Kansas Post-Judgment Interest Rate: How to Calculate What You're Owed

How K.S.A. 16-204 Sets the Rate

Kansas post-judgment interest isn't a fixed number. Under K.S.A. 16-204, the Kansas Secretary of State recalculates the rate every July 1 by adding four percentage points to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's discount rate. The rate that applies to your judgment is locked in based on when the judgment was entered — it doesn't shift year to year.

Here are the current rates:

• FY 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025): 9.50%
• FY 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026): 8.25%
• FY 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027): 7.75%

A judgment entered on March 15, 2026 carries the 8.25% rate for its entire life — even after July 1, 2026 when new judgments start at 7.75%.

Calculating Your Per Diem

Post-judgment interest in Kansas accrues as simple interest on the outstanding principal. No compounding. The formula:

Annual interest = Outstanding principal × Annual rate

Daily interest (per diem) = Annual interest ÷ 365

For a $5,000 judgment at 7.75%:

• Annual interest: $5,000 × 0.0775 = $387.50
• Per diem: $387.50 ÷ 365 = $1.06 per day

After 180 days with no payments, you'd be owed $5,000 + $191.09 in accrued interest.

How Partial Payments Get Applied

Kansas follows the U.S. Rule for payment allocation. Every partial payment — whether from a voluntary check, wage garnishment, or bank levy — applies in this order:

1. Accrued court costs ($12.50 garnishment surcharges, sheriff fees)
2. Accumulated post-judgment interest
3. Outstanding principal

Once the principal drops, the per diem recalculates on the lower balance. Using the example above: if the debtor pays $500 on day 180, that $500 first covers $191.09 in interest, then $308.91 reduces the principal to $4,691.09. Your new per diem drops to about $1.00.

Adding Court Costs to the Balance

Every enforcement filing generates costs the debtor owes you. The $12.50 Judicial Branch Surcharge for each garnishment or execution motion, plus the $15 sheriff service fee, get added to the total collectible amount when you file receipts with the clerk. Track these meticulously — they add up across multiple enforcement rounds.

Keeping a Running Ledger

A running balance ledger is essential for multi-year collections. Record the judgment date and starting principal, note each per diem rate, log every payment with the date and allocation breakdown, and update the remaining principal after each payment.

If your judgment becomes dormant under K.S.A. 60-2403, keep this ledger current to support a timely Motion for Revivor and any later enforcement.

Our Kansas Judgment Collection Guide includes a printable balance ledger worksheet designed for exactly this — track interest accrual, partial payments, and court cost reimbursements in one place.

What Interest Doesn't Cover

Post-judgment interest compensates you for the time value of unpaid money. It does not cover:

• Private investigator or skip-tracing fees
• Unauthorized process server charges
• Pre-judgment attorney fees (unless the court specifically awarded them)

Only court-approved costs get added to the judgment balance. Do not add unauthorized charges to the balance.

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