Small claims court · after judgment
How much interest has your judgment earned?
Pick your state, enter the judgment amount and the date it was entered, and see how much interest has accrued while the defendant hasn't paid — at that state's own statutory rate.
Uses simple interest at the rate you enter — pre-filled with each state's standard statutory rate, editable since some states publish a new rate quarterly or annually. Some states apply a different rate to specific debt types (noted above where it applies) or when a contract specifies its own rate. Informational only, not legal advice; confirm the current rate and any exceptions with your court clerk before relying on this figure.
How this is calculated
Last reviewed: September 2026
Simple interest, at each state's statutory rate
Interest = principal × rate × (days since judgment ÷ 365) — simple interest on the original judgment amount, not compounding. Every state we cover sets a standard annual rate for a money judgment by statute or a court-published schedule, cited under the result once you pick a state. A handful of states cut that rate for specific debt types (California for personal debt, New York for consumer debt) or set it on a schedule that moves (Florida quarterly, New Jersey yearly) rather than a fixed number — both are called out in that state's result, and the rate field is editable so you can swap in the current published figure.
Why Michigan isn't covered
Michigan compounds its judgment interest annually — every other state here uses simple interest — and its rate changes twice a year based on the 5-year Treasury note yield, with different rules depending on the case type and filing date. That's different enough from this calculator's one-flat-rate model that showing a number would misrepresent how Michigan actually computes it, so it's left out rather than shown wrong.
What this doesn't cover
- A contract that sets its own rate. Several states let a judgment based on a written contract carry that contract's interest rate forward instead of the statutory one — this calculator always uses the statutory rate.
- Partial payment. The total assumes the judgment is still completely unpaid; if the defendant has paid part of it, interest only accrues on what's still owed.
- Collection costs. Filing an abstract of judgment, a wage garnishment, or a bank levy to actually collect isn't part of this figure.
States currently covered
California, Florida, New York (New York City), Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington. More states are added on an ongoing basis.
Frequently asked questions
Does interest start the day I win, or the day I file?
The day the judgment is entered — not the day you filed the case or the day of the hearing. That's the date on your judgment paperwork, and it's what this calculator asks for.
Why is the interest rate editable instead of fixed?
Because it isn't fixed in every state. Florida resets its rate every quarter and New Jersey every year, so the rate that applied when a state's page was last reviewed here can be out of date by the time you use it. The field is pre-filled with the standard rate as of this tool's last review, but you should confirm the current one before relying on the total — links to each state's source are right above the field.
Is this compound interest?
No — simple interest, calculated once on the original judgment amount for the full period, which is how nearly every state calculates it. The one state we don't cover, Michigan, is the exception: its statute compounds annually and changes rate twice a year, different enough from every other state here that a single number would misrepresent it.
Will the defendant actually owe this amount?
Only if they haven't paid. The moment they pay in full, interest stops accruing — this calculator assumes the judgment is still fully unpaid as of today. It also doesn't know about a partial payment; if the defendant has paid some of it, the real interest owed is lower than what's shown here.