Warrant of control

The enforcement method most people picture when they think of bailiffs — court enforcement agents authorised to take a debtor's goods so an unpaid judgment actually gets paid.

Do bailiffs turn up unannounced after a warrant of control is issued?

No. The enforcement agent must first send the debtor a notice of enforcement giving at least seven clear days' warning before a first visit. That notice period is a legal requirement, and it also gives the debtor a final window to pay or agree an arrangement before goods are at risk.

What goods can and cannot be taken?

Enforcement agents can take control of goods the debtor owns, but the law exempts basic domestic items such as a cooker, fridge, beds and essential household equipment, and tools of the debtor's trade up to a set value. Goods that belong to someone else — a partner, a landlord, a hire company — cannot lawfully be sold to pay the debtor's judgment.

Is there a limit on the size of judgment a County Court warrant can enforce?

A warrant of control in the County Court is used for judgments up to £5,000. Judgments above £600 can instead be transferred to the High Court for enforcement by writ of control, and judgments over £5,000 generally must be, unless the debt arises from an agreement regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which stays in the County Court.

What is a controlled goods agreement?

It is an agreement that lets the debtor keep using listed goods while they pay the debt by agreed instalments. The goods remain under the enforcement agent's legal control — if the debtor breaks the agreement, the agent can return and remove them for sale without starting again from scratch.

What does it cost, and who pays?

There is a court fee to issue the warrant, published in the HMCTS EX50 schedule, and enforcement stages carry fixed fees under the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014. These are generally added to what the debtor owes and recovered from the debtor or from sale proceeds — though if enforcement fails entirely, the issue fee is money the creditor does not get back.

Can the debtor stop a warrant of control?

They can apply to suspend the warrant, usually offering to pay by instalments, and the court decides whether to suspend on terms. A debtor may also apply to set aside the underlying judgment if there are proper grounds — a successful set-aside brings enforcement to a halt because the judgment it rests on no longer stands.

Small Claims · Glossary

The enforcement method most people picture when they think of bailiffs — court enforcement agents authorised to take a debtor's goods so an unpaid judgment actually gets paid.

Last reviewed: August 2026

is a County Court instruction authorising enforcement agents to take control of a judgment debtor's goods and, if the debt still is not paid, sell them at auction to satisfy the judgment.

Where this comes from

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12

— the statutory procedure for taking control of goods.

Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013

— notice periods, exempt goods and how visits must be conducted.

— gov.uk overview of enforcement options, including warrants.

Where a warrant of control fits

Winning a county court claim gets you a judgment, not a payment. If the

does not pay, the court will not chase them for you — you choose an enforcement method and apply for it. A warrant of control is usually the quickest to understand: enforcement agents employed by the County Court visit the debtor, and the threat or reality of losing goods pushes many debtors to pay or agree instalments.

The warrant route enforces County Court judgments up to £5,000. Judgments over £600 can instead be transferred to the High Court and enforced by writ of control through High Court Enforcement Officers; judgments above £5,000 generally must take that route, unless the debt comes from a Consumer Credit Act regulated agreement, which stays in the County Court. For typical small claims — which sit at or below the £10,000 track limit and often well below the £5,000 line — the County Court warrant is the standard choice.

Since 2014 the process has been governed by a single statutory scheme in Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, which replaced the older law of “distress” and “walking possession” with regulated steps, fixed fees and protected categories of goods.

How enforcement unfolds

• You apply to the court with the warrant fee (see the EX50 schedule), stating the amount outstanding. The warrant is sent to the enforcement agents for the debtor's area.
• Notice of enforcement.
• The debtor receives written notice giving at least seven clear days before a first visit — a final chance to pay in full or agree an arrangement.
• Agents may enter peacefully (not by force into a home), identify goods the debtor owns, and take control of them — usually by listing them in a controlled goods agreement rather than removing them on the spot.
• Most cases end with payment or instalments under the agreement. If the debtor defaults, the agents can remove the controlled goods and sell them at public auction, applying the proceeds to the debt and fees.

How it works in practice

A landscaper obtains a default judgment for £2,400 against a customer who never responded to the claim. A month passes with no payment, so he applies for a warrant of control.

Judgment debt outstanding

Warrant issue fee (added to debt)

Enforcement stage fees (added to debt)

Recovered from the debtor if enforcement succeeds

The customer receives the notice of enforcement and ignores it. An enforcement agent visits, and rather than lose a van full of equipment to auction, the customer signs a controlled goods agreement and clears the debt over four months. The landscaper receives the judgment sum plus the warrant fee; the agent's stage fees are recovered from the debtor under the fee regulations.

A warrant of control works best when the debtor has goods worth taking — a vehicle on the drive, business equipment, non-essential valuables — and an address where agents can find them. It is weaker against debtors who own little, rent everything, or keep assets in someone else's name. In those cases a different method may fit better: a

against a bank account, an attachment of earnings order against wages, or a

against property. An

can help you find out what the debtor actually has before you spend money on the wrong method.

• If you do not know whether the debtor has seizable goods, the warrant fee can be money after bad. Information gathering first often pays for itself.
• Expecting forced entry.
• Enforcement agents cannot break into a home for an ordinary debt. A debtor who refuses entry limits what agents can do inside, though vehicles and goods outside remain reachable.
• Overlooking exempt and third-party goods.
• Essential household items, tools of the trade up to the statutory value, and goods owned by others are off limits — a house full of belongings is not the same as a house full of seizable assets.
• Ignoring the suspension route.
• Debtors can apply to suspend the warrant and pay by instalments. Budget for the possibility that enforcement turns into a payment plan rather than a lump sum.
• Using the wrong court tier.
• Judgments over £5,000 (outside Consumer Credit Act agreements) belong with High Court enforcement, not a County Court warrant. Check the thresholds before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12
• (legislation.gov.uk)
• Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013
• Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014
• EX50 — civil and family court fees

Judgment in hand but still unpaid?

Start My Claim helps you compare enforcement methods and prepare the application that fits your debtor.

Last reviewed: August 2026.

References checked against Schedule 12 TCEA 2007 and the 2013 Regulations as in force on 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.