Post-Judgment Interest in DC — Rate, Calculation, and Rules

The Rate: 6% Per Year, Simple Interest

Under DC Code § 28-3302(a), the default statutory post-judgment interest rate in the District of Columbia is 6% per annum on the unpaid balance. This applies unless the original contract underlying the claim specifies a higher rate — which rarely happens in small claims cases involving things like security deposits, unpaid invoices, or property damage.

The interest is simple, not compound. DC courts follow the rule established in Rastall v. CSX Transportation, Inc.: compounding is legally impermissible unless explicitly authorized by statute or a written contract. Simple interest is calculated on the unpaid principal balance, and interest does not earn additional interest.

How to Calculate It

The math is straightforward:

Annual interest = Unpaid principal × 0.06

Daily interest = Annual interest ÷ 365

Accrued interest = Daily interest × number of days since judgment entry

For a $5,000 judgment:

• Annual interest: $5,000 × 0.06 = $300
• Daily interest: $300 ÷ 365 = $0.8219/day
• After 6 months (181 days): $0.8219 × 181 = $148.77

Interest starts accruing from the date of judgment entry — the date the clerk stamps and records the order, not the hearing date.

How Partial Payments Are Applied

When the debtor makes a payment, it doesn't go straight to reducing the principal. DC follows the standard judicial accounting rule. Payments are applied in this order:

1. Accrued interest — first
2. Recoverable court costs — second
3. Principal balance — last

This matters because interest keeps accruing on whatever principal remains unpaid. A small partial payment might be entirely consumed by accumulated interest and costs, leaving the principal unchanged.

Example: $5,000 judgment entered January 1, with $55 in original court costs ($45 filing fee + $10 writ fee). Debtor pays $1,000 on July 1 (181 days later).

• Interest accrued: $148.77
• Total owed before payment: $5,000 + $148.77 + $55 = $5,203.77
• $1,000 payment applied: $148.77 to interest → $55 to costs → $796.23 to principal
• Remaining principal: $4,203.77
• Interest now accrues on $4,203.77

What Counts as Recoverable Costs

Under DC Code Title 15, you can add necessary enforcement expenditures to the judgment ledger. These include:

• Small Claims initial filing fee ($5 for claims up to $500; $10 for claims over $500 through $2,500; $45 for claims over $2,500 through $10,000)
• Writ of attachment filing fees ($10 each)
• Process server fees
• U.S. Marshals Service execution charges
• Certified transcript fees
• Recorder of Deeds abstract recording fee ($30 for a judgment lien)

Attorney fees generally cannot be added post-judgment unless specifically authorized by the judge in a written order. For most pro se small claims creditors, the recoverable costs are limited to court and service fees.

Keep Accurate Records

If the case goes back to court — for an exemption hearing, a condemnation motion, or a debtor examination — the judge will expect you to account for every dollar: the original judgment, each partial payment and the date received, interest accrued between payments, and enforcement costs added. Sloppy recordkeeping undermines your credibility and can reduce what the court allows you to collect.

Our DC Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide includes a payment tracking ledger with built-in interest calculations and the proper payment application sequence, so every dollar is accounted for correctly.

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