Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

A judgment on a contract earns interest at the rate stated in the contract.

If no execution is issued for 10 years, the judgment is presumed paid and must be revived by a court motion before it can be collected.

3 percentage points above the 12th Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect on January 2 of the year the judgment is entered.

A creditor has 10 years to bring a new lawsuit on the judgment. If 5 years pass after the judgment without a writ of execution being issued, the creditor needs a court order to get one; the court grants it if there are just and sufficient reasons for the delay.

If the contract sets an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate.

10 years. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing a renewal affidavit within the 90 days before it expires, or by suing on the judgment.

On a contract debt: the rate in the contract or the Federal Reserve primary credit rate on the day of judgment plus 2%, whichever is greater.

A judgment lasts 10 years from the date it was entered. The creditor can revive it before the 10 years end. A payment, or a writ of execution or garnishment, starts a new 10-year period (Primus Automotive Financial Services v.

10% a year in general.

10 years from entry. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing before it runs out. A personal debt judgment under $50,000 or a medical debt judgment under $200,000 can be renewed only once, and only for 5 years.

Interest runs from the date of the judgment until it is paid: at the rate in your written contract (for a variable rate, the rate in effect on the judgment date), or 8% a year compounded annually if no rate was agreed.

A county court judgment can be collected for 6 years from the date it was entered. A district court judgment can be collected for 20 years.

The court may award interest of up to 10% a year.

Small claims judgment: can be enforced by execution for 10 years. Other civil judgments: 20 years. A motion to revive can be filed before the time runs out, but it cannot extend these limits.

For a judgment on a loan or credit agreement: 5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate, or the contract rate if that is lower, from the date of judgment.

A creditor can use court collection procedures (execution) for 5 years after the judgment. After that, the judgment must be revived by scire facias (in JP Court, Civil Form 15A, Application to Revive a Judgment, $20 fee) before it can be enforced again.

The contract rate if the contract sets one.

12 years from when it could first be enforced. The creditor can extend it for another 12 years by getting an order of revival before it expires.

The Chief Financial Officer sets the rate each quarter (average Federal Reserve discount rate for the past 12 months plus 4%).

A creditor can sue on a Florida judgment for up to 20 years. A recorded judgment is a lien on real property for 10 years and can be extended once for another 10 years by re-recording; no lien lasts more than 20 years from entry.

See the state page

See the state page

Hawaii
Not covered yet: LawHelp.org

5% plus a base rate (the 1-year U.S. Treasury yield) set by the Idaho State Treasurer each July 1.

The creditor can have a writ of execution issued for 10 years after the judgment is entered. A recorded judgment is also a lien on your real property for 10 years.

9% a year for most judgments.

A creditor can enforce a judgment for 7 years after it is entered; after that it must be revived (renewed) in court, and it can be revived up to 20 years after entry.

The rate in the contract you were sued on, but no more than 8% a year; or 8% a year if there was no contract.

A judgment is considered satisfied after 20 years. It is a lien on real estate in the county where it is entered for 10 years.

The one-year Treasury constant maturity rate (Federal Reserve H15) published just before the judgment, plus 2%; the Judicial Branch posts the monthly figure (for example 4.47% on October 7, 2026, which gives 6.47%).

A creditor can sue on an Iowa court judgment for up to 20 years. A judgment is a lien on your real estate for 10 years; it does not attach to your homestead except as the law allows.

Limited actions judgments: 12% a year.

A judgment becomes dormant if no renewal affidavit is filed and no execution or garnishment is issued within 5 years after it is entered (or within 5 years after the last renewal or execution).

6% a year, compounded annually, from the date the judgment is entered.

An action on a judgment can be brought within 15 years, counted from the date of the last execution on it.

Judicial interest: each year the Commissioner of Financial Institutions sets the rate at 3.25 points above the Federal Reserve discount rate on the first business day of October, for the next calendar year.

A money judgment expires (prescribes) 10 years after it is signed. The creditor can revive it before then by an ex parte motion, as many times as it wants; each revival starts a new 10 years.

If the contract or note has an interest provision, the contract rate or the one-year U.S. Treasury bill rate plus 6%, whichever is greater.

A judgment is presumed paid and satisfied 20 years after it was entered.

10% a year on the judgment amount (6% for residential rent judgments).

12 years. The creditor can renew it for another 12 years.

In a contract case, interest is added at the contract rate if one was set, or otherwise at 12% a year, and the judgment keeps earning interest at the same rate from the day it is entered.

A judgment is presumed paid after 20 years. An original execution must be issued within 1 year after the creditor is entitled to it; later (alias) executions can be issued and last 5 years each.

If the judgment is on a written contract with a set interest rate (such as many credit card or loan agreements), interest runs at the contract rate from the date the complaint was filed, but no more than 13% a year.

10 years from the date of the judgment (for District Court judgments entered since May 25, 1973, and Circuit Court judgments).

For judgments of $50,000 or less (most debt cases): simple interest at a rate set each year by the state court administrator, based on the one-year U.S. Treasury yield rounded to the nearest 1%, but never less than 4%.

A creditor can enforce a judgment for 10 years after it is entered. An action on the judgment must also be started within 10 years.

A judgment on a sale or contract carries the same interest rate as the contract.

A judgment lasts 7 years from when it was entered or last renewed. Before it expires, the creditor can renew it by filing a Notice of Renewal with the clerk of the court that entered it (the clerk mails you notice), by a motion in that court, or by a new lawsuit on the judgment.

9% a year in non-tort cases such as debt suits, or the contract rate if the contract bears more than 9%, from the date of judgment until paid.

A judgment is presumed paid 10 years after it was entered, after the last recorded payment, or after it was revived. The creditor can revive it by a motion filed within 10 years after entry, the last payment of record, or the last revival; you get an order to show cause why it should not be revived.

If the contract sets an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate.

10 years. The creditor can enforce it (for example by a writ of execution) within 10 years, and can sue on the judgment within 10 years to get a new one.

2 percentage points above the bond investment yield of the first 26-week U.S. Treasury bill auction of each quarter, in effect on the date the judgment is entered.

A judgment becomes dormant if no execution is issued within 5 years of entry (or within 5 years of the last execution). A dormant judgment can be revived only by an action started within 10 years after it became dormant.

Unless a contract or the judgment sets a different rate, the prime rate at the largest bank in Nevada (as set by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions on January 1 or July 1 before the judgment) plus 2%, adjusted every January 1 and July 1.

6 years. The creditor can renew the judgment by filing an Affidavit of Renewal of Judgment within 90 days before it expires and must mail you a copy by certified mail within 3 days.

New Hampshire
Not covered yet: LawHelp.org

See the state page

A judgment can be revived, or sued on, within 20 years after its date, but not after that.

8.75% a year from the date the judgment is entered, unless the judgment is based on a written contract with a different interest rate (then no higher than the contract rate) or on wrongful (tortious), bad-faith or intentional conduct (15%).

A creditor has 14 years from the date of the judgment to bring an action on it.

2% a year on a judgment in a consumer debt case against a person (9% for other judgments).

A money judgment is presumed paid after 20 years from when it could first be enforced. Its lien on real estate lasts 10 years; the creditor can bring an action for a renewal judgment in the year before the 10 years run out.

For a consumer credit debt, the lower of the legal rate (8% a year) or the contract rate.

A creditor can enforce or sue on a judgment for 10 years from entry. It is a lien on your real property in the county where docketed for 10 years.

The interest rate in the original contract, if it has one.

Judgments entered on or after August 1, 2023 can be enforced for 20 years. Judgments entered before August 1, 2021 last 10 years and can be renewed once, by affidavit filed within 90 days before they expire, for another 10 years.

The judgment earns interest at the rate in your written contract, if it sets one.

A judgment becomes dormant if the creditor does not take a collection step (execution, judgment lien, garnishment or debtor exam) within 5 years of the judgment or the last such step.

Post-judgment interest is the prime rate (first Wall Street Journal of the year) plus 2%, certified each January, and recalculated each calendar year the judgment stays unpaid.

A judgment becomes unenforceable if 5 years pass without an execution, a notice of renewal, a garnishment summons or an income assignment.

9% a year simple interest from the date of judgment, unless the contract bears more than 9% (then the contract rate).

Judgment remedies expire 10 years after the judgment is entered. Before they expire, the creditor can extend them once by filing a certificate of extension; the extended remedies expire 10 years after the certificate is filed.

The lawful rate, which is 6% a year, unless another statute provides otherwise.

The creditor can issue execution against personal property within 20 years after the judgment. The judgment's lien on real estate must be revived within 5 years to keep it.

12% a year, on both the principal and the prejudgment interest in the judgment.

A creditor can sue on a judgment for 20 years.

The Wall Street Journal prime rate in its first edition of each calendar year plus 4 percentage points, compounded yearly.

10 years. The creditor can have executions issued and enforce the judgment at any time within 10 years after it is entered, and the judgment is a lien on your real estate in any county where it is entered on the judgment index for 10 years from the date of the judgment.

10% a year (the Category B rate) from the date of the judgment.

The creditor can enforce the judgment by execution for up to 20 years after it is entered. The judgment is a lien on your real estate (except your homestead) for 10 years; before the 10 years run out, the creditor can renew it by affidavit, which continues the lien for another 10 years.

Tennessee
Not covered yet: court self-help · LawHelp.org

If the contract provides for interest, the lesser of the contract rate or 18% a year.

If no writ of execution is issued within 10 years after the judgment (or within 10 years after the last writ), the judgment becomes dormant.

A judgment on a lawful contract carries the contract rate, which must be stated in the judgment.

8 years. The creditor can renew it by filing a motion to renew, with an affidavit accounting for all payments and notice to you, before the 8 years (or any renewal) run out.

12% a year (Vermont's legal rate).

8 years. The creditor can renew the judgment by filing a new action on it before the 8 years end. A judgment lien on real property also lasts 8 years.

6% a year.

General District Court judgments: enforceable for 10 years. For judgments entered before July 1, 2026, the creditor could keep them alive longer by docketing them in Circuit Court before the 10 years ran out; for judgments entered on or after July 1, 2026, that option is gone and the 10-year limit applies.

A judgment for consumer debt earns 9% a year, unless a written contract sets a specific interest rate and that rate is stated in the judgment.

A creditor can collect for 10 years from the date of judgment. Within the 90 days before it expires, the creditor can ask the court for one more 10 years.

Simple interest at 2 points above the Fifth Federal Reserve District secondary discount rate on January 2 of the year the judgment is entered, but not less than 4% or more than 9% a year.

The creditor can issue execution within 10 years after the judgment. Each new execution issued within 10 years of the last one's return day keeps it alive for another 10 years.

1% plus the prime rate in effect on January 1 (for judgments entered January-June) or July 1 (for judgments entered July-December), fixed for the life of the judgment.

A docketed judgment is a lien on your real estate in that county for 10 years.

10% a year from the date of judgment until paid.

A judgment becomes dormant if no execution is issued within 5 years after it is entered, or if 5 years pass between executions; it then stops being a lien.