Reference · Louisiana · 2026
Louisiana late payment interest rate
When your contract sets no rate, the Louisiana figure for interest on an overdue B2B invoice is 7.5% (2026), under La. R.S. 13:4202.
The judicial rate, set each October for the next calendar year (Fed discount + 3.25), doubles as the legal rate for contract debts (C.C. art. 2924).
- Rate
- 7.5% (2026)
- Statute
- La. R.S. 13:4202
- Type
- Floats: resets on a schedule. The figure is the published 2026 (or current-quarter) value.
- Source
- ofi.la.gov · verified July 9, 2026
What 7.5% comes to on an unpaid invoice
Simple interest at 7.5% a year on a 365-day year. Count the days from when interest starts to run in Louisiana, which is not always the due date.
| Invoice | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $30.82 | $61.64 | $92.47 |
| $10,000 | $61.64 | $123.29 | $184.93 |
| $50,000 | $308.22 | $616.44 | $924.66 |
Work out the interest on your invoice
Prefilled with Louisiana's legal rate of 7.5%. If your contract sets a rate, use that instead.
Interest you can claim
$123.29
$10,123.29 with the invoice · $2.05 a day
The ceiling
How high can a late fee go in Louisiana?
Your contract decides. The rate above only applies when your terms are silent. Between businesses, an agreed late-interest rate or late fee replaces it, within two limits: the state's ceiling on agreed rates, and the rule that a late fee must compensate you rather than punish the customer.
Louisiana's ceiling on an agreed rate wasn't part of our verified research, so check the state's usury law, or ask a lawyer licensed in Louisiana, before writing the common 1.5%-a-month (18%) rate into your terms.
Late payment wording for a Louisiana invoice
On your invoice
Payment is due by the date shown on this invoice. Late payments are subject to interest at the legal rate under La. R.S. 13:4202 (7.5% (2026)).
This restates what Louisiana law applies when your contract is silent. If your contract sets a rate, quote that instead. The wording doesn't say when interest starts, because that differs by state; the note at the top of this page covers it where Louisiana law sets it.
How Louisiana compares
Of the 46 states with a rate that applies on its own, 26 set a higher one and 19 a lower one. The middle of the range is 8%.
Interest is the fallback. Getting paid on time is the plan.
DueTrail turns overdue invoices into managed cases with reviewable reminders and recorded promises to pay, so invoices get settled before anyone reaches for La. R.S. 13:4202.