2026 judgment interest rates by state
Interest on a money judgment differs in every state — and the rate that runs before judgment can be a different rate — or a case-specific rule — from the one that runs after. Here are the current recorded references for all 50 states and D.C. Open any state for its cited sources, observations, scope, and known exceptions.
Open the transparent rules and data coverage index to compare official-source links, rate type, history depth, rule-analysis status, and calculator availability for all 50 states and D.C.
| State | Post-judgment | Prejudgment | Prejudgment type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7.5% | 6% | Fixed by statute |
| Alaska | 6.75% | 6.75% | Formula rate |
| Arizona | 7.75% | 7.75% | Formula rate |
| Arkansas | 5.75% | 5.75% | Formula rate |
| California | 10% | 7% / 10% | Fixed by statute |
| Colorado | 8% | 8% / 9% | Fixed by statute |
| Connecticut | up to 10% | up to 10% | Discretionary, capped |
| Delaware | 8.75% | 8.75% | Formula rate |
| District of Columbia | 5% | 6% | Fixed by statute |
| Florida | 8.06% | 8.06% | Formula rate |
| Georgia | 9.75% | 7% / 9.75% | Fixed by statute |
| Hawaii | 10% | 10% | Discretionary |
| Idaho | 8.875% | 12% | Fixed by statute |
| Illinois | 9% | 6% / 5% | Fixed by statute |
| Indiana | 8% | 8% | Discretionary |
| Iowa | 6.06% | 6.06% | Formula rate |
| Kansas | 7.75% | 10% / 5.75% | Fixed by statute |
| Kentucky | 6% | up to 8% | Claim-dependent |
| Louisiana | 7.50% | 7.5% general / up to 6% government PI-WD | Claim-dependent |
| Maine | 9.51% | 6.51% | Formula rate |
| Maryland | 10% | 6% | Discretionary |
| Massachusetts | 12% | 12% | Fixed by statute |
| Michigan | 4.959% | 4.959% | Formula rate |
| Minnesota | 4% / 10% | 4% / 10% | Formula rate |
| Mississippi | — | contract rate / court-set | Case-specific |
| Missouri | 9% / 8.75% | 9% non-tort; tort rule varies | Formula rate |
| Montana | 9.75% | 10% / 9.75% | Fixed by statute |
| Nebraska | 5.970% | 12% / 5.970% | Two statutory tracks |
| Nevada | 8.75% | 8.75% | Formula rate |
| New Hampshire | 5.7% | 5.7% | Formula rate |
| New Jersey | 4.5% / 6.5% | 4.5% / 6.5% | Same rate as post-judgment |
| New Mexico | 8.75% / 15% | 10% / 15% | Discretionary |
| New York | 9% | 9% | Fixed by statute |
| North Carolina | 8% | 8% | Fixed by statute |
| North Dakota | 10.00% | 6% | Fixed by statute |
| Ohio | 7% | 7% | Same rate as post-judgment |
| Oklahoma | 8.75% | 4.13% / 6% | Formula rate |
| Oregon | 9% | 9% | Fixed by statute |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 6% | Fixed by statute |
| Rhode Island | 12% | 12% | Fixed by statute |
| South Carolina | 10.75% | 8.75% | Fixed by statute |
| South Dakota | 10% | 10% | Formula rate |
| Tennessee | 8.75% | up to 10% | Discretionary |
| Texas | 6.75% | 6.75% | Same rate as post-judgment |
| Utah | 5.51% | 10% / 8.75% | Fixed by statute |
| Vermont | 12% | 12% | Discretionary |
| Virginia | 6% | 6% | Discretionary |
| Washington | 12% / 8.75% | 12% | Fixed by statute |
| West Virginia | 6.25% | 6.25% | Formula rate |
| Wisconsin | 7.75% | 5% | Fixed by statute |
| Wyoming | 10% | 7% | Fixed by statute |
How to find the right state judgment interest rate
- Start with the judgment date. Variable rates can reset yearly, quarterly, monthly, or when a benchmark changes.
- Identify the claim type. Contracts, torts, consumer debts, government judgments, and prejudgment awards can follow different branches.
- Open the state page. Each state hub links to its controlling authority, effective-date history, applicability notes, and official source.
Post-judgment vs. prejudgment — why two numbers?
Post-judgment interest accrues on a money judgment from the day it is entered until it is paid; it is usually automatic. Prejudgment interest reaches back to compensate for the time between the loss or breach and the judgment — and it comes with rules post-judgment interest doesn't have (it's often limited to liquidated amounts, sometimes discretionary, and the rate can differ). That's why each state shows two figures here.
Dig into the mechanics on the prejudgment interest index, the methodology, or the calculators. One state missing a post-judgment figure (Mississippi) sets it case by case rather than by a fixed statutory default. Reference data — not legal advice.