Post-judgment interest by state · Montana
Montana · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in Montana
An unpaid Montana money judgment earns 9.75% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $487.50 in the first year, about $1.34 a day.
How the rate is set
The Federal Reserve's published bank prime loan rate as of January 1, plus 3%, in effect through December 31. No Montana office posts the figure; it is computed here from H.15.
- Statute or rule
- Mont. Code Ann. §25-9-205
- Figure read on 2026-10-23
- prime 6.75% on 2026-01-01 + 3
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- calendar 2026
When a different rate applies
- A contract that specifies a rate carries that rate.
Work out your own judgment
Montana is prefilled at 9.75%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; that is how this rate accrues.
How Montana'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 9.75%: $5,000.00 × 0.09750 × 365 ÷ 365 = $487.50 after one year, and $1.34 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: Montana 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 Montana right now?
9.75% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for calendar 2026, under Mont. Code Ann. §25-9-205.
How is the Montana rate set?
The Federal Reserve's published bank prime loan rate as of January 1, plus 3%, in effect through December 31. No Montana office posts the figure; it is computed here from H.15.
Is it simple or compound interest?
Simple interest: it is calculated on the original judgment amount only and never on earlier interest.
Can my Montana judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. A contract that specifies a rate carries that rate. The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
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