How to Check if you have a CCJ | What Happens if I Leave a CCJ Unpaid

What Is a CCJ?

A County Court Judgment, usually shortened to CCJ, is a court order confirming that you owe money to another person or organisation.

A CCJ can be issued if a creditor takes court action and you either do not respond to the claim or the court decides that the money is owed.

The judgment should tell you how much you need to pay, who to pay and whether the balance must be paid immediately or through instalments.

How to Check if You Have a CCJ

The official way to check the CCJ register is through TrustOnline, which provides public access to the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.

When searching, use the name and address that would have applied when the judgment was registered. If you have lived at several addresses, you may need to search each one separately.

A CCJ record can include:

• Your name and address
• The court responsible for the case
• The CCJ case number
• The amount of the judgment
• The date it was registered
• Whether it has been marked as satisfied

The register does not normally tell you who the original creditor was. If you need that information, contact the court shown on the record using your case number.

Are CCJs Public Records?

Yes. Most monetary CCJs are recorded on the public Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.

This means another person or business can search the register. Credit reference agencies also receive information from the register, which is why a CCJ will usually appear on your credit report.

A CCJ normally remains registered for six years. However, if you pay the judgment in full within one month of the judgment date, you can ask for it to be removed.

If you pay after one month, it can be marked as satisfied but will usually remain visible for the remainder of the six-year period.

You can read the official rules on CCJs and your credit record on GOV.UK.

Can I Get a CCJ Without Knowing?

Yes. It is possible to discover a CCJ that you were previously unaware of.

One common reason is that court papers were sent to an old address. If you did not receive the claim form and therefore did not respond, the creditor may have obtained a judgment by default.

If you discover an unfamiliar CCJ, check the case details and contact the relevant court.

You may be able to apply for the judgment to be set aside if you did not receive the original claim, do not owe the money or have another valid reason for challenging it.

What Makes a CCJ Invalid?

A CCJ is not simply made “invalid” because you disagree with it. The usual legal process is to ask the court to set the judgment aside.

A court must set aside certain default judgments that were entered incorrectly. In other circumstances, it may consider setting a judgment aside if you have a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or there is another good reason for allowing you to defend it.

This could potentially apply where you did not receive the original claim or where the debt was not yours, although an application is not automatically successful.

Applications should normally be made promptly once you become aware of the CCJ.

GOV.UK explains how to apply to have a CCJ set aside.

What Happens If I Ignore a CCJ?

Ignoring a CCJ does not make it disappear.

If the judgment requires payment and you do not pay as ordered, the creditor may apply for further enforcement. Depending on the circumstances, this could include:

• A warrant of control
• Bailiff enforcement
• An attachment of earnings order
• A charging order against property
• A third-party debt order

If a warrant of control is issued, County Court bailiffs may be authorised to recover the debt. Read our guide to what a warrant of control means if your CCJ has reached this stage.

How Long After a CCJ Do Bailiffs Come?

There is no set number of days after a CCJ before bailiffs will arrive.

The creditor normally needs to take a further enforcement step first, such as applying for a warrant of control. Bailiffs are therefore not automatically sent to your home simply because a CCJ has been issued.

Once an enforcement company has been instructed, a Notice of Enforcement will normally need to be given before an enforcement visit can take place.

If you are concerned about how a debt progresses from missed payments to enforcement, our guide to why bailiffs get involved explains the process.

How Much Does a CCJ Cost?

There is no single fixed cost for a CCJ.

The creditor has to pay a court fee when making a money claim, and this depends on how much they are claiming. These costs can form part of the amount ultimately owed if the claim succeeds.

Current court issue fees include £35 for a claim of up to £300, £455 for claims between £5,000.01 and £10,000 and 5% of the claim value for claims between £10,000.01 and £200,000.

Further costs can also be added if enforcement is required.

You can check the latest civil court fees on GOV.UK.

Are CCJs Ever Written Off?

A CCJ disappearing from your credit record is not the same as the debt being written off.

A judgment normally drops off the public register after six years, even if it has not been paid. However, the underlying judgment debt does not automatically cease to exist simply because the register entry has disappeared.

This is an important distinction if you are checking an older debt and cannot find it on your credit file.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay a CCJ After 6 Years?

Once six years have passed, a creditor may face additional restrictions when trying to enforce an old judgment.

For example, if six years or more have passed since the judgment, a creditor normally needs the court’s permission before a new warrant or writ of control can be issued.

This does not mean every CCJ becomes unenforceable after six years. The position can depend on the enforcement method and the circumstances of the case, so do not assume an old judgment has automatically been cancelled.

Does a CCJ Affect Employment?

For most jobs, having a CCJ does not automatically prevent you from being employed.

However, some employers carry out financial background checks, particularly for jobs involving financial responsibility, regulated financial services or handling significant amounts of money.

Whether a CCJ matters will depend on the employer, the role and whether the judgment is still outstanding. A satisfied CCJ may also be viewed differently from one that remains unpaid.

Can a CCJ Lead to Bailiffs for Credit Card Debt?

Potentially, yes.

A credit card company cannot normally send bailiffs simply because you have missed payments. Court action would usually need to happen first. If the creditor obtains a CCJ and you then fail to pay according to the judgment, they may apply for further enforcement.

Our guide to whether bailiffs can visit for credit card debt explains each stage of the process.