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Calculate post-judgment interest under the Courts of Justice Act, s. 129 using the official rate for the quarter the order was made — from the date of judgment to the date of payment.
For estimation purposes only. Not legal advice. Confirm rates with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.The official CJA s. 129 rate for the quarter the order was made will be applied automatically — a single rate for the whole period.
In Ontario, post-judgment interest runs on the unpaid amount of a judgment from the date of the order until it is paid in full. Unless a contract or statute sets a different rate, it uses the rate published quarterly under section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act for the quarter in which the judgment was given. It accrues automatically — no separate application is needed — and keeps building while you take enforcement steps to collect.
| Year | Q1 (Jan–Mar) | Q2 (Apr–Jun) | Q3 (Jul–Sep) | Q4 (Oct–Dec) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% |
| 2025 | 5.00% | 5.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% |
| 2024 | 7.00% | 7.00% | 7.00% | 6.00% |
| 2023 | 7.00% | 7.00% | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| 2022 | 0.50% | 1.50% | 3.50% | 4.50% |
| 2021 | 0.50% | 0.50% | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| 2020 | 2.50% | 0.50% | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| 2019 | 2.00% | 2.00% | 2.00% | 2.00% |
| 2018 | 1.50% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 2.00% |
| 2017 | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.50% | 1.50% |
| 2016 | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2015 | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2014 | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2013 | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2012 | 1.50% | 1.50% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2011 | 1.50% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 1.50% |
| 2010 | 1.00% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 1.50% |
| 2009 | 1.50% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| 2008 | 4.50% | 4.00% | 3.50% | 2.50% |
| 2007 | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| 2006 | 3.50% | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% |
| 2005 | 2.50% | 2.50% | 2.50% | 3.00% |
| 2004 | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
| 2003 | 3.00% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
| 2002 | 3.00% | 3.00% | 3.00% | 3.00% |
| 2001 | 6.50% | 6.50% | 5.50% | 4.50% |
| 2000 | 6.00% | 6.00% | 6.00% | 6.00% |
Post-judgment interest accrues from the date of judgment under s. 129 of the Courts of Justice Act, at the rate for the quarter the order was made — published in the Ministry of the Attorney General's official rate tables.
Post-judgment interest is simple, not compound. It is calculated per day on the outstanding judgment amount.
An Ontario judgment is valid and enforceable for 20 years. Interest continues to accrue until the judgment is paid in full.
Collect your judgment plus accrued interest through wage garnishment, bank garnishment, or a writ of seizure and sale.
Postjudgment interest is the interest that accumulates on the unpaid amount of a judgment from the date the order is made until the debtor pays in full. In Ontario it is governed by section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act and accrues automatically — you do not need to apply for it, and it keeps building while you take enforcement steps.
It is the counterpart to prejudgment interest, which compensates you for the period before judgment. Once a Small Claims Court judgment is granted, prejudgment interest stops and postjudgment interest takes over on the full amount of the order, including awarded costs.
Postjudgment interest is simple interest, calculated as:
The rate is the postjudgment interest rate published for the quarter in which the judgment was given, and that single rate applies for as long as the judgment stays unpaid — it does not reset each quarter. If the debtor makes partial payments, interest continues only on the remaining balance. A contract that sets its own post-default rate can displace the statutory rate.
It begins on the date of the order — the day the judge grants judgment or a default judgment is signed — not the day you start enforcement. From that day forward the unpaid amount earns interest daily until it is fully paid, and an Ontario judgment remains enforceable for 20 years, with interest accruing the entire time.
Suppose a plaintiff obtains a $15,000 Small Claims Court judgment in Q1 2026, when the postjudgment rate is 4.0% per year, and the defendant still has not paid 180 days later:
The debtor now owes roughly $15,295.89, and the total keeps growing about $1.64 per day until payment. Exact amounts are confirmed at the time of payment or enforcement, so treat the calculator's output as an estimate.
A judgment is not a payment — if the debtor ignores it, you must enforce it. The main Small Claims Court enforcement tools are garnishment of wages or bank accounts, a writ of seizure and sale filed against the debtor's personal property or land, and an examination hearing that puts the debtor under oath about their income, assets and ability to pay. Enforcement filing fees are themselves recoverable and added to the judgment debt.
Postjudgment interest continues to accrue throughout enforcement, so a slow-paying debtor owes more the longer they wait. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide on how to collect a judgment in Ontario.
Postjudgment interest compensates a successful party for the time between the date the court makes its order and the date the judgment is paid. In Ontario it is awarded under section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act and calculated as simple interest at the quarterly rate published by the Ministry of the Attorney General.
For the third quarter of 2026, the postjudgment interest rate in Ontario is 4% per annum. This is the official rate published by the Ministry of the Attorney General, and it is read from the same rate table the calculator above uses so the two stay consistent.
This calculator sets the rate using the date of the order — the quarter in which the judgment was made. That single rate then applies for the whole period: interest runs from the date of the order until the judgment is paid.
It is simple interest by default — it does not accrue interest on itself. Compound interest is only available in limited circumstances, such as where a contract pleaded in the claim provides for it.
Under section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act, postjudgment interest runs from the date of the order. It is calculated on the amount owed under the order and continues to accrue until the judgment is paid in full.
Yes. The Small Claims Court is a branch of the Superior Court of Justice, so section 129 applies. A Small Claims Court judgment accrues postjudgment interest from the date of the order until it is paid.
Multiply the judgment amount by the annual postjudgment rate, divide by 365, and multiply by the number of days from the date of the order to the date of payment. It is simple interest, so it does not compound. The calculator above applies the official rate for you.
Prejudgment interest covers the period before the order (from when the cause of action arose to the date of judgment). Postjudgment interest runs after the order on the unpaid judgment until it is paid. They use different rate tables set quarterly by the Ministry of the Attorney General.
Yes. It continues to accrue on the outstanding amount from the date of the order until the judgment is satisfied in full, which increases what a debtor ultimately owes the longer they delay.
Postjudgment interest is generally calculated on the total amount ordered, which can include the principal, prejudgment interest, and costs that form part of the judgment. Confirm exactly what your order says is owing, since the wording of the judgment controls.
Yes. Under section 130 of the Courts of Justice Act, the court has discretion to vary the rate or the period in appropriate circumstances, taking into account market rates and the conduct of the parties.
It can. Where a contract provides for a specific interest rate, that rate may apply to a judgment on the contract instead of the default Courts of Justice Act rate. Enter the applicable rate where your agreement specifies one.
It adds ongoing cost for a debtor who does not pay, which can pressure settlement. When you enforce a judgment — through garnishment, a writ of seizure and sale, or a debtor examination — the accruing postjudgment interest is added to what you can collect.
No. Postjudgment interest accrues automatically by operation of section 129 from the date of the order — you do not file a separate application for it. You do, however, need to account for it correctly when you calculate the total owing for enforcement.
On small amounts the interest may be modest, but it still adds up over time and signals that delay has a cost. Whether it is worth aggressive enforcement depends on the debtor's ability to pay — something a brief consultation can help you assess.
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