Ohio Post-Judgment Interest Rate on Small Claims Judgments
The Rate Locks on Judgment Day
Under ORC 1343.03(B), the post-judgment interest rate that applies to your Ohio small claims judgment is the statutory rate in effect on the exact date the judgment entry is rendered. That rate stays locked for the entire life of the judgment — it doesn't change when the state rate moves up or down in subsequent years.
This means the date your judgment is entered matters for your total recovery. A judgment entered in December 2025 at 8% earns more interest than the same judgment entered in January 2026 at 7%, even though only a few weeks separate them.
How the Rate Is Set
The Ohio Tax Commissioner determines the statutory interest rate each year under ORC 5703.47. The process: take the federal short-term rate, round it to the nearest whole percent, and add 3%. The Commissioner publishes the rate by October 15 for the following calendar year.
Recent statutory rates:
| Year | Rate |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 8% |
| 2025 | 8% |
| 2026 | 7% |
The rate applies per annum to the judgment amount from the date of judgment entry. Track later enforcement costs separately from the interest calculation.
Calculating Interest on Your Judgment
For a $5,000 judgment entered in 2026, the daily interest accrual is:
$5,000 × 0.07 ÷ 365 = $0.9589 per day
After 90 days with no payment, the accrued interest is roughly $86.30. After one year, it's $350. These amounts add to what the debtor owes — when you file for garnishment or attachment, you include accrued interest in the total balance.
When partial payments come in, they're applied in a specific order: first to accrued court costs (filing fees you advanced for garnishments, service, and certificates), then to accrued interest, and finally to principal. This allocation means the interest-bearing principal balance drops last, and interest continues accruing on whatever principal remains unpaid.
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Contract Rate vs. Statutory Rate
The statutory rate applies by default. A higher contract interest rate can only be awarded if two conditions are met: your original complaint explicitly requested contract interest, and the judgment entry expressly states the contract rate based on a written agreement.
Under the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling in Minster Farmers Coop. Exchange Co., Inc. v. Meyer, adding an interest rate to invoices or account statements does not count as a written contract under ORC 1343.03(A). Without a signed written agreement specifying an interest rate, the statutory rate applies regardless of what your invoices said.
For most small claims cases — landlord-tenant disputes, contractor claims, personal loans — there's no written contract specifying interest, so the statutory rate is what you get.
Why Interest Matters for Enforcement
Post-judgment interest is not just a bookkeeping detail. On a $6,000 judgment (Ohio's small claims cap) at 7%, interest adds $420 per year. Over the five-year period before dormancy, that's $2,100 in additional recovery — assuming no payments reduce the principal along the way.
This growth is one reason to start enforcement promptly rather than waiting. The balance increases, but only if you actually collect it. A dormant judgment with $2,100 in accrued interest is worth nothing if the debtor has moved on and you missed the enforcement window.
The Ohio Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide includes a worked interest calculation example with partial payments, the correct allocation formula, and a tracking ledger template.
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