Post-judgment interest by state · North Dakota
North Dakota · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in North Dakota
An unpaid North Dakota 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
The prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first Monday in December, plus three percentage points, rounded up to the next one-half percent, set by the State Court Administrator by December 20 for judgments entered the following year. The rate stays with the judgment and may not be compounded.
- Statute or rule
- N.D.C.C. §28-20-34
- Published by
- North Dakota Courts, Interest Rate on Judgments
- Figure read on 2026-10-23
- 10.00%
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- judgments entered in 2026
When a different rate applies
- A judgment on an instrument bears the instrument's rate, within the §47-14-09 maximum.
- Judgments entered before 2006 bear 12%.
Work out your own judgment
North Dakota 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 North Dakota'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.
- Nothing about older judgments: North Dakota 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 North Dakota right now?
10% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for judgments entered in 2026, under N.D.C.C. §28-20-34.
How is the North Dakota rate set?
The prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first Monday in December, plus three percentage points, rounded up to the next one-half percent, set by the State Court Administrator by December 20 for judgments entered the following year. The rate stays with the judgment and may not be compounded.
Is it simple or compound interest?
Simple interest: it is calculated on the original judgment amount only and never on earlier interest.
Can my North Dakota judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. A judgment on an instrument bears the instrument's rate, within the §47-14-09 maximum. Judgments entered before 2006 bear 12%. The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
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