What is a CCJ (County Court Judgment)?

Updated:May 8, 2026

6 min read

A CCJ, or County Court Judgment, is a court order issued in England and Wales when someone fails to repay money they owe. If a creditor takes you to court for an unpaid debt and the court rules in their favour, a CCJ is registered against you. It is recorded on a public register and stays on your credit file for six years.

How does a CCJ get issued?

Before a creditor can take you to court, they must follow the pre-action protocol for debt claims. This starts with a letter of claim, which gives you 30 days to respond. During those 30 days, you can contact the creditor to discuss payment terms, seek free debt advice if you have any doubt about whether you owe the money, or fill in the Reply Form to set out your position and send it back to the creditor. You can read the full protocol here.

If you do not respond within 30 days, the creditor can start court proceedings. If you do respond but no agreement is reached, the creditor must wait at least a further 30 days before starting proceedings and must give you at least 14 days' notice of their intention to do so. Once a claim has been filed, you will receive a claim form – it is important not to ignore it, as failing to reply allows the court to issue a judgment in default without considering your circumstances.

If the court finds in the creditor's favour, the CCJ sets out how much you owe, how you must repay it, and by when. If you responded to the claim form with details of your income and outgoings, the court may order repayment by instalments based on what you can afford. If judgment was entered by default, repayment is typically required immediately.

How long does a CCJ stay on my credit file?

A CCJ stays on your credit file for six years from the date of the judgment. It does not matter whether you pay the debt during that time; the entry will remain. After six years, it is automatically removed from your credit file and from the public register.

What is the difference between a satisfied and unsatisfied CCJ?

Whether you pay, and when, affects how the CCJ appears on your credit file:

Removed: Paid in full within one calendar month of judgment. Removed entirely from the register.
Satisfied: Paid in full after the first month. Remains for 6 years, marked as ‘satisfied’.
Unsatisfied: Not paid. Remains for 6 years, marked as ‘unsatisfied’.

A satisfied CCJ is viewed more favourably by lenders than an unsatisfied one, because it shows you eventually cleared the debt. Both can still affect your credit applications while they remain on file, but an unsatisfied CCJ carries more weight.

Can I get a CCJ removed from my credit file early?

There are two ways a CCJ can be removed before the six years is up.

The first is to pay the full amount owed within one calendar month of the judgment date. If you do this and notify the court with proof of payment, the CCJ is removed entirely from the register and your credit file.
The second is to apply to have it set aside. A set aside does not remove the CCJ directly; it cancels the judgment and the case is reconsidered from the beginning, giving you a fresh chance to respond to the court claim. This route is only available in limited circumstances.

Paying the debt after the first month does not remove the CCJ. It will stay on your file for the full six years, but will be updated to show as satisfied once payment is confirmed.

How does a CCJ affect my credit score?

A CCJ will negatively affect your credit score. It is recorded on your credit file and remains visible to lenders for six years, signalling that a court found you had failed to repay a debt.

The drop in your score has practical consequences. While a CCJ is on your file, you may find it harder to:

Get a mortgage or remortgage
Take out a personal loan
Apply for a credit card
Get car finance
Pass referencing checks when renting a property

Your score may start to recover as the CCJ gets older, particularly if you manage other credit responsibly in the meantime. A satisfied CCJ is generally viewed more favourably than an unsatisfied one, though both will affect how lenders assess your application.

How does a CCJ affect my ability to get credit?

A CCJ does not mean you cannot get credit, but it reduces your options. Most mainstream lenders, including high street banks, are likely to decline applications while a CCJ is active on your file.

Some lenders specialise in working with people who have adverse credit histories, including those with CCJs. These products typically carry higher interest rates than standard products, which reflects the additional lending risk involved.

If you are looking at your credit card options after a CCJ, our page on getting a credit card with a CCJ covers what types of cards may be available and how to approach applying without further damaging your credit score.

If you need a personal loan, our guide to loans for bad credit provides more information.

There are a range of financial products available that may suit your needs. We encourage you to research your options carefully and consider seeking independent financial advice before making any decisions.

How do I check if I have a CCJ?

CCJs are held on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which is managed by the Registry Trust. You can search the register at trustonline.org.uk for a fee. A search will show any CCJs registered against your name and address, along with which court issued them and the creditor involved.

You can also check your credit report for free through the three main UK credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This is a useful starting point if you are not sure whether you have a CCJ and want to find out without paying a fee.

What can I do if I disagree with a CCJ?

If you believe a CCJ has been registered against you unfairly, you may be able to apply to have it set aside. Common grounds include:

You were not aware of the court claim because paperwork was sent to an old address
The debt had already been paid before the judgment was issued
You have a genuine defence to the original claim that was never heard

You apply using court form N244, and a court fee of £313 may apply. A hearing is typically arranged where you explain your case to a judge. If the set-aside is granted, the judgment is cancelled and the case is reviewed from the beginning.

The process is not always straightforward, and the outcome is not guaranteed. Before applying, it is worth getting advice from a free debt charity or a solicitor. The gov.uk County Court Judgments page has further detail on the process and the forms involved.

FAQs

I have a CCJ but I don't know who it's from. What should I do?

Start by checking your free credit report. This should show any CCJs on your file.

You can also search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines at trustonline.org.uk, however this costs between £6 and £10 per search.

Once you know who the CCJ is from, your options depend on your situation. A free debt charity can help you work out the best next step.

What happens if I ignore a CCJ?

Ignoring a CCJ does not make it go away. If you do not pay, the creditor can apply for enforcement action. This can include a warrant of control, which authorises bailiffs to collect payment or seize goods; an attachment of earnings order, which takes payments directly from your wages; a third-party debt order, which freezes money in a bank or building society account; or a charging order, which secures the debt against your property.

Each of these adds costs and makes the situation harder to resolve. If you are struggling to pay, speaking to a free debt charity is a better first step than doing nothing.

How do I pay a CCJ?

Pay the money directly to the creditor named in the judgment, not to the court. Make sure you get written proof of payment from the creditor, as you will need this for any court application.

If you pay the full amount within one calendar month of the judgment date, write to the court with proof of payment to have the CCJ removed from the register entirely.

If you pay after the first month, apply to the court using Form N443 to get the CCJ marked as satisfied. The CCJ will remain on the register for six years but will show as satisfied to anyone who searches it.

Does a CCJ affect my ability to rent?

It can. Many landlords and letting agents run credit checks as part of referencing, and a CCJ will appear in those checks. Whether it leads to a declined application depends on the individual landlord or agent, but a CCJ, particularly an unsatisfied one, can make it harder to pass referencing, especially with larger letting agencies.

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