County Court Judgment (CCJ)

The court's formal decision that money is owed — and, for the person who owes it, a public record that follows their credit file for up to six years.

How long does a CCJ stay on the register?

Six years from the date of judgment, unless it is paid in full within one calendar month of that date, in which case it is removed from the register entirely. Payment after the first month does not remove the entry — it is instead marked as satisfied, and it remains visible for the rest of the six years.

Does every county court money judgment become a registered CCJ?

Most do, but not all. Judgments for money in the County Court are normally entered on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, though there are exceptions — for example, some judgments are not registered where the defendant paid promptly under specific conditions, and registration can be cancelled if the judgment is set aside. The register is maintained by Registry Trust Ltd on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

How does a CCJ affect credit?

Credit reference agencies take data from the public register, so a CCJ typically appears on the debtor's credit file and is taken into account by lenders, landlords and some employers for as long as it remains registered. A judgment marked as satisfied is generally viewed more favourably than an unpaid one, but the entry itself persists for the six-year period.

What is a certificate of satisfaction or cancellation?

Once the debt is paid, the debtor can apply to the court for a certificate confirming payment — a certificate of cancellation if paid within one month (removing the entry), or a certificate of satisfaction if paid later (marking it satisfied). There is a modest court fee unless the claimant confirms payment to the court directly. Debtors usually need to supply proof of payment.

Can a CCJ be removed early?

Only in limited ways: paying in full within the first month, or having the judgment set aside by the court — for example where the claim was never properly served. There is no legitimate paid service that can otherwise delete a correctly registered CCJ, whatever some websites suggest.

Do CCJs earn interest while unpaid?

County Court judgments of £5,000 or more generally carry interest under the County Courts (Interest on Judgment Debts) Order 1991, and some smaller judgment debts attract interest under contract terms or other rules. For typical small claims below £5,000, post-judgment interest usually does not run — check the position for your judgment before adding interest to enforcement paperwork.

County Court Judgment

Small Claims · Glossary

County Court Judgment (CCJ)

The court's formal decision that money is owed — and, for the person who owes it, a public record that follows their credit file for up to six years.

Last reviewed: August 2026

County Court Judgment (CCJ)

is a County Court decision that a defendant owes money — normally entered on the public Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, where it stays for six years unless paid in full within one month of the judgment date.

Where this comes from

County Courts Act 1984

— the framework for County Court money judgments and their registration.

Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005

— what is registered, for how long, and how entries are cancelled or marked satisfied.

County court judgments for debt

— gov.uk guidance for people who receive a CCJ.

What a CCJ actually is

Any money claim that succeeds in the County Court — whether after a contested hearing or by

when the defendant never responded — produces a judgment ordering the defendant to pay. That judgment is what people call a CCJ. It states the amount owed, and either requires payment immediately (“forthwith”), by a set date, or by instalments the court has determined.

For the claimant, the CCJ is the foundation for enforcement: nothing in the enforcement toolkit — warrants, attachment of earnings, charging orders — is available without a judgment first. For the defendant, now a

, the CCJ has a second life beyond the case itself, because most money judgments are entered on a public register that credit reference agencies read.

The register and the one-month rule

The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines is maintained by Registry Trust Ltd on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, and anyone can search it for a small fee. An entry normally remains for

from the date of judgment. What happens within the first month matters enormously:

• Paid in full within one month.
• The debtor can apply for a certificate of cancellation and the entry is removed from the register entirely — as if it had never been there.
• Paid in full after one month.
• The debtor can apply for a certificate of satisfaction. The entry stays for the rest of the six years, but marked as satisfied — visibly resolved, though not erased.
• The entry remains unsatisfied for six years, the claimant can enforce, and the judgment continues to weigh on credit checks by lenders, landlords and others.
• If the court later sets the judgment aside — for example because the claim was never properly served — registration is cancelled along with it.

How it works in practice

A decorator wins judgment for £4,000 against a customer on 1 June. The judgment orders payment within 14 days. The customer, worried about an upcoming mortgage application, weighs the options.

Pay £4,000 by 1 July

Pay £4,000 on 1 September

marked satisfied, visible to 2032

unsatisfied CCJ + enforcement risk

Cheapest long-term option

pay within the month

The customer borrows from family and pays on 24 June, then applies for a certificate of cancellation with proof of payment. The register entry is removed. Had they waited even a week longer, the judgment would have shadowed their credit file — satisfied but visible — until 2032.

• Ignoring a claim and getting a CCJ by default.
• Many CCJs arise not from lost arguments but from unopened post. A defendant who responds to the claim can defend it, admit it, or negotiate — silence produces the worst outcome.
• Paying but never telling the court.
• Satisfaction is not recorded automatically. Debtors should keep proof of payment and apply for the certificate; claimants should confirm payment when asked rather than leaving a paid judgment looking unpaid.
• Believing removal services.
• No paid service can delete a correctly registered CCJ. Removal happens only through payment within one month or a successful
• For claimants: treating the CCJ as the finish line.
• The register creates pressure to pay, but if the debtor does not respond to that pressure, you still need to choose an enforcement method — and the six-year enforcement clock is best not left to drift.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• County Courts Act 1984
• (legislation.gov.uk)
• Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005
• County court judgments for debt
• TrustOnline — search the register

Chasing a debt towards judgment?

Start My Claim helps you build the claim, hit the deadlines and understand what a judgment means in practice.

Last reviewed: August 2026.

References checked against the 2005 Regulations and gov.uk guidance as at 3 August 2026.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.