Under the Money Lenders Ordinance, anyone wishing to carry on business as a money lender must apply to a licensing court for a licence. The ordinance does not apply to AIs under the Banking Ordinance.

Licence applications are submitted to the Registrar of Companies as Registrar of Money Lenders. During the year, 758 applications were received. Altogether, a total of 740 licences were granted or renewed, involving both new applications and outstanding applications brought forward from the previous year. At year-end, there were 734 licensed money lenders, including those whose applications for renewing their licences were being processed.