How to Check If You Have a CCJ: UK Registry Steps

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a court order issued when a court in England or Wales decides that money is owed, either because the defendant did not respond or defend the claim, or because the claimant succeeded after a hearing. CCJs are recorded on a statutory public register — the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines — which is maintained under the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/3595), as amended in 2009. The register is operated by Registry Trust Limited, a not-for-profit company established in 1985, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

This guide explains how the system for checking CCJs works in England and Wales, the routes available for searching the register, what information a search returns, and what happens once a CCJ is found. It does not cover the separate systems that apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which maintain their own registers under different legislation.

There are two main ways to check whether a CCJ has been recorded against your name in England and Wales.

1. The first is to check your credit report. Credit reference agencies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — record CCJ information obtained from the Register. Free access to credit reports is available through services such as Credit Karma (TransUnion), ClearScore (Equifax), and Credit Matcher (Experian). Each agency may hold different information, so checking more than one can provide a fuller picture.
2. The second is to search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines directly. TrustOnline is the only service providing immediate public access to search the complete Register for England and Wales. Searching via TrustOnline does not leave a "footprint" on the individual's record. A postal search option also exists.

The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines is the official statutory register for England and Wales. It is divided into four sections: County Court money judgments, administration orders and certain child maintenance liability orders registered for enforcement; High Court money judgments; fines registered by Local Justice Areas; and enforced Tribunal Awards. The Courts Act 2003 extended the register to include High Court judgments from 6 April 2006.

County Court Judgments themselves are governed by the County Courts Act 1984 and the Civil Procedure Rules. When a creditor issues a court claim against a debtor, the defendant has 14 days to respond to the claim form — or 28 days from service of the claim where an acknowledgment of service is filed. If the defendant does not respond or defend the claim, or if the claimant succeeds after a defended hearing, the court may issue a CCJ, which is then entered onto the Register.

Once a CCJ is on the Register, it becomes visible to anyone who searches for it. Credit reference agencies obtain CCJ data from the Register and include it on individuals' credit files.

It is important to note that the Register does not currently include the name of the claimant (creditor) who obtained the judgment. The Government has announced an intention to legislate to include claimant names, but this change has not yet been implemented.

Searching via TrustOnline

TrustOnline provides immediate online access to search the Register. Each search looks up one name or trading style at one specified address, or one limited company. Payment is made by credit or debit card. Results show the name and address recorded, the court name, case number, judgment date, and amount. They do not show the claimant's name.

The fees for TrustOnline searches, which include VAT at 20% (fees correct at time of writing), are as follows:

• One Register (e.g. England and Wales only): £6.00
• Two Registers, or all sections of the England and Wales Register: £8.00
• All Registers (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Republic of Ireland): £10.00
• Case number search (for a specific known record): £5.00

Searching by post

A postal search of the England and Wales Register is available by downloading and submitting a search request form to Registry Trust Limited. The fee is £10.00, payable by cheque or postal order. Results are normally processed promptly, often on the day of receipt, and returned by second-class post.

Checking credit reports

Free online credit reports can be accessed immediately. Because each credit reference agency may hold different information, checking reports from all three — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — provides the broadest view.

Several fixed rules govern how CCJs interact with the Register and how they can be addressed once identified.

Duration on the Register

CCJs remain on the Register for six years from the date of judgment. This applies to County Court judgments, High Court judgments, and enforced tribunal awards alike. After six years, entries are automatically removed, even if the debt remains unpaid. Default fines follow a different rule and remain on the Register for five years from the date of conviction.

Payment within one calendar month

If the full amount of a CCJ is paid within one calendar month of the judgment date, the defendant can apply for a Certificate of Cancellation, which removes the CCJ from the Register entirely.

Payment after one calendar month

If the full amount is paid after the one-month window, the CCJ cannot be removed. Instead, it is marked as "satisfied" and remains on the Register for the full six-year period. The defendant can apply for a Certificate of Satisfaction to confirm payment has been made.

Application for cancellation or satisfaction (Form N443)

To obtain either certificate, the defendant uses Form N443. As of April 2025, the fee is £19, payable by cheque to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). This fee can be waived or reduced for applicants on low income. If proof of payment from the claimant is unavailable, the court will write to the claimant; if there is no response within the specified period, the court may proceed on the applicant's evidence.

Setting aside a CCJ (Form N244)

If the defendant believes they do not owe the money, or did not receive or respond to the original claim, they can apply to set aside (cancel) the CCJ using Form N244. As of April 2025, the fee is £313 for an on-notice application, or £123 for applications by consent or without notice. Fee remission may be available for low-income applicants through the Help with Fees scheme (Form EX160). The court may set aside a CCJ if the judgment was irregular, or if the defendant has a genuine defence and acted promptly. Timescales for a hearing vary by court and workload.

The Register does not show who you owe

A search of the Register returns the defendant's name and address, the court, the case number, the date, and the amount — but not the name of the creditor. This means a person may discover a CCJ exists without immediately knowing which debt it relates to. The case number can be used to contact the relevant court for further information.

Credit reports and the Register are not the same thing

A CCJ appears on both the public Register and on credit files held by credit reference agencies. However, the information on each may not update at exactly the same time. Marking a CCJ as satisfied on the Register does not guarantee immediate updating of all credit files, and vice versa.

Paying does not mean removal

Paying the debt does not automatically remove the CCJ. Only payment within one calendar month of the judgment date qualifies for full removal. Payment after that period results in a "satisfied" notation, but the entry itself remains for six years.

Each address requires a separate search

Records on the Register are registered at the address supplied by the claimant at the time of the hearing. If a person has changed address, separate searches are needed for each address where they were resident during the six-year registration period. The registered address does not change unless the court advises that it was incorrect.

Council tax debts

Council tax debts are enforced via magistrates' court liability orders rather than County Court Judgments, and in most cases do not appear in the CCJ section of the Register. According to published guidance, such debts may instead appear in the Defaulted Fines section of the Register.

Bankruptcy and CCJs

Judgment registrations are not affected by discharge from bankruptcy. According to published guidance, a CCJ remains on the Register even if the debtor is subsequently discharged from bankruptcy. Bankruptcy details themselves are not held on the Register.

Insurance-related CCJs

In most cases, CCJs relating to insurance claims can be removed from credit files — though not from the public Register — upon request, provided the insurer accepts liability and confirms this in writing. According to published guidance, Registry Trust can instruct credit reference agencies to remove such a judgment from credit files upon receipt of a letter from the insurer confirming that the judgment relates to an insurance claim, along with the case number, judgment date, and amount. This does not apply to limited companies.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The law is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland, each of which maintains a separate register. Scotland's system is governed by the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Northern Ireland has its own register, also maintained by Registry Trust Limited. Claimant names are included under those systems, though presentation differs.

When a person discovers a CCJ on their record — whether through a credit report or a Register search — the significance depends on when it was entered and whether it has been paid.

• A CCJ that was paid within one calendar month of the judgment date can be removed from the Register entirely through an application for a Certificate of Cancellation. The process involves submitting Form N443 to the court with a fee of £19 and providing proof of payment. The update to the Register, according to Citizens Advice, could take up to 4 weeks, though the precise timeframe is not specified in primary sources.
• A CCJ that was paid after one calendar month remains on the Register for six years but can be marked as satisfied. This is done through the same Form N443 process.
• A CCJ that the defendant believes was wrongly entered — for example, because the original claim form was never received — can be challenged through a set-aside application (Form N244), which costs £313 for an on-notice application as of April 2025.
• Where a person has moved address, the Register will only show entries linked to the specific address searched. A thorough check requires searching each address at which the person has lived during the past six years.

• Official Register: The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines is the statutory record for England and Wales.
• Search Options: Can be searched via TrustOnline (fee applies) or by checking free credit reports.
• Duration: CCJs remain for six years, regardless of payment status.
• Removal: Only possible if paid within one calendar month of judgment (Certificate of Cancellation).
• Satisfaction: Payment after one month results in a "satisfied" marker, not removal.
• Set Aside: Can apply to set aside (Form N244) if the judgment was irregular or a genuine defence exists.
• Claimant Name: Not shown on the Register; only court and case number are visible.
• Address Specific: Searches must be conducted for each address lived at during the six-year period.