Judgment Interest Calculator

Q: When does post-judgment interest start to run?

In most cases, interest starts on the day the court enters the judgment, not the day the trial ended or the day the jury gave its verdict. Entry is when the clerk files the judgment in the court record. Some states are different. A few start interest on the verdict date, and some start it on the date of an earlier order that fixed the amount. Check the face of your judgment first, because the judge may write the start date right on it.

Q: What is the judgment interest rate in my state?

Each state writes its own rate into law. Some common ones: California: 10% a year (7% for judgments against public entities) New York: 9% a year, but 2% for consumer debt judgments Texas: a floating rate tied to prime, with a 5% floor and 15% cap Florida: set by the state each quarter Michigan: tied to Treasury rates and reset twice a year Rates change, so always confirm with your judgment paper, the court clerk, or your state statute.

Introduction

When a court enters a money judgment, the amount owed does not stay the same. Interest keeps adding up every day until the debt is paid. This Judgment Interest Calculator shows you how much is owed right now, including all the interest that has built up since the judgment date.

Enter the judgment amount, the annual interest rate, and the date the court entered the judgment. You can figure interest up to today or to any date you pick, which helps when you are working out a settlement or planning a payment.

Most court judgments use simple interest, which grows only on the original amount. Some states or contracts use compound interest, which grows on the interest too. You can pick either one here. If payments have already been made, add them in. The tool applies each payment to unpaid interest first, then to principal, the same way courts do it.

You will see the total owed, the daily interest in dollars, a step-by-step math breakdown, a chart of the growing balance, and a plain-language summary you can copy and paste into a letter or demand. Creditors, debtors, and law offices can use those numbers to check a payoff figure fast.

How to use our Judgment Interest Calculator

Enter your judgment amount, the interest rate, the judgment date, and any payments made. The calculator shows the total amount owed, the interest accrued, the daily interest, a step-by-step solution, a chart, and a full breakdown table.

Original Judgment Amount ($): Type the principal the court awarded, before any interest. Use numbers only, like 100000.

Annual Interest Rate (%): Type the post-judgment interest rate from your judgment or your state statute. Federal rates change weekly; most states use a set rate.

Judgment Date: Enter the month, day, and year the court entered the judgment. Interest starts on this date.

Interest Calculation Method: Pick Simple if interest only grows on the principal. Pick Compound if interest also grows on unpaid interest. Most court judgments use simple interest.

Compounding Frequency: If you chose compound, pick how often interest compounds: daily, monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Calculate to a specific date: Leave this box unchecked to calculate through today. Check it to enter a different end date, then type the month, day, and year. A future date projects interest; a past date helps with settlement talks.

Partial Payments: Click "Add Payment" for each payment made on the judgment. Enter the payment date and dollar amount. Each payment pays accrued interest first, then principal. Click the trash button to delete a row.

Calculate and Reset: Results update as you type, but you can click Calculate to refresh them. Click Reset to start over with the default values. Use "Copy Summary Text" to copy the plain-language result.

What Is Judgment Interest?

When a court orders someone to pay money, that money does not stay the same amount forever. Interest is added for each day the debt goes unpaid. This is called judgment interest, or post-judgment interest. It pays the winning side back for having to wait, and it pushes the losing side to pay fast.

Pre-Judgment vs. Post-Judgment Interest

Pre-judgment interest covers the time between the harm or unpaid bill and the day the court rules. Post-judgment interest starts the day the judgment is entered and runs until the debt is paid in full. The two often use different rates, and the rules come from state law or federal law.

How the Rate Is Set

You do not pick the rate yourself. It comes from the judgment paper or from a statute. In federal cases, the rate is tied to the 52-week Treasury bill and changes every week, so it is often low. Many states use a fixed rate written into law, such as 5%, 9%, or 10% a year. Some contracts set their own rate. Always check the court order first.

Simple vs. Compound Interest

Simple interest grows only on the original award. Compound interest grows on the award plus the interest already added, so it builds faster. Most U.S. judgments use simple interest. Only use compound if your state law or the judgment says so. Federal judgments compound once a year.

How Daily Interest Works

Interest is usually counted by the day. Take the unpaid amount, multiply by the yearly rate, then divide by 365. That gives the per diem (daily) amount. Lawyers use this number a lot, because the payoff amount changes every single day.

How Partial Payments Are Applied

If the debtor pays part of the money, the payment normally goes to the unpaid interest first. Only what is left over cuts the principal. This is often called the U.S. Rule. It matters because principal is what earns new interest, so early, larger payments save the most money.

Why It Matters

Judgment interest can add thousands of dollars over a few years. Knowing the running total helps with payoff letters, settlement talks, wage garnishment, liens, and court filings. Rules differ by state and by case type, so use these numbers as an estimate and confirm the rate and start date with your court order or an attorney.

Formulas used

Days elapsed between judgment date and end date

t_{\text{days}} = \frac{\text{End Date} - \text{Judgment Date}}{86{,}400{,}000\ \text{ms/day}}

Annual rate as a decimal

r = \frac{R\%}{100}

Simple interest accrued over a segment of days

I = P \times r \times \frac{d}{365}

Compound interest accrued over a segment of days

I = (P + A)\left[\left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{n \cdot \frac{d}{365}} - 1\right]

Compound balance (amount) after t years

A = P\left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{nt}, \qquad t = \frac{d}{365}

Daily interest accrual (simple / compound)

I_{\text{day}} = \frac{P \times r}{365} \qquad \text{or} \qquad I_{\text{day}} = (P + A)\left[\left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{\frac{n}{365}} - 1\right]

Payment allocation: interest first, then principal

\text{Int}_{\text{paid}} = \min(C, A), \quad \text{Prin}_{\text{paid}} = \min(C - \text{Int}_{\text{paid}},\, P)

Total amount owed

\text{Total Owed} = \max\left(0,\; P_{\text{remaining}} + A_{\text{unpaid}}\right)

Frequently asked questions

When does post-judgment interest start to run?

In most cases, interest starts on the day the court enters the judgment, not the day the trial ended or the day the jury gave its verdict. Entry is when the clerk files the judgment in the court record.

Some states are different. A few start interest on the verdict date, and some start it on the date of an earlier order that fixed the amount. Check the face of your judgment first, because the judge may write the start date right on it.

How is the federal post-judgment interest rate set?

Federal judgments use the rate in 28 U.S.C. § 1961. It equals the weekly average yield on 1-year (52-week) Treasury bills for the week before the judgment is entered.

The rate is posted weekly by the U.S. Courts.
It is locked in on the entry date and does not change later, even if Treasury rates move.
Federal interest compounds once a year.

Because it follows Treasury yields, the federal rate is often much lower than state rates.

What is the judgment interest rate in my state?

Each state writes its own rate into law. Some common ones:

California: 10% a year (7% for judgments against public entities)
New York: 9% a year, but 2% for consumer debt judgments
Texas: a floating rate tied to prime, with a 5% floor and 15% cap
Florida: set by the state each quarter
Michigan: tied to Treasury rates and reset twice a year

Rates change, so always confirm with your judgment paper, the court clerk, or your state statute.

Do I have to ask the court for judgment interest?

Usually no. Post-judgment interest is set by statute and runs automatically from the entry date, even if the judgment does not mention it.

Pre-judgment interest is different. You normally have to ask for it in your complaint or at trial, and the judge decides if you get it.

Does interest keep adding up while a judgment is on appeal?

Yes. Filing an appeal does not stop the interest clock. If the appeal fails, the debtor owes the full amount plus all the interest that built up during the wait.

Posting a bond (a supersedeas bond) can stop collection while the appeal is heard, but it does not stop interest from accruing. That is one reason appeals of large judgments get expensive fast.

Does judgment interest accrue on weekends and holidays?

Yes. Interest runs on every calendar day, including weekends, holidays, and days the courthouse is closed. A 30-day month adds 30 days of interest.

Most courts divide the yearly rate by 365 to get the daily (per diem) amount. Some contracts use a 360-day year instead, which makes each day slightly more expensive. Check the wording of your judgment or contract.

How do I figure the exact payoff amount for a certain day?

Use three pieces: the unpaid principal, the interest already earned, and the daily rate.

Add unpaid principal plus accrued interest as of today.
Find the per diem: principal × rate ÷ 365.
Multiply the per diem by the days between today and the payoff day, then add it in.

Example: $50,000 at 9% is $12.33 a day. Paying 10 days later costs about $123 more.

Does interest accrue on court costs and attorney fees too?

Usually yes. If the court adds costs, fees, or sanctions into the judgment amount, interest runs on that whole total, not just the damages.

If fees are awarded later in a separate order, interest on that piece often starts on the date of that later order. The dates can differ, so read each order carefully.

What happens if a payment is smaller than the interest that has built up?

The whole payment goes to interest, and the principal does not drop at all. Since principal is what earns new interest, the debt can stay the same size or even grow.

This is why small payments on a big judgment can feel like they never help. To shrink the debt, a payment must be larger than the interest that accrued since the last payment.

How long can a judgment collect interest?

Until it is paid, vacated, or it expires. Judgments last a set number of years by state, often 5 to 20, and interest runs the whole time.

Many states let the creditor renew the judgment before it expires. When that happens, the unpaid balance, including built-up interest, usually carries over and keeps earning interest for another full term.

Is judgment interest taxable income?

Generally yes. The IRS treats interest on a judgment as taxable interest income, even when the underlying award is not taxable, such as a personal injury award.

You may get a Form 1099-INT for it. Ask a tax professional about your own case.

Does bankruptcy stop judgment interest?

Filing bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay that halts collection right away. For most unsecured debts, interest stops adding up on the filing date, and a discharge wipes out the debt and the interest.

There are exceptions. Secured claims, child support, most taxes, and some student loans can keep earning interest. Judgment liens on property may also survive.

Can the judgment interest rate change after the judgment is entered?

In most states, no. The rate is fixed on the entry date and stays the same until the debt is paid, even if the statute later changes the rate for new judgments.

A few states use a floating rate that resets each year or quarter. The rate can also change if the parties sign a settlement that lowers it, or if an appeals court changes the judgment.

Does interest still run if wages are being garnished?

Yes. Garnishment is just a way to collect, not a pause on interest. Each payment is applied to accrued interest first, then principal, and interest keeps building on whatever principal is left.

If the garnished amount is small, the balance may shrink very slowly. Ask the creditor for a written payoff figure with a per diem amount before assuming the debt is almost done.

Can a judgment from one state earn interest in another state?

Yes. A creditor can register, or domesticate, the judgment in the state where the debtor lives or owns property. It can then be enforced there.

Which interest rate applies depends on the states involved. Many courts keep the rate from the state that issued the judgment, while others apply the new state's rate after registration. This is a common fight, so get legal advice before assuming a number.

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