Post-judgment interest by state · California
California · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in California
An unpaid California money judgment earns 10% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $500.00 in the first year, about $1.37 a day.
How the rate is set
Fixed in the statute at 10% a year. It changes only when the legislature acts.
- Statute or rule
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §685.010
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- only when the legislature amends the statute
When a different rate applies
- 5% for a judgment on personal debt under $50,000, or medical debt under $200,000, entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023; that class includes many small claims judgments against an individual.
- Judgments against public entities use a rate set in the Government Code.
Work out your own judgment
California is prefilled at 10%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; that is how this rate accrues.
How California's rate is set, and where it comes from
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.
The formula, worked
Last reviewed: October 2026
Interest = principal × rate × days ÷ 365. For $5,000.00 at 10%: $5,000.00 × 0.10000 × 365 ÷ 365 = $500.00 after one year, and $1.37 for each further day.
What this page does not know
- The rate written on your judgment. If the court stated a rate, that one applies, whatever the default is today.
- Partial payments. Interest accrues only on what is still unpaid.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every figure is cited to the statute or the office that publishes it; confirm the current rate with the court clerk before relying on it.
Also for California: what it costs to sue in California small claims court.
Frequently asked questions
What is the post-judgment interest rate in California right now?
10% a year for an ordinary money judgment, fixed in the statute, under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §685.010.
How is the California rate set?
Fixed in the statute at 10% a year. It changes only when the legislature acts.
Is it simple or compound interest?
Simple interest: it is calculated on the original judgment amount only and never on earlier interest.
Can my California judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. 5% for a judgment on personal debt under $50,000, or medical debt under $200,000, entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023; that class includes many small claims judgments against an individual. Judgments against public entities use a rate set in the Government Code. The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
Related tools
See how much interest has accrued on an unpaid small claims judgment, using each state's statutory postjudgment interest rate.
Open tool →Judgment Renewal CalculatorSee when your small claims judgment expires and what it costs to renew it, by state — cited to each state's own judgment-renewal statute.
Open tool →Judgment Collection Cost CalculatorSee what it costs to have a bank levy served to collect an unpaid small claims judgment, by state — cited to each state's own fee schedule and sheriff/marshal fee statute.
Open tool →Wage Garnishment CalculatorSee how much of a paycheck a small claims judgment creditor can actually garnish, by state — cited to each state's own wage-garnishment statute.
Open tool →Small Claims Court Costs by StateFiling fees, claim limits, and service costs for every covered state, side by side.
Compare states →