County Court Judgment (CCJ). What it means and how to handle it.

A County Court Judgment is a decision by a judge that you owe money to someone. It appears on a national register for six years. During that time it can affect your ability to borrow money, get credit, or take out a mortgage. But a CCJ is not the end of the story. You can remove it entirely if you pay within 30 days. Even after 30 days, options exist.

Here's what actually happens when you get one, what it costs you, and how to deal with it.

The short version

A CCJ is issued when you lose a court case or fail to respond to one. The judge decides you owe the claimant money. That decision gets recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines (run by Registry Trust Ltd) and stays there for six years. If you pay within 30 days of the judgment, the judgment is completely removed from the register. If you pay after 30 days, it stays on the register but is marked "satisfied". Either way, the judgment is written evidence that you owed money and the court enforced it.

The register is not secret. Lenders, landlords, and employers can check it when they assess your creditworthiness. A CCJ on your record makes all of those conversations harder.

At a glance

What a CCJ actually is

A County Court Judgment is a formal court order. It's issued after a civil case in the County Court (the court that handles routine money disputes). The judge has decided, on the evidence, that you owe the claimant a sum of money. The judgment says three things: who you owe, how much, and by when you should pay.

It's different from a court order for other things (like a restraining order or an injunction). A CCJ is specifically a financial judgment, and it goes on the Register of Judgments because it's a public financial liability.

The judgment itself is binding. You can't ignore it. If you do, the claimant can enforce it using court powers like a warrant of control (bailiffs seizing goods), an attachment of earnings order (deducting money from your wages), or a charging order (putting a charge on your home).

How you get a County Court Judgment

There are two main routes.

You lost a defended case. You and the claimant both went to court. A judge heard the evidence from both sides and decided the claimant was right. You owe the money. Judgment is entered for the claimant.

You got a default judgment. You received a claim form (a court document saying someone is suing you for money). You didn't respond. The court rules allowed you a period to file a defence (usually 14 or 28 days depending on how you were served). If you didn't file a defence in time, the claimant can ask the court for judgment without a hearing. This is a "default judgment" because you defaulted on the procedural requirement to respond. The court grants it without a judge looking at the merits of the case. The claimant doesn't have to prove you owe the money; they only have to show you didn't respond.

In either case, the judgment is recorded on the register within days.

The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines

The register is a public record held by Registry Trust Ltd, a not-for-profit company set up to keep the register on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Anyone can check it. You don't need to be the person with the judgment against you. For £6 you can search by name or get a copy of a judgment record. You can do this at trustonline.org.uk.

Lenders, landlords, and employers routinely check it. It's one of the fastest ways for someone to see if you have unsettled financial liabilities.

The register entry includes:

• Your full name
• The judgment amount
• The court that issued it
• The date of judgment
• The current status (satisfied, unsatisfied, removed, etc.)
• The name of the claimant

It does not include details of what the case was about, why the judgment was issued, or any circumstances. It's a bare record: you owe money, you were judged to owe it, and you have or haven't paid.

The six-year effect on credit

A CCJ stays on the register for exactly six years from the date of judgment. After six years it's automatically removed.

During those six years, it appears on most credit checks. The impact varies depending on when you pay:

Within 30 days of judgment: The judgment is completely removed from the register. It does not appear on credit checks. For credit purposes it's as if the judgment was never issued. This is the single best outcome.

After 30 days but within six years: The judgment is marked "satisfied" (meaning you've paid the debt) but it remains on the register. Lenders can still see it. Many will treat a satisfied judgment as less serious than an unsatisfied one, but it still counts against you. Some lenders will decline your application; others will offer worse terms.

After six years: The judgment falls off the register. It's automatically removed. You don't need to do anything.

If you never pay: The judgment stays unsatisfied for the full six years. Then it's removed from the register anyway (age removal, not satisfaction). But during those six years it's the most damaging version of a CCJ. Lenders will almost certainly decline you.

How to check if you have a County Court Judgment

The easiest way is to check the Register of Judgments yourself.

Go to trustonline.org.uk. You can search by your name and date of birth for free. This tells you if there's a judgment against you.

To get a full copy of the judgment (with the amount and other details), you pay £6. You'll get a PDF showing the original judgment record.

You can also check via a free online search at trustonline.org.uk, which takes about 30 seconds.

If you find a judgment that you think is wrong (for example, you believe you already paid, or you believe the claimant never had a valid claim), you may be able to apply to have the judgment "set aside" (see section below).

How to pay it off and remove it

If you can pay the full amount the judgment says you owe, you have two windows of opportunity.

Within 30 days of judgment (best option): Pay the full amount to the court. File a form at the court that issued the judgment confirming payment. The judgment is completely removed from the register. It never appears on credit checks. No record remains.

After 30 days (second-best option): Pay the full amount to the claimant (or their solicitor, if they have one). The court is notified of satisfaction and the register is updated. The judgment stays on the register but is marked "satisfied". Lenders will see it but may treat it as less serious than an unsatisfied judgment.

If you can't pay the full amount in one go, you can ask the court for a payment plan. This doesn't remove or satisfy the judgment automatically, but it can protect you from enforcement (bailiffs, wage deduction) and may eventually satisfy it once the full amount is paid.

Setting aside a County Court Judgment

If you believe the judgment was issued by mistake, or if you have grounds to challenge it, you can apply to have it "set aside" (cancelled) under Civil Procedure Rules Part 13.

Common grounds for set-aside include:

• You didn't get the claim form. If you can show you didn't receive the claim form and therefore didn't have a fair chance to respond, the court can set aside a default judgment.
• You have a substantive defence. If you can show that you actually have a defence to the claim (for example, you did pay the money, or the claimant has no legal right to claim), the court may set the judgment aside so you can present that defence at a hearing.
• Procedural error by the court. If the court made an error in issuing the judgment (for example, wrong amount, wrong party, duplicate judgment), set-aside is possible.
• Mistake or fraud. If there's evidence the judgment was obtained by fraud or serious mistake.

To apply for set-aside, you fill in Form N244 (Application Notice) and send it to the court that issued the judgment. You have to explain why the judgment should be set aside and what your defence to the original claim is (if any).

The court will decide whether to grant set-aside. If granted, the judgment is removed from the register and the case goes back to square one (you get a hearing to defend yourself against the original claim). If refused, the judgment stays and you're back to the options above (pay it or let it age off the register).

Set-aside applications are not guaranteed to succeed. The court will only grant one if you have a real and substantial reason to challenge the judgment.

What happens day to day when you have a County Court Judgment

A CCJ doesn't prevent you from working, driving, or going about normal life. It's a financial liability, not a criminal conviction.

Where it does cause problems:

Borrowing. If you apply for a mortgage, personal loan, or credit card, the lender checks your credit history. They'll see the judgment and most will decline you or offer much worse terms (higher interest rates, smaller amounts). Some specialist lenders will accept CCJ applicants but at a premium.

Renting. Some landlords check the register before agreeing to rent to you. A CCJ can result in your application being declined. Others don't check and won't care.

Employment. In most jobs a CCJ has no direct effect. You don't lose your job because of one. In a few sectors (financial services, law, certain government roles) it might affect your suitability for the role or your security clearance, but this is rare.

Enforcement. If the judgment is unpaid and the claimant is active in enforcing it, they can instruct bailiffs (warrant of control), ask the court to deduct from your wages (attachment of earnings), or put a legal charge on your home (charging order). These are rare if the amount is small, but they do happen.

Bankruptcy. If you have an unsatisfied judgment for £5,000 or more, the creditor can petition the court to declare you bankrupt. This is a drastic step and creditors don't take it lightly, but it's a route available to them.

For most people with a CCJ, the day-to-day effect is invisible until they try to borrow money or rent a home. Then it becomes very real.

Common misconceptions about CCJs

"A CCJ is permanent." No. It's removed after six years automatically. And if you pay within 30 days it's removed immediately.

"A CCJ means you've committed a crime." No. It's a civil judgment, not a criminal conviction. You haven't broken the law; you've lost a money dispute in court.

"You can't work if you have a CCJ." Not true. It doesn't affect your employment in almost all cases. It only affects your ability to borrow money or rent a home.

"Once it's satisfied the judgment disappears." No. A satisfied judgment stays on the register for the full six years but is marked "satisfied". It's still visible to lenders, who may treat it as less serious than an unsatisfied one.

"You need a solicitor to set aside a CCJ." You can represent yourself in a set-aside application. You don't legally need a solicitor, though having one can help if the case is complex.

"The register is secret." No. It's public. Anyone can check for £6.

"If you ignore a CCJ nothing happens." The claimant can enforce it. They can instruct bailiffs, ask for wage deduction, or pursue bankruptcy if the amount is large enough. It won't go away just because you ignore it.

Related concepts

These terms come up in CCJ conversations and may be useful to understand:

• Default judgment. A judgment issued without a trial because you didn't respond to the claim.
• Warrant of control. A court order allowing bailiffs to seize your goods to satisfy a judgment.
• Attachment of earnings order. A court order requiring your employer to deduct money from your wages to pay a judgment.
• Charging order. A legal charge placed on your home to secure a judgment debt. The claimant can force a sale of the home if the debt isn't paid.
• Registry Trust Ltd. The not-for-profit company that operates the Register of Judgments on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
• Find Case Law. The official public register of judgments from higher courts, caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk. County Court judgments aren't published here (they're on the Register of Judgments instead).
• Civil Procedure Rules Part 13. The rules governing default judgments and set-aside applications.
• Form N244. The application form used to apply to set aside a judgment.

Sources

The information on this page is based on:

• Registry Trust Ltd. The official register of County Court Judgments, Tribunal Orders and Fines. https://www.trustonline.org.uk/
• Ministry of Justice. Official UK government legal information. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/registry-trust
• UK Courts & Tribunals. Civil Procedure Rules Part 13 (default judgments and set-aside). https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part13
• Citizens Advice. Information on debt and court judgments. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service. County Court procedure and judgment processes.

This page was reviewed for accuracy on 2026-05-28. UK court procedure rules change occasionally; check the official sources above for the most current information.

A note on what this page is and isn't

This is information about UK court procedure. It is not legal advice. It describes how County Court Judgments work and what you can do about them, not what you should do in your particular situation. If you have a CCJ and you're considering challenging it, paying it, or setting it aside, talk to a qualified solicitor about your specific circumstances.

CaseCalm helps people understand UK court procedures and work through the civil court system. We are not a law firm and we are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. When your situation needs personal legal advice, we signpost you to qualified professionals.

Written by Peter Kolomiets. Reviewed for accuracy 2026-05-28. Comments or corrections to peter@casecalm.com.