Judgment Interest Calculator Guide for West Virginia

West Virginia interest rules

This source-backed guide covers West Virginia judgment, prejudgment, and legal interest under W. Va. Code §§ 56-6-31 and 47-6-5. It does not certify escrow-interest, security-deposit-interest, federal ERISA, tax-interest, or other special-purpose interest rules unless a quoted source below says so.

Judgment and decree interest

West Virginia money judgments and decrees bear simple, not compounding, interest. Post-judgment interest is two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on January 2 of the year the judgment or decree is entered, with a 4% floor and 9% ceiling; once established, the rate stays constant for that judgment or decree.

W. Va. Code § 56-6-31. §56-6-31. Interest on judgment or decree. (a) Except where it is otherwise provided by law, every judgment or decree for the payment of money, whether in an action sounding in tort, contract, or otherwise, entered by any court of this state shall bear simple, not compounding, interest, whether it is stated in the judgment decree or not. (b) Prejudgment – In any judgment or decree that contains special damages, as defined below, or for liquidated damages, the court may award prejudgment interest on all or some of the amount of the special or liquidated damages, as calculated after the amount of any settlements. Any such amounts of special or liquidated damages shall bear simple, not compounding, interest. Special damages include lost wages and income, medical expenses, damages to tangible personal property and similar out-of-pocket expenditures, as determined by the court. If an obligation is based upon a written agreement, the obligation bears prejudgment interest at the rate and terms set forth in the written agreement until the date the judgment or decree is entered and, after that, the judgment interest is the same rate as provided for below in subsection (c) of this section. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, the rate of prejudgment interest is two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on January 2, of the year in which the right to bring the action has accrued, as determined by the court and that established rate shall remain constant from that date until the date of the judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the federal reserve district discount rate in effect in subsequent years prior to the date of the judgment or decree: Provided, That the rate of the prejudgment interest may not exceed nine percent per annum or be less than four percent per annum. The administrative office of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall annually determine the prejudgment interest rate to be paid upon judgment or decrees for the payment of money and shall take appropriate measures to notify the courts and members of the West Virginia State Bar of the rate of interest in effect for the calendar year in question. Once the rate of prejudgment interest is established as provided in this section, that established rate shall remain constant for the prejudgment interest for that particular judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect in subsequent years. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1) of this section and section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, for all cases in which the right to bring the action accrued prior to 2009, the court may award prejudgment interest on all or some of the amount of the special or liquidated damages, as calculated after the amount of any settlement, at the interest rate that was in effect as of January 2, of the year in which the right to bring the action accrued. (c) Post-judgment - Notwithstanding the provisions of section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, the rate of post-judgment interest on judgments and decrees for the payment of money is two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on January 2, of the year in which the judgment or decree is entered: Provided, That the rate of post-judgment interest may not exceed nine percent per annum or be less than four percent per annum. The administrative office of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall annually determine the post-judgment interest rate to be paid upon judgments or decrees for the payment of money and shall take appropriate measures to promptly notify the courts and members of the West Virginia State Bar of the rate of interest in effect for the calendar year in question. Once the rate of interest is established by a judgment or decree as provided in this section that established rate shall after that remain constant for that particular judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect in subsequent years. (d) Amendments to this section enacted by the Legislature during the 2017 regular session become effective January 1, 2018.

2026 judgment and decree rate

For judgments and decrees entered during calendar year 2026, the Administrative Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia set the interest rate at 6.25%.

2026 West Virginia judgment interest rate notice. CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Administrative Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia today announced it has set the interest rate for judgments and decrees entered during the 2026 calendar year at 6.25 percent. West Virginia Code § 56-6-31 requires the Administrative Office to annually determine the interest rate to be paid upon judgments or decrees for the payment of money. It requires the pre-judgment and post-judgment interest rate to be two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on the second day of January of the year in which the judgment or decree is entered. The law also says the rate cannot exceed 9 percent per year or be less than 4 percent per year. The main bank for the Fifth Federal Reserve District is the Fifth Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, Va. That bank’s secondary discount rate on Jan. 2 was 4.25 percent. The rate of interest on judgments and decrees entered in 2026, therefore, is set at 6.25 percent. The law also requires the Administrative Office to promptly notify the courts and members of the West Virginia State Bar of the rate of interest in effect for each calendar year.

Prejudgment interest on special or liquidated damages

In judgments or decrees containing special damages or liquidated damages, a court may award simple prejudgment interest on all or some of those amounts after settlements. For written obligations, the obligation bears prejudgment interest at the written agreement's rate and terms until judgment, and then uses the judgment-interest rate.

W. Va. Code § 56-6-31. §56-6-31. Interest on judgment or decree. (a) Except where it is otherwise provided by law, every judgment or decree for the payment of money, whether in an action sounding in tort, contract, or otherwise, entered by any court of this state shall bear simple, not compounding, interest, whether it is stated in the judgment decree or not. (b) Prejudgment – In any judgment or decree that contains special damages, as defined below, or for liquidated damages, the court may award prejudgment interest on all or some of the amount of the special or liquidated damages, as calculated after the amount of any settlements. Any such amounts of special or liquidated damages shall bear simple, not compounding, interest. Special damages include lost wages and income, medical expenses, damages to tangible personal property and similar out-of-pocket expenditures, as determined by the court. If an obligation is based upon a written agreement, the obligation bears prejudgment interest at the rate and terms set forth in the written agreement until the date the judgment or decree is entered and, after that, the judgment interest is the same rate as provided for below in subsection (c) of this section. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, the rate of prejudgment interest is two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on January 2, of the year in which the right to bring the action has accrued, as determined by the court and that established rate shall remain constant from that date until the date of the judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the federal reserve district discount rate in effect in subsequent years prior to the date of the judgment or decree: Provided, That the rate of the prejudgment interest may not exceed nine percent per annum or be less than four percent per annum. The administrative office of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall annually determine the prejudgment interest rate to be paid upon judgment or decrees for the payment of money and shall take appropriate measures to notify the courts and members of the West Virginia State Bar of the rate of interest in effect for the calendar year in question. Once the rate of prejudgment interest is established as provided in this section, that established rate shall remain constant for the prejudgment interest for that particular judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect in subsequent years. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1) of this section and section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, for all cases in which the right to bring the action accrued prior to 2009, the court may award prejudgment interest on all or some of the amount of the special or liquidated damages, as calculated after the amount of any settlement, at the interest rate that was in effect as of January 2, of the year in which the right to bring the action accrued. (c) Post-judgment - Notwithstanding the provisions of section five, article six, chapter forty-seven of this code, the rate of post-judgment interest on judgments and decrees for the payment of money is two percentage points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate in effect on January 2, of the year in which the judgment or decree is entered: Provided, That the rate of post-judgment interest may not exceed nine percent per annum or be less than four percent per annum. The administrative office of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall annually determine the post-judgment interest rate to be paid upon judgments or decrees for the payment of money and shall take appropriate measures to promptly notify the courts and members of the West Virginia State Bar of the rate of interest in effect for the calendar year in question. Once the rate of interest is established by a judgment or decree as provided in this section that established rate shall after that remain constant for that particular judgment or decree, notwithstanding changes in the Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect in subsequent years. (d) Amendments to this section enacted by the Legislature during the 2017 regular session become effective January 1, 2018.

Legal interest and written agreement rates

Except where another law specially provides otherwise, West Virginia legal interest is $6 upon $100 for a year. Written agreements for loans or forbearances may set interest up to $8 upon $100 for a year, subject to the section's limits.

W. Va. Code § 47-6-5. §47-6-5. Legal rate of interest; agreements in writing fixing rate of interest; agreements in writing fixing rate of interest for residential real estate purposes; providing there may be no penalty upon prepayment; quarterly reports required. (a) Except in cases where it is otherwise specially provided by law, legal interest shall continue to be at the rate of $6 upon $100 for a year, and proportionately for a greater or less sum, or for a longer or shorter time, and no person upon any contract other than a contract in writing shall take for the loan or forbearance of money, or other thing, above the value of such rate: Provided, That a charge of $1 may be made for any loan or forbearance of money or other thing, where the interest at the rate aforesaid would not amount to that sum, and the same shall not be a usurious charge or rate of interest. (b) Parties may contract in writing for the payment of interest for the loan or forbearance of money at a rate not to exceed $8 upon $100 for a year, and proportionately for a greater or less sum, or for a longer or shorter time, including points expressed as a percentage of the loan divided by the number of years of the loan contract. (c) As an alternative to the interest rate authorized by the provisions of subsections (a) or (b) of this section and any interest rate authorized by any other provision of this code, where a loan of money is made for the purpose of purchasing real estate upon which is situate a single-family or multifamily residential unit or units, or for the construction of a single-family or multifamily residential unit or units upon real estate, or additions or improvements thereto, or for the purpose of the payment of a loan theretofore made for the construction of a single-family or multifamily residential unit or units upon real estate, and any such loan is secured by a first mortgage or first deed of trust upon such real property, after the effective date of this section and until July 1, 1975, the parties may contract in writing for the payment of interest for such loan of money at a rate not to exceed $9 upon $100 for a year and proportionately for a greater or less sum, or for a longer or shorter time, including points expressed as a percentage of the loan divided by the number of years of the loan contract, and such maximum rate shall be valid for the term of such contract: Provided, That the parties may contract in writing for the payment of interest for such loan of money at the rate specified in this subsection (c) only if such contract in writing also specifies that there shall be no penalty whatever for prepayment of the loan in whole or in part by cash, a new loan or otherwise, and such contract provision prohibiting any such penalty shall govern and control notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, whether such other provision was enacted before or after the enactment of this section: Provided, however, That no such contract shall contain an escalation of interest clause which would allow an increase in the rate of interest being charged. (d) For the purpose of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the term "points" is defined as the amount of money, or other consideration, received by the lender, from whatever source, as a consideration for making the loan and not otherwise expressly permitted by statute. (e) In order for the Legislature to determine whether the period of time during which parties may enter into a contract for the payment of the maximum rate of interest authorized in subsection (c) of this section should be extended beyond June 30, 1975, the commissioner of banking shall promulgate rules and regulations requiring all banking institutions, savings and loan associations and other financial institutions making loans in this state of the type specified in said subsection (c) to file with him quarterly reports as to the number and amount of loans of the type specified in said subsection (c) made during the preceding quarter, and such quarterly reports shall contain sufficient detail for the Legislature to ascertain whether the authorization of the maximum interest rate provided in said subsection (c) has resulted in the making of more loans of the type specified in said subsection (c). The first such report shall cover the quarter which began on April 1, 1974.

Contract claim and verdict interest

In contract actions, the jury may allow interest on principal due, must find the aggregate principal and interest due at trial after credits and setoffs, and judgment is entered for that aggregate with interest from the verdict date.

W. Va. Code § 56-6-27. §56-6-27. Interest on claim and verdict. The jury, in any action founded on contract, may allow interest on the principal due, or any part thereof, and in all cases they shall find the aggregate of principal and interest due at the time of the trial, after allowing all proper credits, payments and sets-off; and judgment shall be entered for such aggregate with interest from the date of the verdict.

Not certified by this page

• This receipt does not certify West Virginia ERISA interest, federal postjudgment interest, escrow interest, residential security-deposit interest, mortgage-escrow rules, tax interest, statutory penalty schemes outside W. Va. Code §§ 56-6-31, 56-6-27, and 47-6-5, or historical annual judgment-interest rates other than the 2026 rate notice.

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

Sources

• W. Va. Code § 56-6-31 — Interest on judgment or decree
• 2026 West Virginia judgment interest rate notice — Supreme Court Sets 2026 Interest Rate on Judgments and Decrees
• W. Va. Code § 47-6-5 — Legal rate of interest; agreements in writing fixing rate of interest
• W. Va. Code § 56-6-27 — Interest on claim and verdict

All sources are official primary law published by code.wvlegislature.gov, www.courtswv.gov.

Corroboration method: Official West Virginia Legislature section pages supply the judgment, prejudgment, legal-interest, and contract-verdict text; the official West Virginia Judiciary rate notice supplies the annual Administrative Office rate for judgments and decrees entered in calendar year 2026.