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

Your Judgment Grows Every Day

A Nevada small claims judgment isn't frozen at the amount the judge awarded. From the date of entry, post-judgment interest accrues continuously under NRS 17.130(2) until the debtor pays in full. On a $5,000 judgment, that interest can add hundreds of dollars over a year — and it's legally yours to collect.

The Rate Formula

Nevada uses a variable rate: the Nevada prime rate plus 2%. The Nevada Financial Institutions Division publishes the prime rate semi-annually, and the statutory interest rate resets automatically on January 1 and July 1 each year.

So if the published prime rate is 8.50%, the post-judgment interest rate for that period is 10.50%. If the prime rate drops to 7.00% on the next adjustment, your rate drops to 9.00%.

The interest is simple — it does not compound. It accrues on the unpaid principal balance only.

How to Calculate It

Here's the formula for any period between rate adjustments:

For each period, calculate simple interest on the unpaid principal using the annual rate in effect. Split the calculation at each January 1 and July 1 rate adjustment, then add the period totals.

How Partial Payments Apply

When money comes in — through a garnishment check, a bank levy, or a voluntary payment — Nevada law dictates a strict application order:

1. Accrued post-judgment costs first (writ fees, officer service fees, mileage)
2. Accrued post-judgment interest second
3. Remaining amount to the principal

This means your principal doesn't shrink as fast as you might expect, because every payment gets eaten by costs and interest before touching the original judgment. That's a feature, not a bug — it ensures you recover every dollar the law entitles you to.

Adding Costs to the Judgment

Post-judgment enforcement costs — the $25 writ fee, $17–$32 officer service charges, $5 garnishee fees, mileage — don't automatically get added to your judgment balance. To include them, you file a Memorandum of Costs with the Justice Court clerk periodically. The court reviews and approves the costs, and they become part of the enforceable total.

You can't add made-up charges or collection percentages. Only actual, documented costs the court approves.

Tracking It Over 6 Years

If collection stretches out (and many do), the interest rate will shift multiple times. Keeping an accurate running ledger matters for two reasons: you need the correct balance when filing a Memorandum of Costs, and when it's time to renew the judgment under NRS 17.214 (before the 6-year expiration), the Affidavit for Renewal requires exact figures for accrued interest, costs and payments received.

The Nevada Judgment Collection Guide includes a cost and payment ledger worksheet designed for tracking rate changes, partial payments and updated balances across the life of a Nevada judgment.

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