Lawtey at a glance
- Population: 670 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 355th-largest of 411 places in Florida.
- 2020 Census base: 634 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 5.7% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 355th out of 411 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 14% of Florida's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 30.0484, -82.0725 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Starke, FL (7 mi); Penney Farms, FL (16 mi); Lake Butler, FL (16 mi); Macclenny, FL (16 mi); Keystone Heights, FL (18 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller communities: Raiford, FL (10 mi); Hampton, FL (13 mi); Glen St. Mary, FL (17 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Lawtey
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Florida lending rules that apply in Lawtey
The table carries the Florida rate and licensing rules that apply to consumer loans made in Lawtey.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (deferred presentment providers; money services business license under chapter 560) Source says: "Businesses intending to engage in deferred presentment transactions must be licensed as a money services business under chapter 560, Florida Statutes". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance loan license required (chapter 516) Source says: "A person must not engage in the business of making consumer finance loans ... unless ... the person first obtains a license from the office". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Source says: "The Office of Financial Regulation is a state-government agency created by the Governor and Cabinet to provide regulatory oversight for Florida's financial services industry". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Deferred presentment fee cap | 10% of the amount provided (transactions not repayable in installments) Source says: "A deferred presentment provider or its affiliate may not charge fees that exceed 10 percent of the currency or payment instrument provided". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 18% per annum simple interest (loans/advances of $500,000 or less; loans above $500,000 are exempt from this cap) Source says: "it shall be usury and unlawful ... to ... charge ... a rate of interest greater than the equivalent of 18 percent per annum simple interest". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Lawtey
A few practical steps will make the process in Lawtey less costly:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Florida using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.