Arkansas prejudgment interest rate
United States Arkansas prejudgment interest under the judgment-date formula when an award is appropriate.
→ All Arkansas judgment & prejudgment interest rates
Statutory formula / table Formula rate
2026 Arkansas prejudgment interest at a glance
- Current rate
- 6.00% per year
- Effective date
- September 17, 2026
- Controlling authority
- Ark. Code Ann. § 16-65-114(a)
- Rate basis
- Statutory formula / table
- Source checked
- September 27, 2026
- Recorded history
- 2 data points
Ark. Code Ann. §16-65-114(a), as amended by Act 995 of 2019, provides that a judgment bears post-judgment interest and, when appropriate on the facts, prejudgment interest under a judgment-date benchmark formula. The recorded formula result is 6.00% for the benchmark period beginning September 17, 2026, but the statute does not make prejudgment interest automatic for every claim.
When Arkansas prejudgment interest applies
Act 995 supplies the rate framework but not a universal entitlement rule. A claimant must separately establish that prejudgment interest is recoverable for the particular obligation and damages; the page does not convert the post-judgment formula into an automatic prejudgment award.
When it starts accruing
The legal start date depends on the claim and when the recoverable amount became due or ascertainable. The benchmark used by §16-65-114 is selected on the judgment date, which is distinct from the period over which any allowed prejudgment interest accrues.
Simple or compound
The reviewed enactment does not supply every compounding and payment-allocation rule needed for a universal calculator, so no automatic method is asserted.
How the rate is set
For the statutory no-contract branch, use the Federal Reserve primary-credit rate in effect on the judgment date plus two percentage points, subject to the constitutional maximum. A qualifying contract branch and entitlement rules require separate review.
→ Compare with the Arkansas post-judgment interest rate (interest after judgment)
Arkansas’s statutory reference became 6.00% on September 17, 2026 when the Federal Reserve primary-credit rate became 4.00%; Act 995 adds two points. Prejudgment entitlement, claim classification, accrual, and the constitutional cap remain matter-specific. Reference only; not legal advice.
Effective-date history
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| September 17, 2026 | 6.00% | Statute |
| July 9, 2026 | 5.75% | Statute |
Source & provenance
Observation recorded September 27, 2026 (16:07 UTC) from the cited source (Arkansas General Assembly and Federal Reserve Board (official)):
https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2019R%2FPublic%2FACT995.pdf
Cite this page
StatuteRates. “Arkansas Prejudgment Interest Rate.” StatuteRates.com. Accessed today. https://statuterates.com/rates/arkansas-prejudgment-rate/ Rate recorded under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-65-114(a), effective September 17, 2026.