Post-Judgment Interest in BC: Rates, Calculation, and Partial Payments

How Post-Judgment Interest Works in BC

Every unpaid monetary judgment in British Columbia automatically accrues post-judgment interest under the Court Order Interest Act (COIA). You do not need to apply for it or ask the court — it starts running from the day the judgment is pronounced.

BC uses a floating simple interest system that adjusts twice per year. Unlike jurisdictions that lock in a single rate on judgment day, BC recalculates the applicable rate every six months. This means your interest accrual may change partway through the enforcement period, and you need to track each half-year segment separately.

The Rate and Adjustment Schedule

Post-judgment interest under Section 7(1) of the COIA accrues at the prime lending rate of the banker to the provincial government. The Registrar of the BC Supreme Court publishes updated rates on January 1 (covering January through June) and July 1 (covering July through December) of each year.

For 2025 and 2026, the published rates are:

These rates apply to simple interest — never compounded. The calculation uses the exact number of days in each period divided by 365.

The Calculation Formula

For any six-month (or partial) period:

Interest = Principal Balance × Annual Rate × (Days in Period ÷ 365)

If the rate changes mid-year (as it did between H1 2025 and H2 2025), you calculate interest for each segment at its own rate.

Worked Example

Suppose your judgment was entered on January 1, 2025 for C$10,000 principal plus C$200 in court/tribunal fees, totaling C$10,200. Post-judgment interest accrues on the full judgment amount, including costs.

Period 1 (Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2025): 181 days at 5.45%

C$10,200 × 5.45% × (181 ÷ 365) = C$275.67

Running balance as of June 30, 2025: C$10,475.67

Partial payment received July 1, 2025: C$3,000

Payments are allocated first to accrued interest (C$275.67), then to principal (C$2,724.33).

Remaining principal: C$10,200 − C$2,724.33 = C$7,475.67

Period 2 (Jul 1 – Dec 31, 2025): 184 days at 4.95%

C$7,475.67 × 4.95% × (184 ÷ 365) = C$186.54

Running balance as of December 31, 2025: C$7,662.21

Enforcement fees do not all automatically become part of the judgment balance. Under Rule 20(7), a registrar may order collection expenses limited to Schedule A. Add only fees allowed or ordered for collection; post-judgment interest accrues on costs included in the judgment balance. Pre-judgment interest, by contrast, does not accrue on costs.

Why Tracking Matters

Every enforcement application you file — a garnishing order affidavit, a summons to a payment hearing — requires you to state the exact unpaid balance. If your figure is wrong, the court registrar may reject the filing, or the debtor can challenge the garnishment amount.

With BC's floating rate system and the possibility of partial payments at irregular intervals, the balance calculation gets complicated fast. You need to track:

• The judgment date and original amount (including costs)
• Each rate period and the applicable rate
• Every partial payment with its exact date
• Payment allocation (interest first, then principal)
• Any filing fees or collection expenses added to the balance

Getting this wrong in either direction is a problem. Overclaiming can expose you to a debtor challenge and potential liability. Underclaiming leaves money on the table.

Pre-Judgment vs. Post-Judgment: Key Differences

Pre-judgment interest (under Section 1 of the COIA) runs from the date the cause of action arose until judgment day, and it does not accrue on court costs or tribunal fees. Post-judgment interest runs from judgment day onward and does accrue on costs. The rates also differ — the pre-judgment registrar rate is typically about 2% below the prime rate (2.45% for 2026), while post-judgment interest runs at the full prime rate (4.45% for 2026).

When you win your judgment, the court may award both pre-judgment interest on the original debt and post-judgment interest going forward. These are separate calculations.

Keeping an Accurate Ledger

Our BC Order Enforcement Guide includes a judgment accounting ledger that walks through each rate period, tracks partial payments with the correct allocation order, records allowed enforcement fees, and gives you the exact figure for every court filing.

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