New Hampshire Prejudgment Interest Rate
United States New Hampshire prejudgment interest — a formula rate, reset each year.
Set by statute Formula rate
New Hampshire prejudgment interest is currently 5.7% per year — a statutory formula rate under RSA 336:1, II that resets each year. Prejudgment interest is added by statute to essentially ALL pecuniary damage awards, NOT limited to liquidated or contract claims.
When New Hampshire prejudgment interest applies
Prejudgment interest is added by statute to essentially ALL pecuniary damage awards, NOT limited to liquidated or contract claims. RSA 524:1-b expressly extends it to "all other civil proceedings" awarding pecuniary damages — personal injury, wrongful death, consequential damages, property/business/reputation damage, and "any other type of loss for which damages are recognized" — so tort and unliquidated claims DO receive prejudgment interest (unlike many states).
When it starts accruing
Two tracks. RSA 524:1-a: for an action on a debt, account stated, or where liquidated damages are sought, interest runs from the institution of suit (absent a pre-suit demand; inapplicable if the party pays the money into court under superior court rules).
Simple or compound
Simple (RSA 336:1, II expressly specifies the "annual simple rate of interest").
How the rate is set
26-week U.S. Treasury bill discount rate at last auction preceding Sept 30 + 2 percentage points, rounded to nearest 0.1%; State Treasurer determines by Dec 1, effective Jan 1–Dec 31 of following year.
→ Compare with the New Hampshire post-judgment interest rate (interest after judgment)
Prejudgment interest under RSA 336:1, II — 5.7% (simple interest). This is PREjudgment interest (accruing before entry of judgment) and is separate from New Hampshire’s post-judgment rate; availability is limited by claim type (see the page). Current formula value as of 2026-01-01; verify at courts.nh.gov. Not legal advice.
Effective-date history
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | 5.7% | Statute |
Source & provenance
Latest value retrieved July 10, 2026 (02:55 UTC) from the official source:
https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/superior-court/civil/civil-interest-rates