Post-Judgment Interest Rates by State

Quick takeaways

• Post-judgment interest rates are set by statute (or by an agency-calculated benchmark) and can change over time; the rate that matters is the one in effect at the time the interest starts accruing.
• Many states peg the rate to a U.S. Treasury yield (often the 1-year or 6-month Treasury), then add a statutory “floor” or “cap.”
• Some states use a fixed statutory rate (commonly 6% or 5%) that does not require recalculating with market yields.
• Accrual timing isn’t always the same: certain jurisdictions start interest on the judgment date, while others account for appeals, partial judgments, or settlement timing.
• DocketMath can help you standardize the jurisdiction-specific details and keep your rate and start date organized for enforcement, demand packages, or internal accounting.

Inputs you need

To determine the correct post-judgment interest rate for a particular case, gather the following facts and keep them together. Even if you “just need the rate,” the effective date and judgment type can change which statute applies.

Use this intake checklist as your baseline for N/A work in this jurisdiction.

• jurisdiction selection
• key dates and triggering events
• amounts or rates
• any caps or overrides

If any of these inputs are uncertain, document the assumption before you run the tool.

Core inputs (state + timing)

• State where the judgment was entered (or where enforcement will occur)
• Judgment entry date (the date the court officially entered judgment)
• Type of judgment

  • Money judgment after trial/arbitration
  • Consent judgment / settlement judgment
  • Default judgment
  • Amended judgment (e.g., amended damages order)
• Whether an appeal was filed (and if so, the state’s rule for interest during appeal)
• Any installment/periodic payment structure (some states treat payment schedules differently)

Rate context (what the statute uses)

• Benchmark method (fixed rate vs. Treasury-based)
• Rate formula, including:

  • The benchmark index (e.g., 1-year Treasury, 6-month Treasury, or another state-selected index)
  • Any add-on (e.g., “plus 1%”)
  • Any floor (minimum) and/or cap (maximum)
• Interest compounding rule (simple interest vs. any statutory compounding)
• Which principal amount interest applies to, if your judgment specifies categories (e.g., damages vs. costs vs. fees)

Where DocketMath fits

Use DocketMath to:

• Track the jurisdiction and the effective period
• Record the judgment date and confirm the accrual start
• Maintain a tidy mapping between principal components and what interest should attach to

You can start from the tools area here: /tools

How the calculation works

Post-judgment interest is usually calculated as a form of simple interest on the judgment principal, over time, at a statutory annual rate. The exact details depend on the state’s statute, but the workflow is consistent.

DocketMath applies the this jurisdiction rule set to the inputs, then runs the calculation in ordered steps. It validates the trigger date, applies rate or cap logic, and produces a breakdown you can audit. If you change any one variable, the tool recalculates the downstream outputs immediately.

Step 1: Identify the governing statute and method

States tend to fall into one of these patterns:

1. Fixed annual rate

   • Example pattern: “Interest at 6% per annum on money judgments.”
   • In these states, you typically apply one rate from the accrual start through satisfaction.

2. Benchmark-based rate

   • Example pattern: “Rate equals the weekly average 1-year Treasury yield plus or minus a statutory adjustment,” sometimes with a floor.
   • In these states, you apply the rate tied to the state’s required recalculation cycle (often based on the Treasury yield as of a particular date, quarter, or month).

3. Hybrid approaches

   • Some states use different methods depending on the judgment type, contract context, or time periods.

Step 2: Confirm the accrual start date

Common approaches include:

• Judgment date rule: interest accrues from the date the judgment is entered.
• Post-judgment service/payment trigger: interest may begin after a demand, notice, or a specific period.
• Appeal-related rules: some states pause interest during appeal; others continue accrual but may adjust outcomes based on reversal or modification.

This is where most “rate calculator” mistakes happen—using the correct rate but the wrong start date.

Step 3: Apply simple interest math over the relevant period

A typical simple-interest structure looks like this:

• **Interest = Principal × Annual Rate × (Days ÷ 365 or 360)

Whether you use 365 or 360 depends on the statute or court practice in that jurisdiction. If your judgment requires a precise day-count convention, capture it early in your case file.

For benchmark-based states

If the rate changes during the interest period, you split the timeline:

This “split-by-rate-period” approach is essential for states that publish quarterly or periodic post-judgment interest rates.

Step 4: Clarify what counts as principal

Some jurisdictions treat:

• Damages as principal
• Costs and attorney’s fees only as principal if the statute/judgment specifies they are part of the money judgment subject to interest

If your judgment documentation lists separate amounts, organize them into:

• Interest-bearing principal categories
• Non-interest-bearing amounts (if applicable)
• Any statutory fee/cost items that become part of the judgment only later

Practical workflow in DocketMath

A streamlined set of steps you can follow:

• Choose the state jurisdiction in DocketMath
• Enter:

  • Judgment entry date
  • **Principal amount(s)
  • Satisfaction date (or “through today” for interim estimates)
• If the state is benchmark-based, record:

  • Rate update cadence (e.g., quarterly)
  • Any floor/cap rules so the rate applied is accurate
• Generate a timeline-backed interest summary (so the calculation is auditable)

Common pitfalls

• missing a required input
• using a stale rate or rule
• ignoring calendar or holiday adjustments
• skipping documentation of assumptions

Capture the source for each input so another team member can verify the same result quickly.

When rules change, rerun the calculation with updated inputs and store the revision in the matter record.

1) Wrong accrual start date

People often start counting interest on:

• the filing date,
• the verdict date, or
• the order date, instead of the actual judgment entry date.

How to avoid it

• Pull the exact “entered” timestamp/date from the docket.
• Record it in DocketMath and link it to the judgment document name.

2) Treating attorney’s fees and costs as automatically interest-bearing

Some states require that fees/costs be included in a “money judgment” before interest attaches, or they attach only once quantified.

How to avoid it

• Check whether the judgment states a single total “judgment” amount or separate components.
• Track fees/costs as separate line items in your internal breakdown until the judgment language confirms they are included.

3) Confusing the benchmark source date vs. the effective rate date

In benchmark jurisdictions, statutes often reference a Treasury rate “as of” a particular date but publish the effective interest rate on a separate schedule.

How to avoid it

• Use the state’s published effective-rate period for your calculation segment.
• Don’t reverse-engineer the rate from the Treasury yield without confirming the state’s effective date rules.

4) Ignoring caps and floors

Where statutes include minimum or maximum annual rates, the effective interest rate may not match the raw benchmark formula.

How to avoid it

• Add floor/cap metadata in DocketMath alongside the jurisdiction rule.
• If you’re splitting periods, make sure caps/floors are applied per segment.

5) Using an inconsistent day-count convention

Small errors can compound across long periods.

How to avoid it

• Stick to the jurisdiction’s expected day-count convention for your calculation approach.
• If DocketMath’s output uses a consistent day-count method, ensure your case workflow doesn’t override it later.

Sources and references

State post-judgment interest is governed by state statutes, and rates may be published by state courts or state administrative bodies depending on the jurisdiction. Because this topic is statute-specific and can change (especially for benchmark-based formulas), verify the current rate publication and the exact statutory language for the state you’re using.

For jurisdiction-focused workflows inside DocketMath, start at: /tools

Next steps

1. Pick the enforcement jurisdiction (the state where the judgment was entered, and/or where you will enforce).
2. Extract the judgment entry date from the docket (not the order date).
3. List the principal amount(s) clearly:

   • damages,
   • costs,
   • fees (if included in the judgment),
   • any offsets.
4. In DocketMath, enter:

   • jurisdiction,
   • judgment entry date,
   • principal amount(s),
   • end date (satisfaction date or “through today”).
5. If the state is benchmark-based:

   • confirm the rate reset cadence,
   • split the timeline into rate segments,
   • apply floor/cap rules.

Related reading

• How to calculate deadlines in Delaware — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Statute of limitations in United States (Federal): how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules