Section 7-4-18. Criminal penalty for excessive interest

   (a) Any person, company, or corporation who shall reserve, charge, or take for any loan or advance of money, or forbearance to enforce the collection of any sum of money, any rate of interest greater than 5 percent per month, either directly or indirectly, by way of commission for advances, discount, exchange, or the purchase of salary or wages; by notarial or other fees; or by any contract, contrivance, or device whatsoever shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that regularly licensed pawnbrokers, as defined in Code Section 44-12-130, are limited in the amount of interest they may charge only by the limitations set forth in Code Section 44-12-131.

(b) This Code section shall not be construed as repealing or impairing the usury laws now existing but shall be construed as being cumulative thereof.

(c) Nothing contained in Code Section 7-4-2 or 7-4-3 shall be construed to amend or modify the provisions of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1908, p. 83, §§ 1, 2; Civil Code 1910, §§ 3444, 3445; Penal Code 1910, § 700; Code 1933, §§ 57-117, 57-9901; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1146, § 5; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1526, § 1.