Post-judgment interest by state · South Carolina
South Carolina · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in South Carolina
An unpaid South Carolina money judgment earns 10.75% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $537.50 in the first year, about $1.47 a day.
How the rate is set
The prime rate listed in the first edition of the Wall Street Journal for the year, plus four percentage points, compounded annually. The Supreme Court issues an order by January 15 confirming the rate for January 15 through the following January 14.
- Statute or rule
- S.C. Code §34-31-20(B)
- Figure read on 2026-10-23
- prime 6.75% on 2026-01-01 + 4
- Statute re-checked
- 2026-10-23
- Changes
- January 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027
When a different rate applies
- Applies to judgments entered on or after July 1, 2005.
- The legal rate for debts that are not judgments is 8.75% under subsection (A).
Work out your own judgment
South Carolina is prefilled at 10.75%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; South Carolina compounds annually, so a judgment older than a year has earned a little more than this shows.
How South Carolina'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 10.75%: $5,000.00 × 0.10750 × 365 ÷ 365 = $537.50 after one year, and $1.47 for each further day. Because South Carolina compounds annually, year two accrues on $5,537.50: $595.28.
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: South Carolina 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 South Carolina right now?
10.75% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for January 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027, under S.C. Code §34-31-20(B).
How is the South Carolina rate set?
The prime rate listed in the first edition of the Wall Street Journal for the year, plus four percentage points, compounded annually. The Supreme Court issues an order by January 15 confirming the rate for January 15 through the following January 14.
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 South Carolina judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. Applies to judgments entered on or after July 1, 2005. The legal rate for debts that are not judgments is 8.75% under subsection (A). The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
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