Post-judgment interest by state · Federal courts
Federal courts · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in federal court
An unpaid federal court money judgment earns 4.49% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $224.50 in the first year, about $0.62 a day.
How the rate is set
The weekly average 1-year constant-maturity Treasury yield, as published by the Federal Reserve, for the calendar week preceding the date of the judgment. Computed daily and compounded annually. It changes every week; a judgment keeps the rate of the week before it was entered.
- Statute or rule
- 28 U.S.C. §1961
- Figure read on 2026-10-23
- weekly 1-year CMT 4.49% (week ending 2026-10-16)
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- judgments entered the week after the week ending 2026-10-16
When a different rate applies
- Judgments against the United States are governed by 28 U.S.C. §2516(b) and 31 U.S.C. §1304(b).
Work out your own judgment
Federal courts is prefilled at 4.49%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; federal court compounds annually, so a judgment older than a year has earned a little more than this shows.
How Federal courts'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 4.49%: $5,000.00 × 0.04490 × 365 ÷ 365 = $224.50 after one year, and $0.62 for each further day. Because federal court compounds annually, year two accrues on $5,224.50: $234.58.
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.
- Nothing about older judgments: federal court fixes the rate when the judgment is entered, so a judgment from an earlier period keeps that period's rate, not the one shown.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the post-judgment interest rate in federal court right now?
4.49% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for judgments entered the week after the week ending 2026-10-16, under 28 U.S.C. §1961.
How is the federal court rate set?
The weekly average 1-year constant-maturity Treasury yield, as published by the Federal Reserve, for the calendar week preceding the date of the judgment. Computed daily and compounded annually. It changes every week; a judgment keeps the rate of the week before it was entered.
Is it simple or compound interest?
Compound, added to the balance once a year, so the second year's interest is calculated on principal plus the first year's interest.
Can my federal court judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. Judgments against the United States are governed by 28 U.S.C. §2516(b) and 31 U.S.C. §1304(b). The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
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