## Colorado interest rules

This source-backed guide covers US-CO interest authority (C.R.S. § 5-12-101; C.R.S. § 5-12-102; C.R.S. § 5-12-103; C.R.S. § 5-12-106; C.R.S. § 13-21-101). It certifies only the quoted source-backed rules below; related interest categories remain outside this page unless they are expressly listed in the receipt.

## C.R.S. § 5-12-101; C.R.S. § 5-12-102; C.R.S. § 5-12-103; C.R.S. § 5-12-106; C.R.S. § 13-21-101

US-CO interest controlling authority under C.R.S. § 5-12-101; C.R.S. § 5-12-102; C.R.S. § 5-12-103; C.R.S. § 5-12-106; C.R.S. § 13-21-101.

> **5-12-101.** est shall be payable on the amount of the final judgment. (2) (a) The rate of interest shall be certified on each January 1 by the secretary of state to be two percentage points above the discount rate, which discount rate shall be the rate of interest a commercial bank pays to the federal reserve bank of Kansas City using a government bond or other eligible paper as security, and shall be rounded to the nearest full percent. Such annual rate of interest shall be so established as of December 31, 1982, to become ef

## Use the calculator

DocketMath's interest calculator can model interest scenarios once you identify the controlling jurisdiction, amount, rate type, and accrual date. Use the source panel for the verified source-backed rule.

[Open the Interest calculator](/tools/interest)

## Sources

- [5-12-101 — C.R.S. § 5-12-101; C.R.S. § 5-12-102; C.R.S. § 5-12-103; C.R.S. § 5-12-106; C.R.S. § 13-21-101](https://olls.info/crs/crs2025-title-05.htm)

All sources are official primary law published by `olls.info`.

**Corroboration method:** government_primary_source_direct_fetch.


DocketMath’s Judgment Interest Calculator (Colorado) helps you estimate the daily or annual interest that can accrue on a Colorado money judgment—using ...

Judgment Interest Calculator Guide for Colorado

Verified against colorado.public.law, Justia, and FindLaw mirrors of C.R.S. All § 5-12-102 rates are compound annual per statute text. Tort prejudgment (§ 13-21-101) is 9% compound annual and distinct from contract/money-due default (8% compound annual). § 5-12-106 appealed-judgment rate is variable, certified Jan 1 each year by the Secretary of State (Kansas City Fed discount + 2 pts, rounded).

Colorado uses COMPOUND interest (distinct from most states' simple). Prior rule file likely shows simple — correction needed.

Receipt-backed Colorado interest repair: moved from public.law/Cornell-style residue to official OLLS CRS sources, corrected § 5-12-106 to appealed-judgment scope, linked forward/reverse calculator rules, and marked unsupported ERISA/escrow/security-deposit/penalty categories not_certified.

Except as provided in section 5-12-106, creditors shall be allowed to receive interest on any judgment recovered before any court authorized to enter the same within this state from the date of entering said judgment until satisfaction thereof is made either: (a) At the rate specified in a contract or instrument in writing which provides for payment of interest at a specified rate until the obligation is paid; except that if the contract or instrument provides for a variable rate, at the rate in effect under the contract or instrument on the date judgment enters; or (b) In all other cases where no rate is specified, at the rate of eight percent per annum compounded annually.

At the rate specified in a contract or instrument in writing which provides for payment of interest at a specified rate until the obligation is paid; except that if the contract or instrument provides for a variable rate, at the rate in effect under the contract or instrument on the date judgment enters.

If a judgment for money in a civil case is appealed by a judgment debtor and the judgment is affirmed, interest, as set out in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, shall be payable from the date of entry of judgment in the trial court until satisfaction of the judgment and shall include compounding of interest annually.

When such interest is claimed, it is the duty of the court in entering judgment for the plaintiff in the action to add to the amount of damages assessed by the verdict of the jury, or found by the court, interest on the amount calculated at the rate of nine percent per annum on actions filed on or after July 1, 1975.

When there is no agreement as to the rate thereof, creditors shall be allowed to receive interest at the rate of eight percent per annum compounded annually for all moneys after they become due on any bill, bond, promissory note, or other instrument of writing, or money due on mutual settlement of accounts from the date of such settlement and on money due on account from the date when the same became due.

If there is no agreement or provision of law for a different rate, the interest on money shall be at the rate of eight percent per annum, compounded annually.

The parties to any bond, bill, promissory note, or other instrument of writing may stipulate therein for the payment of a greater or higher rate of interest than eight percent per annum, but not exceeding forty-five percent per annum.

The maximum rate of interest on medical debt is three percent per annum.

5-12-102. Statutory interest - definition. Except as provided in section 13-21-101, C.R.S., when there is no agreement as to the rate thereof, creditors shall receive interest as follows: Interest shall be at the rate of eight percent per annum compounded annually for all moneys or the value of all property after they are wrongfully withheld or after they become due to the date of payment or to the date judgment is entered, whichever first occurs.

interest in US-CO is governed by C.R.S. § 5-12-101; C.R.S. § 5-12-102; C.R.S. § 5-12-103; C.R.S. § 5-12-106; C.R.S. § 13-21-101.

For Colorado interest pages, use C.R.S. § 5-12-101 for the legal default rate, C.R.S. § 5-12-102 for statutory/default judgment interest and wrongfully withheld or due money, C.R.S. § 5-12-103 for stipulated higher written-instrument rates, C.R.S. § 5-12-106 for appealed judgments, and C.R.S. § 13-21-101 for personal-injury tort damages interest.