How to Ask for a Copy of Your Credit Agreement (CCA Request) in the UK

Under sections 77, 78, and 79 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, debtors and hirers in the United Kingdom have a statutory right to request a copy of their executed credit or hire agreement, together with a statement of account. This right applies across England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The process is sometimes referred to informally as a "CCA request" or a "section 78 request," though the relevant section depends on the type of agreement in question.

This guide explains how the CCA request system works, the obligations it places on creditors, what happens when those obligations are not met, and the key rules and timelines involved. It does not provide financial advice.

A CCA request is a written request made by a debtor or hirer to their creditor or the owner of hired goods, asking for a copy of the original credit or hire agreement and a statement of account. The request must be accompanied by a statutory fee of £1. Once the creditor receives a valid request, they have 12 working days to provide the documents. If they fail to do so within that period, the creditor is not entitled to enforce the agreement for as long as the failure continues — though the underlying debt does not disappear.

Three separate sections of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 govern this right, each applying to a different type of agreement:

• Section 77 covers fixed-sum credit agreements, including hire purchase.
• Section 78 covers running-account credit agreements, such as credit cards, store cards, and catalogue accounts.
• Section 79 covers consumer hire agreements.

The statutory fee is £1 and cannot be increased by the creditor. The creditor cannot be required to respond to a further request for the same agreement if they have already complied with one within the previous month.

The CCA request mechanism exists within Part VI of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. It provides a formal route for individuals to obtain documentation relating to their credit or hire agreements. The system operates as follows.

The debtor or hirer submits a written request to the creditor or owner. This request must be accompanied by the statutory fee of £1. There is no prescribed form for the request — it simply needs to be in writing. There is no statutory deadline by which a debtor must make a request; it may be made at any time while the agreement remains in force and money is still payable.

Upon receiving the request and fee, the creditor or owner must comply within the prescribed period of 12 working days. They must supply a copy of the executed agreement (or a reconstituted version of it), a copy of any other document referred to in the agreement, and a statement of account. "Working day" is defined in section 189(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 as any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday, or a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. The 12-working-day period runs from after the day of receipt; the day the request is received is not counted.

The copy provided must be a "true copy" as defined in the Consumer Credit (Cancellation Notices and Copies of Documents) Regulations 1983 (SI 1983/1557). Regulation 2(1) of those Regulations requires the copy to be "easily legible." The signature box, the debtor's signature, and the date of signature may be omitted from the copy, as permitted by Regulation 3(2) of the same Regulations.

Where the agreement has been varied under section 82 of the Act, the creditor must provide either a copy of the latest variation notice for each varied term, or a clear statement of the terms as varied.

If the creditor fails to comply within the prescribed 12-working-day period, the creditor is not entitled to enforce the agreement through the courts for as long as the default continues. Once the creditor provides the required documents, enforcement rights resume.

Where a debt has been assigned — for example, sold to a debt purchaser — the request is directed to the current creditor (the firm now entitled to the payments under the agreement).

The following rules and values are drawn directly from the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and its supporting regulations.

• Statutory fee: £1. This is set by the Act itself and cannot be varied or increased by the creditor.
• Prescribed compliance period: 12 working days from receipt of the request. Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday, and bank holidays under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971.
• Minimum interval between requests: The creditor is not required to comply with a request if a previous request for the same agreement was complied with less than one month ago. This applies regardless of whether the earlier request was made by the debtor directly or by someone acting on their behalf.
• Agreements where no sum is payable: The duty does not apply to agreements under which no sum is, or will or may become, payable by the debtor or hirer. However, if an agreement has been terminated but money still remains payable, the duty continues to apply.
• Non-commercial agreements: The duty does not apply to non-commercial agreements — that is, agreements not made by the creditor or owner in the course of a business. A private loan between two individuals, for example, would fall outside the scope of sections 77–79.
• Consequences of non-compliance: If the creditor fails to provide the required documents within 12 working days, the creditor is not entitled to enforce the agreement through the courts while the default continues. The debt itself, however, still exists. Interest and charges may continue to accrue depending on the agreement terms and applicable rules. The creditor may also issue default notices, report the debt to credit reference agencies, pass the account to debt collectors, or sell the debt. Once the creditor complies with the request, enforcement rights resume.

The debt does not vanish if the creditor cannot produce the agreement

Non-compliance with a CCA request means the creditor is not entitled to enforce the agreement through the courts — it does not extinguish the debt. The underlying obligation to repay continues to exist.

A "true copy" does not have to be a photocopy of the signed original

Where the original executed document is unavailable — for example, because it has been lost or destroyed — the creditor may provide a reconstituted version. Case law (CKarey v HSBC Bank plc [2009] EWHC 3417 (QB)) and OFT guidance confirm that a reconstituted copy is permissible provided it is honest and accurate, and contains all terms along with the debtor's name and address at the time of execution. The signature box, signature, and date of signature may be omitted.

There is a difference between sections 77 and 77B

Section 77B of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 provides a separate and distinct right to request a statement of account showing future instalments for certain fixed-sum credit agreements. Unlike a request under section 77, a section 77B request does not require payment of a fee. The creditor must comply "as soon as reasonably practicable" rather than within a fixed 12-working-day deadline. Failure to comply with section 77B is actionable as a breach of statutory duty but does not trigger the unenforceability sanction that applies under section 77. Section 77B applies only to fixed-sum credit agreements of fixed duration repayable by instalments that are not secured on land, are not pawn agreements, are not business agreements, and do not exceed £60,260.

Section and agreement type must match

The correct section to cite in a request depends on the type of agreement. Section 77 applies to fixed-sum credit (including hire purchase), section 78 applies to running-account credit (credit cards, store cards, catalogues), and section 79 applies to consumer hire agreements. Using the wrong section does not necessarily invalidate the request, but the statutory framework assigns the duty according to agreement type.

• Overdrafts. Most current account overdrafts are exempt from the section 77–79 copy-request regime. Section 74(1)(b) of the Act excludes debtor-creditor agreements enabling an overdraft on a current account from Part VI, and these arrangements are governed by separate CCA provisions.
• Utility debts and council debts. Debts relating to gas, electricity, water, telephone services, and council obligations are not covered by sections 77–79.
• Assigned debts. Where a debt has been assigned, the duty to comply with a CCA request falls on the current creditor — the firm now entitled to the payments. This principle is supported by regulatory guidance, though it has not been the subject of a definitive court ruling.
• Reconstituted copies. As noted above, a creditor may supply a reconstituted version of the agreement where the original has been lost. This must be honest and accurate and must include all prescribed terms and the debtor's name and address as they appeared at execution.

When a debtor or hirer makes a valid written request accompanied by the £1 fee, the creditor has a clear statutory obligation to provide the relevant documents within 12 working days. If the creditor does not do so, the creditor is not entitled to enforce the agreement through the courts until compliance occurs. The debt itself, however, does not disappear, and interest or charges may continue to accrue depending on the agreement terms and applicable rules. The right applies to the current creditor. Where a debt has been sold or assigned, the debtor directs the request to the firm now entitled to the payments under the agreement. A creditor is not obliged to respond to repeated requests made within one month of a previous compliant response.

• Statutory Right: You can request a "true copy" of your credit agreement under Sections 77-79 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
• The Cost: You must pay a £1 statutory fee with your written request.
• The Deadline: Creditors have 12 working days to comply.
• The Consequence: If they fail to comply, the debt becomes unenforceable in court until they do.
• What You Get: It might not be the original signed photocopy. A "reconstituted copy" is legally acceptable if it's accurate.
• Exclusions: Doesn't apply to most overdrafts, utility bills, or council tax.