Post-judgment interest by state · New Jersey
New Jersey · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in New Jersey
An unpaid New Jersey money judgment earns 4.5% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $225.00 in the first year, about $0.62 a day.
How the rate is set
Set each calendar year by court rule: the average rate of return of the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund for the preceding fiscal year, rounded to the nearest whole or half percent, with a floor of 0.25%. Judgments above the Special Civil Part limit ($20,000) bear two points more. The courts announce the next year's rate each July; for 2027 it is 4.0% (6.0% above the limit).
- Statute or rule
- N.J. Court Rule 4:42-11(a)
- Checked by hand
- 2026-10-22 (the publisher's page refuses automated requests)
- Statute re-checked
- by hand (page is not machine-readable)
- Changes
- calendar 2026 (judgments up to the Special Civil Part limit of $20,000)
When a different rate applies
- Judgments over the Special Civil Part limit bear the rate plus 2%. Every small claims judgment is under the limit.
- Tort prejudgment interest uses the same rate.
Work out your own judgment
New Jersey is prefilled at 4.5%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; that is how this rate accrues.
How New Jersey'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 4.5%: $5,000.00 × 0.04500 × 365 ÷ 365 = $225.00 after one year, and $0.62 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.
- Whether a change has already applied to your judgment: New Jersey re-rates existing judgments on its schedule, so an older judgment has carried more than one rate.
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 New Jersey: what it costs to sue in New Jersey small claims court.
Frequently asked questions
What is the post-judgment interest rate in New Jersey right now?
4.5% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for calendar 2026 (judgments up to the Special Civil Part limit of $20,000), under N.J. Court Rule 4:42-11(a).
How is the New Jersey rate set?
Set each calendar year by court rule: the average rate of return of the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund for the preceding fiscal year, rounded to the nearest whole or half percent, with a floor of 0.25%. Judgments above the Special Civil Part limit ($20,000) bear two points more. The courts announce the next year's rate each July; for 2027 it is 4.0% (6.0% above the limit).
Is it simple or compound interest?
Simple interest: it is calculated on the original judgment amount only and never on earlier interest.
Can my New Jersey judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. Judgments over the Special Civil Part limit bear the rate plus 2%. Every small claims judgment is under the limit. Tort prejudgment interest uses the same rate. 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.
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