2-1303.Interest on judgment.

Article II. Civil Practice · Part 13. Judgment · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 20, 2026

In one sentenceSection 2-1303 sets the interest rate a judgment earns until it's paid, gives a lower rate to smaller consumer-debt judgments, and requires prejudgment interest in personal-injury and wrongful-death cases.

Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-1303

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(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), judgments recovered in any court shall draw interest at the rate of 9% per annum from the date of the judgment until satisfied or 6% per annum when the judgment debtor is a unit of local government, as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Constitution, a school district, a community college district, or any other governmental entity. When judgment is entered upon any award, report or verdict, interest shall be computed at the above rate, from the time when made or rendered to the time of entering judgment upon the same, and included in the judgment. Interest shall be computed and charged only on the unsatisfied portion of the judgment as it exists from time to time. The judgment debtor may by tender of payment of judgment, costs and interest accrued to the date of tender, stop the further accrual of interest on such judgment notwithstanding the prosecution of an appeal, or other steps to reverse, vacate or modify the judgment.

(b)(1) As used in this Section: "Consumer debt" means money or property, or the equivalent, due or owing, or alleged to be due or owing, from a natural person by reason of a transaction in which property, services, or money is acquired by that natural person primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. "Consumer debt judgment" means a judgment recovered in any court against one or more natural persons arising out of consumer debt. "Consumer debt judgment" does not include any compensation for bodily injury or death, nor any judgment entered where the debt is guaranteed by or contains a joint and several liability provision between a natural person and a business, whether or not that business is legally constituted under the laws of this State or any other state. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (a), consumer debt judgments of $25,000 or less shall draw interest from the date of the judgment until satisfied at the rate of 5% per annum.

(3) The judgment debtor may, by tender of payment of judgment, costs, and interest accrued to the date of tender, stop the further accrual of interest on the consumer debt judgment, notwithstanding the prosecution of an appeal, or other steps to reverse, vacate, or modify the judgment.

(4) This subsection applies to all consumer debt judgments entered into after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(c) In all actions brought to recover damages for personal injury or wrongful death resulting from or occasioned by the conduct of any other person or entity, whether by negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, intentional conduct, or strict liability of the other person or entity, the plaintiff shall recover prejudgment interest on all damages, except punitive damages, sanctions, statutory attorney's fees, and statutory costs, set forth in the judgment. Prejudgment interest shall begin to accrue on the date the action is filed. If the plaintiff voluntarily dismisses the action and refiles, the accrual of prejudgment interest shall be tolled from the date the action is voluntarily dismissed to the date the action is refiled. In entering judgment for the plaintiff in the action, the court shall add to the amount of the judgment interest calculated at the rate of 6% per annum on the amount of the judgment, minus punitive damages, sanctions, statutory attorney's fees, and statutory costs. If the judgment is greater than the amount of the highest written settlement offer made by the defendant within 12 months after the later of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or the filing of the action and not accepted by the plaintiff within 90 days after the date of the offer or rejected by the plaintiff, interest added to the amount of judgment shall be an amount equal to interest calculated at the rate of 6% per annum on the difference between the amount of the judgment, minus punitive damages, sanctions, statutory attorney's fees, and statutory costs, and the amount of the highest written settlement offer. If the judgment is equal to or less than the amount of the highest written settlement offer made by the defendant within 12 months after the later of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or the filing of the action and not accepted by the plaintiff within 90 days after the date of the offer or rejected by the plaintiff, no prejudgment interest shall be added to the amount of the judgment. For the purposes of this subsection, withdrawal of a settlement offer by defendant shall not be considered a rejection of the offer by the plaintiff. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, prejudgment interest shall accrue for no longer than 5 years.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the State, a unit of local government, a school district, community college district, nor any other governmental entity is liable to pay prejudgment interest in an action brought directly or vicariously against it by the injured party.

For any personal injury or wrongful death occurring before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the prejudgment interest shall begin to accrue on the later of the date the action is filed or the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

End

Plain-English Summary

A typical judgment draws interest at 9% a year -- 6% a year if the judgment debtor is a unit of local government, a school district, a community college district, or another governmental entity -- running from the date of judgment until it's satisfied, and computed only on the unpaid balance. A judgment debtor can stop the interest clock at any time by tendering payment of the judgment, costs, and interest accrued so far, even while an appeal is pending.

Consumer debt judgments of $25,000 or less draw a lower 5% annual rate, with the same kind of tender rule letting the debtor stop it from accruing further. "Consumer debt judgment" is defined narrowly: it excludes compensation for bodily injury or death, and excludes judgments where a business guarantees or shares joint liability for the debt.

For personal-injury and wrongful-death cases, the plaintiff recovers prejudgment interest at 6% a year, starting on the date the action was filed (paused if the case is voluntarily dismissed and later refiled), on the judgment excluding punitive damages, sanctions, statutory attorney's fees, and statutory costs. How much of that interest applies depends on the defendant's highest written settlement offer: if the judgment beats that offer, interest runs only on the gap between them; if the judgment matches or falls under the offer, no prejudgment interest applies at all. Prejudgment interest can't accrue for more than five years.

No unit of government owes prejudgment interest, whether sued directly or vicariously, and the section sets a transition rule tying the start of accrual, for older injuries, to the later of the filing date or the amendatory act's effective date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What interest rate applies to a typical Illinois civil judgment?

9% a year, or 6% a year if the judgment debtor is a unit of local government, school district, community college district, or other governmental entity, running from the date of judgment.

Is there a lower interest rate for small consumer debt judgments?

Yes, consumer debt judgments of $25,000 or less draw interest at 5% a year.

Can a judgment debtor stop interest from accruing while appealing?

Yes, by tendering payment of the judgment, costs, and interest accrued to the date of tender.

How does prejudgment interest work in an Illinois personal injury case?

It runs at 6% a year from the filing date on the judgment (excluding punitive damages, sanctions, fees, and costs), with the amount tied to how the verdict compares to the defendant's highest written settlement offer, capped at five years.

Does the government have to pay prejudgment interest in Illinois?

No, a governmental entity is exempt regardless of whether it's sued directly or vicariously.

Amendment History

(Source: P.A. 101-168, eff. 1-1-20; 102-6, eff. 7-1-21.)

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026. · Official source

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