Montana prejudgment interest rate
United States Montana prejudgment interest — 10% for liquidated claims, 9.75% for the current tort benchmark.
→ All Montana judgment & prejudgment interest rates
Fixed by statute Fixed by statute
2026 Montana prejudgment interest at a glance
- Current rate
- 10% / 9.75% per year
- Effective date
- July 9, 2026
- Controlling authority
- MCA 31-1-106 (10% legal, via 27-1-211); 27-1-210 (tort, prime+3%)
- Rate basis
- Fixed by statute
- Source checked
- July 9, 2026
- Recorded history
- 1 data point
Montana prejudgment interest is 10% simple for liquidated/contract claims (the legal rate, MCA §31-1-106), but tort prejudgment interest is prime + 3% — currently 9.75% — under §27-1-210.
When Montana prejudgment interest applies
Prejudgment interest is MANDATORY (not discretionary) under MCA 27-1-211 only when three criteria are met: (1) an underlying monetary obligation exists; (2) the amount of recovery is certain or capable of being made certain by calculation (liquidated/ascertainable); and (3) the right to recover vests on a particular day. Unliquidated/uncertain claims generally do NOT get mandatory prejudgment interest under 27-1-211.
When it starts accruing
Non-tort/liquidated (MCA 27-1-211): interest runs from the day the right to recover vests (the day the sum became due/certain), except during any time the debtor is prevented by law or by the creditor's act from paying.
Simple or compound
Simple. MCA 31-1-106 legal-rate prejudgment interest is applied as simple interest under Montana practice; MCA 27-1-210 tort interest and MCA 25-9-205 both expressly state interest may not be compounded.
→ Compare with the Montana post-judgment interest rate (interest after judgment)
Montana prejudgment interest is 10% simple for liquidated/contract-type claims — the legal rate (MCA §31-1-106), applied via the right-to-interest statute §27-1-211. TORT prejudgment interest is instead prime + 3% — currently 9.75% (variable, reset each Jan 1) under §27-1-210. Verified 2026-07-11. Not legal advice.
Current recorded observation
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2026 | 10% / 9.75% | Statute |
Source & provenance
Observation recorded July 9, 2026 (00:00 UTC) from the cited source (Montana — mca.legmt.gov):
https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0270/chapter_0010/part_0020/section_0110/0270-0010-0020-0110.html
Cite this page
StatuteRates. “Montana Prejudgment Interest Rate.” StatuteRates.com. Accessed today. https://statuterates.com/rates/montana-prejudgment-rate/ Rate recorded under MCA 31-1-106 (10% legal, via 27-1-211); 27-1-210 (tort, prime+3%), effective July 9, 2026.