Post-Judgment Interest Rates by State (2026), Plus Prejudgment Rules

The top of the chart is dominated by states with fixed rates written into statute, like Massachusetts and Rhode Island at 12%. Most states that track market rates sit lower, between 6% and under 10%.

Of the 45 jurisdictions confirmed, 15 fall in the 6% to under 8% band, the most common range. Only 3 sit under 6%, and 2 leave the rate to the judge.

Maine shows how formula states swing. A judgment entered in 2022 earns 6.29% for its whole life, while one entered in 2024 earns 10.88%, because the rate locks in by the year of entry.

Florida's rate climbed for two years, peaked at 9.50% in October 2024, and has eased every quarter since, down to 7.87% for Q4 2026.

Kansas sat at 4.25% in July 2020 and July 2021, then more than doubled to 9.50% by July 2024. It is 7.75% for judgments from July 1, 2026.

Federal judgments use the average yield for the week before judgment, so timing matters. The rate rose from 4.00% in late August to 4.52% for the week ending Oct 2, 2026, then dipped to 4.45%.

Lower or higher judgment interest rates for specific kinds of judgments

Source: New York State Senate (Consolidated Laws), N.Y. CPLR § 5004 - Rate of interest; FindLaw (statute text), New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 5004; Judicial Council of California, Information Sheet for Calculating Interest and Amount Owed on a Judgment (MC-013-INFO); FindLaw (statute text), 735 ILCS 5/2-1303 Interest on judgment; Maryland General Assembly, Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-107; Washington State Legislature, RCW 4.56.110 Interest on judgments; Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 549.09 Interest on verdicts, awards, and judgments; Arizona State Legislature, A.R.S. § 44-1201 Rate of interest for loan or indebtedness; interest on judgments; Utah State Courts, Interest Rates (post judgment, Utah Code 15-1-4). Download as image

How states with variable post-judgment rates set them (confirmed rates, October 2026)

Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Post Judgment Interest Rate; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 1-Year Constant Maturity, Weekly, Ending Friday (WGS1YR; source: Board of Governors H.15); Arizona State Legislature, A.R.S. § 44-1201 Rate of interest for loan or indebtedness; interest on judgments; FindLaw (statute text), Ark. Code § 16-65-114 Interest on judgments; State of Delaware (Delaware Code Online), 6 Del. C. § 2301 Legal rate; Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 28-3302 Rate of interest not expressed and on judgments; Internal Revenue Service, Interest rates for the fourth quarter of 2026 (IR-2026-98); Brevard County Clerk of the Court, Florida, Civil Judgment Interest Rates (rates set by the Florida CFO under s. 55.03); FindLaw (statute text), O.C.G.A. § 7-4-12 Interest on judgments; Iowa Judicial Branch, Post Judgment Interest Table; Kansas Secretary of State, Finance Rates - Judgment Rate (K.S.A. 16-204); Maine Judicial Branch, 2026 Post-Judgment Interest Rate Chart (OTH-156); Montana Legislature, MCA 25-9-205 Amount of interest; Nebraska Judicial Branch, Judgment Interest Rate (and table pursuant to 45-103); Nevada Financial Institutions Division, Prime Interest Rate, July 1, 2026; North Dakota Legislative Branch, N.D.C.C. ch. 28-20 (§ 28-20-34 Interest rate on judgments); Ohio Department of Taxation, Administrative Journal Entry: Determination of Interest Rates Pursuant to R.C. 5703.47; South Carolina Legislature, S.C. Code Title 34 Chapter 31 (§ 34-31-20); Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, Texas Credit Letter rate ceilings notice (Postjudgment Interest Rate, Sec. 304.003); Utah State Courts, Interest Rates (post judgment, Utah Code 15-1-4); Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Administrative Order: Rate of Interest on Judgments and Decrees for the Year 2026; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Bank Prime Loan Rate (DPRIME; source: Board of Governors H.15); Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, H.15 Selected Interest Rates; StatuteRates.com (secondary compilation), 2026 Judgment Interest Rates by State (50-State Table) and linked state pages. Download as image

General post-judgment interest rate, October 2026 by state

• 1210% or higher
• 138% to under 10%
• 156% to under 8%
• 3Under 6%
• 2Set by the court

What is post-judgment interest, and how is it different from prejudgment interest?

Post-judgment interest starts the day a court enters a money judgment and keeps running until the debt is paid. It is automatic in most states. You usually do not need to ask for it, because the statute adds it to the judgment.

Prejudgment interest covers the earlier stretch: the time between when the money was owed and when the court ruled. Think of an invoice due in March, a lawsuit filed in the fall, and a judgment the following summer. Prejudgment interest compensates you for those months you went without the money.

The rules for prejudgment interest are messier. Many states award it on contract claims where the amount owed was clear, and are stingier on injury claims where the number was in dispute until trial. Some states use the same legal rate for both periods. Delaware's courts, for example, say pre- and post-judgment interest both use the legal rate in effect when the claim arose. The biggest factor is usually your contract. If it names an interest rate on late payments, that rate often controls before judgment, and in some states after it too.

Which states have the highest post-judgment interest rates?

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington share the top spot at 12%. South Carolina follows at 10.75%, then a cluster at 10%: California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Altogether, 12 jurisdictions sit at 10% or higher.

Most of the high-rate states use a flat number set by statute. That matters because fixed rates were often written when market rates were much higher, and legislatures rarely revisit them. In a year when savings accounts pay far less, a 10% or 12% judgment is one of the better returns available to a creditor, and an expensive debt for anyone sitting on it.

At the low end, Minnesota charges 4% on judgments of $50,000 or less, the District of Columbia 5% for Q4 2026, and Utah 5.51%. Federal court judgments, at 4.45% for mid-October 2026, sit below every state on the chart except Minnesota's small-judgment rate. If you can choose where to sue, that gap is worth a thought.

Why your rate depends on when the judgment was entered

In formula states, the date of judgment can move the rate more than the state you are in. Maine locks the rate by the year the judgment is entered. A 2023 judgment earns 10.73% for good, while a 2026 judgment earns 9.51%. Georgia uses prime plus 3% on the day of judgment, so it was 9.75% through Sept 16, 2026 and 10.00% from the next day.

Other states let the rate float. Florida resets quarterly and Texas monthly, so check the rate for the exact period before you calculate anything. Texas has a 5% floor and a 15% ceiling, which keeps its rate within a band no matter where prime goes.

The practical lesson is simple. Never assume the number you looked up last year still applies, and never assume a judgment from a few years ago uses today's rate. Pull the rate for the date your judgment was entered.

Does a contract interest rate override the state rate?

Often, yes. Several states say a judgment on a contract carries the contract's own rate when it is higher, or simply follow the contract rate. Arkansas, Maine, Missouri, Virginia and Wyoming all have versions of this rule, and Texas handles contract judgments under a separate section of its code.

This is why the late-payment clause in your agreement matters long after the invoice goes unpaid. A clear, lawful interest rate can follow the debt into court and beyond. A vague clause, or none at all, leaves you with the statutory default, which could be the 6% Virginia and Pennsylvania use. Keep the rate within your state's usury limits, though. A rate set too high can be cut down or thrown out.

A quick example. Say a client signs your agreement with a monthly late charge, never pays, and you win in a 6% state. If the contract rate is lawful and higher, you may be able to ask for it instead of the statutory rate. Without that clause, the statutory 6% is what the judgment earns.

Special rates for consumers, renters and governments

The general rate is not the only rate. Several states carve out lower ones for people they want to protect. New York drops to 2% on consumer-debt judgments against an individual. California uses 5% for qualifying consumer-debt and medical-expense judgments against an individual, and 7% when the debtor is a government entity. Maryland applies 6% to judgments for residential rent, and Washington uses 9% for consumer debt.

If you are the one who owes, check if your case fits one of these categories. A lender or landlord applying the general rate when a lower one applies is overcharging you. If you are the creditor, the same check keeps your payoff letters accurate and keeps you out of a dispute over the balance.

What to do if you are owed money, or owe it

• Find the rate for the exact date of your judgment, using the state table above and the court's own published notice.
• Read your contract's late-payment and interest clause. If it sets a lawful rate higher than the statutory one, you may be entitled to it.
• Ask for prejudgment interest in your complaint. Many courts will not add it unless you request it.
• If you owe on a judgment, pay it or settle it early. In a 12% state the balance grows quickly, and partial payments usually go to interest first.
• Check for special lower rates for consumer debt, medical debt, residential rent or government debtors before you accept anyone's payoff figure.
• Pair the interest rate with a plan to actually collect. Interest only helps if the debtor has wages, accounts or property you can reach.

Sources and method

Every number on this page comes from the sources below, each opened and read on or before October 18, 2026. A second, independent review checked every figure against its source and corrected anything that did not match. 45 of 51 state entries were confirmed; any that could not be are marked "Not yet confirmed" and left out of every count and chart.

1. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Post Judgment Interest Rate (Current page, accessed 2026-10-18)
2. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 1-Year Constant Maturity, Weekly, Ending Friday (WGS1YR; source: Board of Governors H.15) (Data through week ending October 9, 2026)
3. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Bank Prime Loan Rate (DPRIME; source: Board of Governors H.15) (Daily data through October 13, 2026)
4. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 1-Year Constant Maturity, Monthly (GS1) (Monthly data through September 2026)
5. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Discount Window Primary Credit Rate (DPCREDIT) (Daily data through October 2026)
6. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, H.15 Selected Interest Rates (Release date: October 16, 2026)
7. New York State Senate (Consolidated Laws), N.Y. CPLR § 5004 - Rate of interest (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
8. FindLaw (statute text), New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 5004 (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
9. Judicial Council of California, Information Sheet for Calculating Interest and Amount Owed on a Judgment (MC-013-INFO) (Rev. January 1, 2026)
10. Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, Texas Credit Letter rate ceilings notice (Postjudgment Interest Rate, Sec. 304.003) (Issued September 16, 2026)
11. Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, Interest Rates (Current page, accessed 2026-10-18 (October 2026 rate))
12. Brevard County Clerk of the Court, Florida, Civil Judgment Interest Rates (rates set by the Florida CFO under s. 55.03) (Current page through the October 1, 2026 rate)
13. Maine Judicial Branch, 2026 Post-Judgment Interest Rate Chart (OTH-156) (2026 edition)
14. Kansas Secretary of State, Finance Rates - Judgment Rate (K.S.A. 16-204) (Current page, July 1, 2026 rate)
15. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 16-204 Interest on judgments (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
16. Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, Judicial Interest Rates (Current page, 2026 rate)
17. Iowa Judicial Branch, Post Judgment Interest Table (Current page, through October 7, 2026 entry)
18. Nebraska Judicial Branch, Judgment Interest Rate (and table pursuant to 45-103) (Current page, October 15, 2026 rate)
19. Nebraska Judicial Branch, Judgment Interest Table Provided Pursuant to 45-103 (Table through October 15, 2026)
20. Nevada Financial Institutions Division, Prime Interest Rate, July 1, 2026 (July 1, 2026)
21. Utah State Courts, Interest Rates (post judgment, Utah Code 15-1-4) (Calendar year 2026 rates)
22. Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Administrative Order: Rate of Interest on Judgments and Decrees for the Year 2026 (Entered January 1, 2026)
23. Ohio Department of Taxation, Administrative Journal Entry: Determination of Interest Rates Pursuant to R.C. 5703.47 (October 15, 2025 (rate for calendar year 2026))
24. Colorado Secretary of State, Certificate of annual rate of interest on appealed money judgments (January 2026 certificate)
25. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 28-3302 Rate of interest not expressed and on judgments (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
26. Internal Revenue Service, Interest rates for the fourth quarter of 2026 (IR-2026-98) (August 21, 2026)
27. Arizona State Legislature, A.R.S. § 44-1201 Rate of interest for loan or indebtedness; interest on judgments (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
28. State of Delaware (Delaware Code Online), 6 Del. C. § 2301 Legal rate (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
29. Delaware Courts, Interest Rates (how the legal interest rate is calculated) (Undated court guidance, accessed 2026-10-18)
30. Maryland General Assembly, Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-107 (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
31. Virginia Law (Division of Legislative Services), Va. Code § 6.2-302 Judgment rate of interest (Current text dated 10/18/2026)
32. Montana Legislature, MCA 25-9-205 Amount of interest (Montana Code Annotated 2025)
33. South Carolina Legislature, S.C. Code Title 34 Chapter 31 (§ 34-31-20) (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
34. Washington State Legislature, RCW 4.56.110 Interest on judgments (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
35. Washington State Legislature, RCW 19.52.020 Highest rate permissible (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
36. Wyoming Legislature, Wyoming Statutes Title 1 (W.S. 1-16-102 Interest on judgments) (Current compiled title, accessed 2026-10-18)
37. Hawaii State Legislature, HRS § 478-3 On judgment (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
38. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 54-3-5.1 Interest on judgments, statutory liens and inverse condemnations (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
39. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 54-3-16 Categories of interest rates (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
40. Kentucky General Assembly, 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 17 (HB 223), amending KRS 360.040 (2017 Regular Session)
41. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 549.09 Interest on verdicts, awards, and judgments (2025 Minnesota Statutes)
42. North Dakota Legislative Branch, N.D.C.C. ch. 28-20 (§ 28-20-34 Interest rate on judgments) (Current text, accessed 2026-10-18)
43. FindLaw (statute text), 735 ILCS 5/2-1303 Interest on judgment (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
44. FindLaw (statute text), O.C.G.A. § 7-4-12 Interest on judgments (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
45. FindLaw (statute text), Miss. Code § 75-17-7 Interest on judgments and decrees (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
46. FindLaw (statute text), N.C. Gen. Stat. § 24-1 Legal rate is eight percent (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
47. FindLaw (statute text), Mo. Rev. Stat. § 408.040 Judgments, rate of interest (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
48. FindLaw (statute text), Conn. Gen. Stat. § 37-3a Rate of interest recoverable as damages (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
49. FindLaw (statute text), Ark. Code § 16-65-114 Interest on judgments (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
50. FindLaw (statute text), Idaho Code § 28-22-104 Legal rate of interest (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
51. FindLaw (statute text), 9 V.S.A. § 41a Rates of interest (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
52. FindLaw (statute text), R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-21-10 Interest in civil actions (Current text as shown, accessed 2026-10-18)
53. StatuteRates.com (secondary compilation), 2026 Judgment Interest Rates by State (50-State Table) and linked state pages (Compiled October 8, 2026)