Pennsylvania prejudgment interest rate
United States Pennsylvania’s 6% contract reference and 2026 Rule 238 delay-damages branch.
→ All Pennsylvania judgment & prejudgment interest rates
Fixed by statute
2026 Pennsylvania prejudgment interest at a glance
- Current rate
- 6% per year
- Effective date
- July 9, 2026
- Controlling authority
- 41 P.S. §202 (6% contract); 231 Pa. Code Rule 238 (tort delay damages, prime+1%)
- Rate basis
- Fixed by statute
- Source checked
- July 9, 2026
- Recorded history
- 1 data point
Pennsylvania uses different prejudgment paths. The lawful-rate reference under 41 P.S. §202 is 6% for qualifying contract and liquidated obligations. Pa.R.C.P. 238 separately governs delay damages in covered bodily-injury, death, and property-damage actions; the official 2026 Rule 238 rate is 7.75%. The branches have different eligibility and timing rules.
When Pennsylvania prejudgment interest applies
Highly claim-type dependent. CONTRACT: prejudgment interest is awarded AS OF RIGHT only when damages are liquidated/ascertainable (e.g., a sum certain / definite invoice amount due at breach) at 6% under 41 P.S. Sec. 202; for unliquidated contract damages the award of prejudgment interest is DISCRETIONARY with the trial court (Pa. courts, Restatement (Second) of Contracts Sec. 354).
When it starts accruing
CONTRACT (liquidated): from the date payment was due / the money became owed (e.g., invoice due date or date of breach). TORT (Rule 238): from a date ONE YEAR after the date original process was first served in the action, up to the date of the award, verdict, or decision.
Simple or compound
Rule 238 expressly states that delay damages are not compounded. The legal-rate branch must still be checked against the governing obligation and controlling Pennsylvania law before calculation.
→ Compare with the Pennsylvania post-judgment interest rate (interest after judgment)
Pennsylvania prejudgment interest is 6% simple, as of right, on contract and other liquidated claims (41 P.S. §202). In tort actions for bodily injury, death, or property damage, the operative figure is instead Pa.R.C.P. 238 'delay damages' — the prime rate (first Wall Street Journal edition each January) + 1%, simple, not compounded (231 Pa. Code Rule 238), a variable rate. Verified 2026-07-11. Not legal advice.
Current recorded observation
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2026 | 6% | Statute |
Source & provenance
Observation recorded July 9, 2026 (00:00 UTC) from the cited source (Pennsylvania — pacodeandbulletin.gov):
https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/secure/pacode/data/231/chapter200/s238.html
Cite this page
StatuteRates. “Pennsylvania Prejudgment Interest Rate.” StatuteRates.com. Accessed today. https://statuterates.com/rates/pennsylvania-prejudgment-rate/ Rate recorded under 41 P.S. §202 (6% contract); 231 Pa. Code Rule 238 (tort delay damages, prime+1%), effective July 9, 2026.