Post-judgment interest by state · Iowa
Iowa · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in Iowa
An unpaid Iowa money judgment earns 6.47% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $323.50 in the first year, about $0.89 a day.
How the rate is set
The 1-year Treasury constant-maturity rate from the Federal Reserve's H.15 report settled immediately before the date of judgment, plus two percentage points. The rate is fixed as of the judgment date; the court administrator publishes the index monthly and the table lists the index, not the total.
- Statute or rule
- Iowa Code §668.13(3) (via §535.3)
- Figure read on 2026-10-23
- index 4.47% + 2
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- judgments entered since the 10/07/2026 auction
When a different rate applies
- A contract rate governs, within the limits of §535.2.
- Support judgments accrue 10% after 30 days.
Work out your own judgment
Iowa is prefilled at 6.47%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; that is how this rate accrues.
How Iowa'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 6.47%: $5,000.00 × 0.06470 × 365 ÷ 365 = $323.50 after one year, and $0.89 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.
- Nothing about older judgments: Iowa 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 Iowa right now?
6.47% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for judgments entered since the 10/07/2026 auction, under Iowa Code §668.13(3) (via §535.3).
How is the Iowa rate set?
The 1-year Treasury constant-maturity rate from the Federal Reserve's H.15 report settled immediately before the date of judgment, plus two percentage points. The rate is fixed as of the judgment date; the court administrator publishes the index monthly and the table lists the index, not the total.
Is it simple or compound interest?
Simple interest: it is calculated on the original judgment amount only and never on earlier interest.
Can my Iowa judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. A contract rate governs, within the limits of §535.2. Support judgments accrue 10% after 30 days. 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 →