County court judgments for debt
CCJs and your credit rating
If you get a county court judgment (CCJ) or a high court judgment, it will stay on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years.
Banks and loan companies use this information to decide whether to give you credit or loans.
If you pay within one month
If you pay the full amount within one month, you can get the judgment removed from the register.
Write to the court to say you’ve paid. You’ll need to send proof of payment from the person or business you owed money to.
If you pay after one month
If you pay after one month, you can get the record of the judgment marked as ‘satisfied’ in the register.
It will stay on the register for 6 years but people searching the register will see that you’ve paid.
Write to the court to say you’ve paid. You’ll need to send proof of payment from the person or business you owed money to.
Getting a certificate of cancellation or satisfaction
If you want proof from the court that you’ve paid, you can apply for:
- a certificate of cancellation - if you paid within one month
- a certificate of satisfaction - if you paid after one month
Apply for the certificate in writing or by sending form N443 to the court that is dealing with your case.
You’ll need to include a cheque for £15 - make it payable to ‘HMCTS’. If you want to pay by card, contact the court that’s handling your case.
If you cannot get proof of payment
If you cannot get proof from the person or business you owed money to, you can still apply for a certificate of cancellation or satisfaction using form N443.
You’ll need to send evidence to the court showing you made the payment, for example a bank statement. If you do not have evidence, explain this on the form.
The court will write to the person or business you owed money to. If they do not respond within 30 days, the court will use your evidence to make a decision.
Search the register of judgments
You can search for details of any judgments against you on the register of judgments.
You’ll have to pay a small fee - each search costs between £6 and £10.
If the information on the register is wrong, contact the court where the judgment was made.