Post-judgment interest by state · Utah
Utah · after judgment
Post-judgment interest in Utah
An unpaid Utah money judgment earns 5.51% a year unless the judgment or a contract says otherwise. On a $5,000.00 judgment that is $275.50 in the first year, about $0.75 a day.
How the rate is set
The federal post-judgment interest rate as of January 1, plus 2%, for judgments entered that year; the rate stays with the judgment. A judgment under $10,000 in an action regarding the purchase of goods and services bears the federal rate plus 10% instead, which for 2026 is 13.51%.
- Statute or rule
- Utah Code §15-1-4(3)
- Published by
- Utah State Courts, Interest Rates
- Checked by hand
- 2026-10-22 (the publisher's page refuses automated requests)
- Statute re-checked
- by hand (page is not machine-readable)
- Changes
- judgments entered in calendar 2026
When a different rate applies
- A judgment under $10,000 for the purchase of goods and services bears the federal rate plus 10% (13.51% for 2026). That describes most small claims cases.
- A contract rate governs.
Work out your own judgment
Utah is prefilled at 5.51%. Enter the amount and the date the judgment was entered. The calculator uses simple interest; that is how this rate accrues.
How Utah'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 5.51%: $5,000.00 × 0.05510 × 365 ÷ 365 = $275.50 after one year, and $0.75 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: Utah 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 Utah right now?
5.51% a year for an ordinary money judgment, for judgments entered in calendar 2026, under Utah Code §15-1-4(3). A Utah judgment under $10,000 in an action about the purchase of goods or services bears 13.51% for 2026, not 5.51%; many small claims cases fall in that class.
How is the Utah rate set?
The federal post-judgment interest rate as of January 1, plus 2%, for judgments entered that year; the rate stays with the judgment. A judgment under $10,000 in an action regarding the purchase of goods and services bears the federal rate plus 10% instead, which for 2026 is 13.51%.
Is it simple or compound interest?
The statute does not say. Courts generally treat an unstated judgment rate as simple interest, calculated on the principal only.
Can my Utah judgment carry a different rate?
Yes. A judgment under $10,000 for the purchase of goods and services bears the federal rate plus 10% (13.51% for 2026). That describes most small claims cases. A contract rate governs. The judgment itself may also state a rate, and that controls.
Related tools
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