Virginia Judgment Interest 2026: How the 6% Fixed Rate Is Calculated

Virginia's 6% Fixed Rate: How It Compares to Variable-Rate States

Va. Code Ann. § 6.2-302 sets Virginia's post-judgment interest rate for civil money judgments at a fixed 6% per year. That design is the opposite of Georgia's prime + 3% entry-date formula, Michigan's twice-yearly Treasury-note certification, and Maryland's 10% statutory rate. Virginia chose a single number and kept it there.

What "fixed" means in practice: — No Federal Reserve prime lookup on the judgment date — No January/July rate windows or biannual recertification — No need to ask whether this month's Treasury yield changed the rate — The same 6% applies for modeling a 2021 judgment and a 2026 judgment under the statutory fixed rate (unless a different contractual rate controls under § 6.2-302(B))

Why predictability matters: Creditors can forecast growth without market data. Debtors can calculate payoff without arguing about which prime applied on which Tuesday. The tradeoff is that 6% can sit above or below market-linked rates in any given year — but the statute chose certainty over volatility.

Critical differential #1 — Virginia vs Georgia vs Michigan on $100,000 for one year (planning rates): — Virginia: 6% fixed (§ 6.2-302) → $6,000 per year — Georgia: prime on entry + 3% (about 10.50% mid-2026 if prime ≈ 7.50%) → about $10,500 per year — Michigan: certified T-note + 1% (4.725% for 2026 planning under MCL § 600.6013) → $4,725 per year

Gap Virginia vs Georgia on $100,000: about $4,500 per year — a 4.5 percentage point spread that compounds the cost of delay when a Georgia judgment is locked at a high entry-date rate.

Gap Virginia vs Michigan on $100,000: about $1,275 per year — Virginia's fixed 6% sits modestly above Michigan's 2026 certified rate, even though Michigan's framework can produce higher rates in other years.

Regional and national comparison (planning rates): — Virginia: 6% fixed (§ 6.2-302) — Maryland: 10% (Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107) — North Carolina: 8% (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 24-1) — South Carolina: 8.75% fixed (S.C. Code Ann. § 34-31-20(B)) — Ohio: 7% (ORC § 1343.03 contexts) — Federal (28 U.S.C. § 1961): about 4.02% mid-2026

On $100,000 for one year across several models: VA 6%: $6,000 SC 8.75%: $8,750 NC 8%: $8,000 MD 10%: $10,000 GA ~10.50%: ~$10,500 MI 4.725%: $4,725 Federal ~4.02%: $4,020

Critical differential #2: Fixed vs variable. Do not import Georgia's "look up prime on the judgment date" habit into a Virginia file, and do not import Virginia's 6% into a Georgia file that should use entry-date prime + 3%. Each state's statute stands alone.

Critical differential #3: Contract judgments. If the underlying written agreement specified a rate higher than 6%, Va. Code § 6.2-302(B) allows the judgment to carry that contract rate instead. A loan at 8% continues at 8% through the post-judgment period — not the statutory 6% default.

Official orientation: — Va. Code Ann. § 6.2-302 (post-judgment interest) — Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-382 (pre-judgment interest when jury does not specify) — Virginia Law Portal: https://law.lis.virginia.gov — Virginia Judicial System: https://www.courts.virginia.gov

TheLegalCalc Virginia calculator: /judgment-interest-calculator/virginia

The Calculation: Simple Interest on Principal Only

Virginia post-judgment interest under § 6.2-302 is modeled as simple interest on the unpaid principal at 6% per year. It does not compound annually in the ordinary teaching model. Interest accrues only on the principal amount of the judgment, not on accumulated interest from prior periods.

Formula: Interest = Principal × 0.06 × Years Or: Interest = Principal × 0.06 × (Days ÷ 365)

Daily rate on any principal: Daily = Principal × 0.06 ÷ 365

Examples:

A) $50,000 × 6% × 365 days (one year): Annual interest = $3,000 Daily interest ≈ $8.22

B) $50,000 × 6% × 3 years = $9,000 Total with principal: $59,000

C) $200,000 × 6% × 3 years = $36,000 interest Total with principal: $236,000

D) $100,000 for 365 days: Annual interest = $6,000 Daily interest ≈ $16.44

E) $100,000 for 180 days: $100,000 × 0.06 × (180 ÷ 365) ≈ $2,958.90

F) $200,000 for 5 years: Interest = $200,000 × 0.06 × 5 = $60,000 Total with principal: $260,000

What simple interest means: Year 2 interest is calculated on unpaid principal, not on Year 1 interest already accrued. If $6,000 of interest accrued in Year 1 on a still-unpaid $100,000 judgment, Year 2 still uses the $100,000 principal base for the statutory simple-interest model (absent a different court order).

Partial payments: Credits reduce principal. Recalculate remaining interest after each payment. Document dates carefully — on $200,000, each day is about $32.88 at 6%. On $50,000, each day is about $8.22. Even modest delays add measurable cost on large balances.

Contrast with compounding states: If a tool silently compounds 6% for three years on $200,000, it will overstate Virginia's simple-interest statutory model. Always confirm the calculator uses simple interest on principal only.

Contract-rate example: If the underlying agreement specified 8% and § 6.2-302(B) applies, replace 0.06 with 0.08 in every formula above. On $200,000 for three years at 8%: $48,000 interest instead of $36,000 — a $12,000 difference driven entirely by the contract rate, not the statutory default.

Why Virginia's simplicity is valuable: Unlike Georgia, you never need to look up the Federal Reserve prime rate for the judgment date. Unlike Michigan, you never need to check a twice-yearly certified rate. The annual percentage is always 6% for the statutory default lane — one number, one formula, every year.

Step-by-Step: Calculating Virginia Judgment Interest

Use this sequence for every Virginia money-judgment interest estimate under the statutory default.

Step 1 — Confirm you have a Virginia civil money judgment in the § 6.2-302 lane (not a claim type with a different statutory rate, and not a contract judgment with a higher rate under § 6.2-302(B)).

Step 2 — Confirm the judgment entry date. Post-judgment interest generally starts at judgment entry under Virginia's framework — not at complaint filing (unlike Michigan's frequent filing-date approach under MCL § 600.6013).

Step 3 — Use 6% as the annual rate for the statutory fixed post-judgment model, unless the underlying contract specified a higher rate.

Step 4 — Confirm unpaid principal after credits, partial payments, and any court-ordered adjustments.

Step 5 — Count days from judgment entry to the proposed payoff date.

Step 6 — Apply: Interest = Principal × 0.06 × (Days ÷ 365)

Step 7 — Add interest to principal for a total payoff estimate (plus any separately ordered costs, fees, or pre-judgment interest under § 8.01-382 as applicable).

Step 8 — Run the same inputs in /judgment-interest-calculator/virginia as a check.

Worked walkthrough — $50,000 unpaid for one year (365 days): $50,000 × 0.06 × 1 = $3,000 interest Daily burn ≈ $8.22 Payoff estimate before extra costs: $53,000

Worked walkthrough — $50,000 unpaid for three years: $50,000 × 0.06 × 3 = $9,000 interest Payoff estimate before extra costs: $59,000

Worked walkthrough — $200,000 unpaid for three years: $200,000 × 0.06 × 3 = $36,000 interest Payoff estimate before extra costs: $236,000

Worked walkthrough — $100,000 unpaid for one year: Interest = $6,000 Daily burn ≈ $16.44 A 30-day payoff delay costs about $493

Worked walkthrough — $100,000 unpaid for 90 days: $100,000 × 0.06 × (90 ÷ 365) ≈ $1,479.45

Contract-rate walkthrough — $100,000 at 8% for two years (§ 6.2-302(B)): $100,000 × 0.08 × 2 = $16,000 interest Compare to statutory 6%: $100,000 × 0.06 × 2 = $12,000 Difference: $4,000 over two years — the cost of applying the wrong rate lane.

Pre-judgment interest walkthrough — if § 8.01-382 applies and the jury did not specify a rate: Count days from the applicable pre-judgment start date (often tied to the cause of action or filing — confirm with counsel) to judgment entry. Apply the same 6% simple-interest formula on the principal base the court recognizes for pre-judgment purposes. Add pre-judgment interest to post-judgment interest for a total interest figure.

Document every input: judgment date, principal, rate lane (statutory 6% vs contract rate), day count, and payment credits. Virginia's fixed rate makes the arithmetic easy, but wrong start dates or wrong rate lanes still produce bad payoff estimates.

Contract Judgments: When a Higher Rate Applies

Critical differential #3 for Virginia: the statutory 6% default is not the ceiling for contract judgments. Va. Code § 6.2-302(B) provides that when a judgment is entered on a contract that specified an interest rate, the judgment carries the contract rate if it is higher than 6%.

What that means in practice: — A loan agreement charging 8% continues at 8% through the post-judgment period — A promissory note at 10% continues at 10% — A commercial contract with a default rate of 12% may carry 12% on the judgment (subject to Virginia's other legal limits on usury and enforceability)

What it does not mean: — Every contract automatically overrides 6%. The judgment must arise from a contract that specified an interest rate, and the contract rate must exceed the statutory floor. — A contract rate below 6% does not force the creditor down further — § 6.2-302 sets 6% as the statutory post-judgment rate for judgments not governed by a higher contract rate.

Modeling discipline: 1) Read the judgment for any rate stated on its face. 2) Read the underlying written instrument if the claim is contractual. 3) Determine whether § 6.2-302's 6% default controls or whether § 6.2-302(B) points to the contract rate. 4) Only then run the simple-interest formula.

Modeling error example — contract at 8%, mistakenly applied statutory 6%: On $100,000 for one year, the understatement is $2,000 ($8,000 vs $6,000). On $200,000 for three years, the understatement is $12,000 ($48,000 vs $36,000).

Reverse error — applying 8% when no contract rate controls: On $100,000 for one year, the overstatement is $2,000.

Common contract scenarios: — Bank loans and lines of credit with stated annual percentage rates — Commercial leases with default interest clauses — Promissory notes between private parties — Vendor agreements with late-payment interest terms

Practice sequence for contract judgments: 1) Locate the written agreement that gave rise to the claim. 2) Find the interest rate clause — including any default or post-maturity rate. 3) Compare the contract rate to 6%. 4) If the contract rate is higher, use the contract rate for all post-judgment interest calculations under § 6.2-302(B). 5) If no contract rate applies or the contract rate is at or below 6%, use the statutory 6% default.

For the common case — an ordinary civil money judgment without a superseding contractual rate — use 6%. That is the rate this guide and the Virginia calculator are built to explain for the default lane.

Do not assume that because Georgia requires a prime lookup, Virginia does too. Do not assume that because Virginia's rate is modest at 6%, contract judgments are capped at 6% — § 6.2-302(B) explicitly preserves higher contract rates. The correct Virginia planning defaults are: fixed 6% for non-contract judgments, contract rate when higher under § 6.2-302(B), simple interest, judgment-date start for post-judgment interest.

Pre-Judgment Interest Under § 8.01-382

Critical differential #2 for Virginia: the state authorizes pre-judgment interest at the same 6% rate under Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-382, when the jury has not made a specific award of interest. This makes Virginia one of the more plaintiff-friendly states for interest recovery — the rate is modest compared to Maryland's 10% or South Carolina's 8.75%, but it applies across both the pre-judgment and post-judgment phases of litigation.

What § 8.01-382 does: — Authorizes pre-judgment interest at 6% per year in cases where the jury does not specify an interest award — Uses the same fixed statutory rate as post-judgment interest under § 6.2-302 — Applies simple interest on the principal base recognized for pre-judgment purposes

What § 8.01-382 does not do: — It does not guarantee pre-judgment interest in every case. The statute operates when the jury has not made a specific award — other procedural and substantive rules still govern whether pre-judgment interest is available for a given claim type. — It does not authorize compounding. The same simple-interest model applies.

Why pre-judgment interest matters for planning: A case that takes three years from filing to judgment can accumulate significant pre-judgment interest before post-judgment interest even begins. On a $200,000 principal base over three pre-judgment years at 6%: $36,000 in pre-judgment interest alone — the same figure as three years of post-judgment interest on the same principal.

Combined example — $200,000 judgment with three years pre-judgment and two years post-judgment (all at 6%, jury did not specify): Pre-judgment: $200,000 × 0.06 × 3 = $36,000 Post-judgment (two years after entry): $200,000 × 0.06 × 2 = $24,000 Total interest: $60,000 Total with principal: $260,000

Contrast with a state that allows post-judgment interest only from judgment entry: the same two-year post-judgment period produces only $24,000 in interest, with no pre-judgment phase. Virginia's dual-phase 6% framework can meaningfully increase total recovery for plaintiffs in long-running cases.

Jury specification: When the jury makes a specific award of interest, § 8.01-382's default 6% pre-judgment rate may not apply. Read the verdict form and the judgment to determine whether the jury fixed a different rate or amount.

Relationship to contract rates: If § 6.2-302(B) applies a higher contract rate to the post-judgment period, evaluate whether the contract rate also governs pre-judgment interest for that claim. Contract and statutory lanes should be analyzed together, not in isolation.

Practical checklist for pre-judgment interest: 1) Confirm the claim type and whether § 8.01-382 applies. 2) Determine whether the jury specified an interest award. 3) If not, apply 6% simple interest for the pre-judgment period. 4) Identify the correct pre-judgment start date (confirm with counsel — this is claim-specific). 5) Calculate pre-judgment interest through judgment entry. 6) Add post-judgment interest from judgment entry forward at 6% (or the contract rate if higher). 7) Sum for total interest exposure.

Settlement planning tip: When negotiating before trial, model both pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at 6%. A defendant who delays resolution for years faces interest accrual during litigation, not just after judgment — a feature that distinguishes Virginia from states where pre-judgment interest is unavailable or harder to obtain.

When Does Virginia Judgment Interest Start?

Virginia post-judgment interest under § 6.2-302 generally starts accruing on the date the judgment is entered — not on the date the complaint was filed, and not on the date of the underlying breach or injury. That judgment-date start rule is the standard teaching model for Virginia post-judgment interest and differs from Michigan's frequent filing-date approach under MCL § 600.6013.

Post-judgment interest timeline: 1) Judgment is entered by the court 2) Interest begins accruing at 6% per year (or the contract rate if higher under § 6.2-302(B)) 3) Interest continues until the judgment is paid or otherwise satisfied 4) Simple interest applies on unpaid principal throughout

Pre-judgment interest timeline (when § 8.01-382 applies): 1) Pre-judgment interest may accrue from an earlier date tied to the cause of action or filing 2) The rate is 6% when the jury has not made a specific award 3) Pre-judgment interest runs through judgment entry 4) Post-judgment interest then begins at judgment entry on the judgment amount

Appeals: Filing a notice of appeal does not automatically stop post-judgment interest from accruing. Stays, supersedeas bonds, and specific court orders can affect enforceability and collection — read the order before assuming the clock paused.

Partial payments: When a payment is received, it typically reduces the principal base for future interest accrual. Document the payment date and amount. Recalculate remaining interest from the payment date forward on the reduced principal.

Dormancy and renewal: Long-uncollected judgments may face procedural limits on enforcement under Virginia law. Interest modeling for decade-old judgments should confirm the judgment remains enforceable and that the correct rate lane (6% default vs contract rate) still applies.

Practical timeline checklist: 1) Judgment entry date (post-judgment start) 2) Pre-judgment start date if § 8.01-382 applies (confirm with counsel) 3) Rate: 6% default or contract rate under § 6.2-302(B) 4) Unpaid principal after credits 5) Day count from each start date to payoff 6) Simple interest only — no compounding

Extended example — judgment entered January 1, 2024, unpaid through January 1, 2027: Principal: $100,000 Rate: 6% statutory default Days: 1,096 (three years including leap day adjustment — use exact day count in practice) Interest: $100,000 × 0.06 × 3 = $18,000 Total with principal: $118,000

Same judgment with a partial payment of $25,000 on January 1, 2025: Year 1 (2024): $100,000 × 0.06 = $6,000 accrued After payment: principal reduced to $75,000 Years 2–3 (2025–2026): $75,000 × 0.06 × 2 = $9,000 accrued Total interest: $15,000 (not $18,000 — partial payment reduced the base)

If you are comparing a Michigan filing-date judgment to a Virginia judgment-date judgment in the same multi-state dispute, apply each state's start-date rule separately. Importing Michigan's filing-date habit into Virginia overstates post-judgment interest; importing Virginia's judgment-date habit into Michigan understates it.

The key takeaway: Virginia post-judgment interest starts at judgment entry at 6% per year, fixed and simple. Pre-judgment interest under § 8.01-382 may reach back further at the same 6% rate when the jury has not specified otherwise.

Virginia vs Neighboring States: MD 10%, SC 8.75%, NC 8%

Virginia sits in a region where neighboring states often carry higher fixed or variable post-judgment rates. Understanding the regional map helps creditors, debtors, and counsel avoid importing the wrong state's rate into a Virginia file.

Maryland — 10% fixed: Under Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107, Maryland post-judgment interest is 10% per year. On $100,000 for one year: $10,000 — $4,000 more than Virginia's $6,000. Maryland's rate is among the highest fixed statutory rates in the mid-Atlantic.

North Carolina — 8% fixed: Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 24-1, North Carolina post-judgment interest is 8% per year. On $100,000 for one year: $8,000 — $2,000 more than Virginia. North Carolina's rate exceeds Virginia's but trails Maryland and South Carolina.

South Carolina — 8.75% fixed: Under S.C. Code Ann. § 34-31-20(B), South Carolina post-judgment interest is 8.75% per year. On $100,000 for one year: $8,750 — $2,750 more than Virginia. South Carolina also restricts wage garnishment for many private debts under § 37-5-104, but interest still accrues at 8.75%.

Georgia — variable (prime + 3%): Under O.C.G.A. § 7-4-12, Georgia's rate equals the Federal Reserve prime on the judgment date plus 3%. Mid-2026 planning rate: about 10.50% (prime ≈ 7.50%). On $100,000: about $10,500 — $4,500 more than Virginia. Georgia's rate locks at entry and can exceed Virginia significantly in high-prime environments.

Michigan — variable (certified twice yearly): Under MCL § 600.6013, Michigan's 2026 planning rate is 4.725%. On $100,000: $4,725 — $1,275 less than Virginia. Michigan often keys interest to complaint filing date, not judgment date — a separate timing difference beyond the rate gap.

Regional snapshot on $100,000 for one year: — Maryland 10%: $10,000 — Georgia ~10.50%: ~$10,500 — South Carolina 8.75%: $8,750 — North Carolina 8%: $8,000 — Virginia 6%: $6,000 — Michigan 4.725%: $4,725

On $200,000 for three years (simple interest teaching model): — Maryland 10%: $60,000 — Virginia 6%: $36,000 — Michigan 4.725%: $28,350 Gap MD vs VA: $24,000 over three years

Why Virginia's lower rate can still favor plaintiffs: Virginia's pre-judgment interest under § 8.01-382 at 6% reaches back before judgment entry when the jury has not specified a rate. A Maryland creditor may collect post-judgment interest at 10% but face different pre-judgment rules. Total interest exposure depends on both rate and timing — not rate alone.

Multi-state litigation caution: When a dispute touches Virginia and a neighbor state, calculate each judgment under its own statute. Do not apply Maryland's 10% to a Virginia state-court judgment, and do not apply Virginia's 6% to a Maryland judgment. Venue and governing law determine which rate applies.

Federal judgments in Virginia: Federal-court money judgments follow 28 U.S.C. § 1961 (about 4.02% mid-2026), not Va. Code § 6.2-302. A case in the Eastern District of Virginia or Western District of Virginia uses the federal rate unless a specific rule or contract provides otherwise — not the Virginia state statutory 6%.

The point of the comparison: Virginia's 6% fixed rate is predictable and modest relative to most neighbors, but the state's pre-judgment interest framework under § 8.01-382 can partially offset the rate gap for plaintiffs in long pre-judgment periods. Model both rate and timing for any serious payoff or settlement analysis.

Virginia Courts and the Calculator

Virginia judgment interest is one of the cleanest state models to calculate — fixed 6%, simple interest on principal, judgment-date start for post-judgment accrual, with contract and pre-judgment layers that require careful lane selection.

Primary authorities: — Va. Code Ann. § 6.2-302 (6% post-judgment interest; contract rate when higher under subsection B) — Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-382 (6% pre-judgment interest when jury does not specify) — Virginia Law Portal (statute text): https://law.lis.virginia.gov — Virginia Judicial System: https://www.courts.virginia.gov

Free planning calculator: /judgment-interest-calculator/virginia

How to use this page with the calculator: 1) Confirm judgment entry date and unpaid principal. 2) Determine rate lane: statutory 6% default, or contract rate under § 6.2-302(B) if higher. 3) Apply 6% simple interest for the statutory post-judgment model (or the contract rate). 4) If pre-judgment interest may apply, model § 8.01-382 separately from judgment entry back to the applicable start date. 5) Estimate payoff — then verify against the judgment, docket, and counsel.

Remember the three critical differentials: — Virginia 6% fixed vs Georgia ~10.50% (Jul 2026) vs Michigan 4.725% (2026): on $100,000, Virginia yields $6,000/year, Georgia about $10,500, Michigan $4,725 — § 8.01-382 authorizes pre-judgment interest at 6% when the jury does not specify — Contracts with a higher rate keep the contract rate under § 6.2-302(B) — e.g., 8% contract → 8% judgment

Quick reference examples for the calculator: — $50,000 × 6% × 365 days: $3,000/year, ~$8.22/day — $200,000 × 6% × 3 years: $36,000 interest — $100,000 × 6% × 1 year: $6,000 interest, ~$16.44/day

Virginia's judicial system spans circuit courts, general district courts, and specialized tribunals. Judgment interest rules apply broadly to civil money judgments, but always confirm your specific court order and claim type before relying on a planning estimate.

If you only remember one sentence: Virginia makes the arithmetic easy — 6% simple interest from judgment entry, with pre-judgment interest at the same rate under § 8.01-382 when the jury has not specified, and contract judgments carrying a higher rate when § 6.2-302(B) applies. Use the calculator to model your dates and principal, then verify the rate lane before treating any figure as a payoff amount.