What Is a CCJ? County Court Judgments Explained

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a court order made in England and Wales when a court decides you owe money and have not paid it. It is usually entered on a public register for six years and can make it much harder to get a loan, credit card, mortgage or tenancy.

What Is a CCJ and How Do You Get One?

A County Court Judgment is not a criminal record and it is not the same as being sued in the sense of a dramatic court battle. It is simply the county court's formal record that you owe a specific amount of money to a specific creditor, and it usually arrives quietly, by post.

Most CCJs start with a money claim, often issued through Money Claim Online or on a paper claim form, for an unpaid debt such as a credit card, loan, unpaid invoice, or rent arrears. Once you are sent that claim, you get a set deadline to respond. A CCJ can then follow in one of three ways:

• You do not respond by the deadline, and the court enters a default judgment against you
• You admit the debt, and the court enters judgment on your admission, often with an instalment plan (that judgment is itself a CCJ, even if you keep up the payments)
• You defend the claim, the case goes to a hearing, and the court decides against you

In every case, the result is a judgment for a fixed sum, plus any court costs. A judgment given after a defended hearing is registered only once the creditor takes a step to enforce it, the court orders instalments on the creditor's application, or you apply to pay by instalments; a judgment entered by default is registered straight away.

The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines

CCJs made in England and Wales are recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which has been run by Registry Trust on behalf of the Ministry of Justice since 1985. The register is publicly searchable, for a small fee. Banks and loan companies use this information to decide whether to give you credit, and mortgage brokers, letting agents and some employers also check for county court judgments against you.

An entry stays on the register for six years from the date the judgment was made. What changes during those six years is not whether the entry exists, but what it says about whether you have paid.

Paying Within a Month vs Paying Later

This is the single most important thing to understand about a CCJ, and it is easy to miss because the deadline is short.

• Pay the judgment in full within one calendar month of the date it was made, then write to the court with proof of payment from the creditor, and the entry is removed from the register altogether, as though it had never been recorded.
• Pay in full after that one-month window, write to the court with proof of payment, and the entry is instead marked "satisfied." A satisfied CCJ looks better to a lender than an unsatisfied one, but it does not disappear. It stays on the public register for the full six years from the original judgment date.
• Do not pay at all, and the entry remains "unsatisfied" for the whole six years, continuing to damage your ability to get credit, and leaving the creditor free to pursue further enforcement action against you.

Neither update happens automatically. If you want proof from the court, you can apply for a certificate of cancellation (paid within one month) or a certificate of satisfaction (paid later) on form N443; the fee is £19.

Because the one-month clock starts from the date of judgment, not from when you find out about it or when a letter reaches you, it is worth checking the register or contacting the court promptly if you think a CCJ may have been made against you.

What It Means for You: A Quick Breakdown

Disputing a CCJ You Think Is Wrong

If a CCJ was entered against you unfairly, for example because you never received the original claim, you had moved address, or you have a genuine defence to the debt, you can apply to the court to have it set aside using form N244. This involves a court fee and normally a private hearing where you explain to a judge why the judgment should not stand; if you do not attend, the application is usually rejected. Our full guide to CCJ removal walks through the set-aside process, the current court fee, and what evidence helps your case.

If You Cannot Pay

A CCJ you cannot afford to pay in one go does not have to mean six years of an unsatisfied entry and mounting pressure. You can apply to the court to vary the judgment, for example to spread repayment into smaller monthly instalments you can realistically manage. Ignoring the judgment instead does not make it go away. It simply leaves it unpaid, keeps damaging your credit rating for longer, and leaves the door open for the creditor to escalate enforcement.

Get Free Debt Advice Before You Do Anything

Before you agree to any repayment plan, debt management product, or approach a company that charges a fee, get free, impartial advice from a debt charity such as StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice, or MoneyHelper. These organisations offer the same kind of budgeting help, creditor negotiation and options guidance that commercial debt firms charge for, at no cost to you. Getting advice early, ideally before a claim even reaches judgment, gives you far more options than waiting until enforcement starts.

Scotland and Northern Ireland Use Different Systems

The rules above apply to England and Wales only. Scotland does not have County Court Judgments at all: its civil courts issue a decree instead, typically through the Sheriff Court and, for smaller claims, under Simple Procedure. See our guide to small claims in Scotland for how that system works, including its own separate rules on enforcement and time limits. Northern Ireland also runs its own separate system for civil judgments and their enforcement, so do not assume the England and Wales six-year register or one-month removal rule applies there without checking.

For the wider picture of how a creditor sues for money in the first place, see our guide to the county court judgment process and to Money Claim Online.

This article explains County Court Judgments in England and Wales in general terms and is not legal or financial advice. Court fees, forms and processes can change, so check the current position on gov.uk before you act. If you are struggling with debt, get free, impartial help from StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper. For the full picture of money claims and debt rules across the UK, see our UK debt and money hub, part of our wider guide to United Kingdom law.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CCJ?

A CCJ, or County Court Judgment, is a court order made in England and Wales stating that you owe a specific amount of money, usually issued after a creditor sues you for an unpaid debt and you either do not respond or the court decides against you.

How long does a CCJ stay on my record?

A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years from the date it was made, unless you pay the full amount within one calendar month and write to the court with proof of payment, in which case it is removed from the register entirely.

Will paying off a CCJ remove it from my credit file?

Only if you pay in full within one month of the judgment, and then write to the court with proof of payment, does it come off the register completely. Paying after one month, and telling the court the same way, gets the CCJ marked as satisfied, which looks better to lenders than an unsatisfied one, but it still stays on record for the full six years.

Can I get a CCJ removed or cancelled?

You can apply to the court to set aside a CCJ using form N244 if you believe it is wrong, for example because you never received the claim or you have a genuine defence to the debt. See our guide to CCJ removal for the full process and current fees.

What happens if I ignore a CCJ?

The debt does not go away. The CCJ stays on the register as unsatisfied for six years, continues to damage your credit rating, and the creditor can take further steps to enforce it, such as sending enforcement agents, applying for an attachment of earnings order, or a charging order against your property.

Can I still get credit with a CCJ against me?

It becomes significantly harder. Most mainstream lenders check the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, and many landlords run similar checks, so a CCJ, especially an unsatisfied one, can affect mortgage applications, credit cards, mobile contracts and tenancy applications.

What if I cannot afford to pay the CCJ?

You can apply to the court to vary the judgment and change the payment terms, for example to pay in smaller instalments. Get free advice from a debt charity first, since ignoring the judgment rather than addressing it will not help your credit file or stop enforcement action.

Does Scotland use CCJs?

No. Scotland does not have County Court Judgments. Its civil courts issue a decree instead, through the Sheriff Court, usually under Simple Procedure for claims up to £5,000, and Scottish debt rules differ from England and Wales in several other ways too.