To calculate post-judgment interest in New Jersey, apply each calendar year’s published rate to the outstanding principal as simple interest, prorate by the number of days the judgment was active in that year, and add 2% per year if the judgment exceeds $20,000. The base rate resets every January 1 based on the prior fiscal year’s return from the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund, so a judgment outstanding across multiple years runs at a different rate each year.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates The 2026 base rate is 4.5%.
Interest is simple, not compound. You never charge interest on previously accrued interest, and you never apply a single average rate to the whole period.
What You Need From the File
Pull the court order titled “Judgment” or “Order for Judgment.” Two figures on that document drive everything: the principal amount and the exact date the judge signed. That signature date is when interest begins running; a few days off changes the total.
Then list every partial payment the debtor has made since entry, with the dollar amount and the date each was credited. Payments reduce the balance on which interest accrues going forward. If you don’t have the original judgment or a full payment history, the clerk’s office at the court that entered the judgment can supply copies.
The Annual Rates
New Jersey Court Rule 4:42-11(a)(ii) sets the annual post-judgment rate at the average rate of return for the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund over the preceding fiscal year, rounded to the nearest whole or half percent, with a floor of 0.25%. A new rate takes effect each January 1.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates
- 2026: 4.5%
- 2025: 5.5%
- 2024: 3.5%
The Judiciary publishes a full historical table going back decades.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates A judgment unpaid from 2024 through 2026 runs at three different rates, one per calendar year.
The 2% Add-On for Judgments Over $20,000
Judgments above the Special Civil Part monetary limit carry a higher rate. That limit is $20,000.2New Jersey Courts. Increases in the Jurisdictional Limits for Special Civil (DC) and Small Claims (SC) Dockets Under Rule 4:42-11(a)(iii), any judgment over $20,000 gets an extra 2% per year on top of the base rate.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates
So a $25,000 judgment entered in 2026 accrues at 6.5%, while a $15,000 judgment entered the same year accrues at 4.5%. Check the face of the order to confirm the principal before choosing a rate.
How the Daily Math Works
For each calendar year the judgment is outstanding:
- Multiply the outstanding principal by that year’s applicable rate to get annual interest.
- Divide by 365 to get a per diem figure.
- Multiply the per diem by the number of days the judgment was actually active in that year.
Full years use 365 days. The year of entry and the year of payoff use only the days the judgment was outstanding.
Worked Example: $30,000 Judgment Entered March 15, 2024
Because the principal exceeds $20,000, the 2% add-on applies. Assume no partial payments.
2024 (March 15 – December 31 = 292 days): Rate is 3.5% + 2.0% = 5.5%. Annual interest: $30,000 × 0.055 = $1,650. Per diem: $1,650 ÷ 365 = $4.52. Interest for 2024: $4.52 × 292 = $1,319.84.
2025 (365 days): Rate is 5.5% + 2.0% = 7.5%. Full-year interest: $30,000 × 0.075 = $2,250.
2026 (365 days): Rate is 4.5% + 2.0% = 6.5%. Full-year interest: $30,000 × 0.065 = $1,950.
Total interest through December 31, 2026: $1,319.84 + $2,250 + $1,950 = $5,519.84. Total owed: $35,519.84.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates
Adjusting for Partial Payments
A partial payment reduces the outstanding principal as of its credit date. From that date forward, interest accrues on the reduced balance. Most hand calculations go wrong here because the year gets treated as a single block instead of being split into a segment before the payment and a segment after.
Take the same example and add a $10,000 payment on July 1, 2025. Calculate interest on $30,000 at 7.5% from January 1 through June 30 (181 days), then recalculate the per diem on the new $20,000 balance and run it at the same 7.5% from July 1 through December 31 (184 days). Every payment starts a new segment.
Keep a running ledger with columns for date, payment amount, new principal balance, applicable rate, and interest accrued for the segment. That level of detail is what a court will expect if the number is ever challenged.
Tort Cases and Pre-Judgment Interest
If the judgment came out of a personal injury or other tort claim filed after January 1, 1988, pre-judgment interest uses the same annual rate table.1New Jersey Courts. Post-Judgment and Pre-Judgment Interest Rates Pre-judgment interest covers the period from the date of loss to the date of entry; post-judgment interest covers everything after entry. They don’t overlap, but they draw from the same published rates.