progress. The List of Applications holds applications for a licence, the List of Expired Money Lenders Licences licences that have expired, and the List of Dismissed or Withdrawn Applications applications that were dismissed (D) or withdrawn (W). The Registry updates the lists monthly and this site copies them weekly: the Registry’s register is the authority on a lender’s current status. Details are in the Registry’s questions and answers on licensed money lenders.

What is on the list

To protect privacy, this site never shows the name of a natural person. Companies, partnerships, firms and trade names are listed under their names, a sole proprietor under the trading name only, and a name that on its own reads as a person’s is not shown. An entry whose name is a person’s is counted but not named, and so is one whose name seems to contain a person’s full name until it has been reviewed; neither has a page of its own.

💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Hong Kong business registers · the Companies Registry’s lists of licensed money lenders