What is a County Court Judgment (CCJ)?

A CCJ is a formal decision by the county court (in England and Wales) that you owe someone money. It usually happens when a person or company takes court action to claim a debt and you don't respond to the claim in time, so the court enters 'judgment in default'. A CCJ tells you how much to pay, by when, and to whom. It's recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and can affect your credit rating for 6 years.

I've had a court claim but not a CCJ yet — what do I do?

Don't ignore it. With the claim you'll get a response pack including form N9. You normally have 14 days from when the papers were served to respond. You can admit the debt and offer to pay (in full or by instalments using the admission form), dispute all or part of it, or ask for more time to respond. If you do nothing, the creditor can ask the court to enter a CCJ against you 'in default' — so always reply, even if just to ask for time or set up affordable instalments.

How do I get a CCJ removed from my credit file?

If you pay the full amount within one month (30 days) of the judgment, you can get the CCJ removed from the Register completely. If you pay after a month, it's instead marked as 'satisfied' — it stays on the register for 6 years, but anyone searching can see you've paid. Either way, a CCJ drops off the Register of Judgments after 6 years, even if it hasn't been paid. Tell the court once you've paid and ask for a 'certificate of satisfaction' or cancellation.

How does a CCJ affect my credit?

A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and on your credit file for 6 years, which can make it harder or more expensive to get credit, a mortgage, a phone contract or sometimes a tenancy. Paying within 30 days and getting it removed is by far the best outcome. If you can't pay it all at once, paying it off so it's marked 'satisfied' still looks much better to lenders than leaving it unpaid.

County Court Judgment (CCJ): what it means

Q: Can I cancel a CCJ I shouldn't have got?

Sometimes — it's called 'setting aside' the CCJ. You can apply if you have a genuine legal reason, for example you didn't actually owe the money, you never received the claim papers (so couldn't defend yourself), or there was a serious mistake. You apply using form N244, usually with a court fee, and you should act quickly. If the court agrees, the CCJ is cancelled and the case can be reopened. Get free advice before applying, as you'll need to show a real defence.

What a County Court Judgment (CCJ) Actually Is

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a formal county court decision in England and Wales stating that you owe money to a person, company or creditor. Most CCJs happen when a county court claim is issued and you do not respond within the required deadline, resulting in a “judgment in default”.

A CCJ sets out how much debt must be paid, who it is owed to, and when payment is due. It is then recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and can appear on your credit file for up to six years, which may affect your ability to obtain credit, loans, mortgages and other financial products.

Scotland is different This guide is for England & Wales. In Scotland the equivalent is a court “decree” and the process differs — get advice from Citizens Advice Scotland or the Scottish courts.

Had a court claim but not yet a CCJ?

This is the most important time to act — before a County Court Judgment (CCJ) is entered against you. When you receive a county court claim, you’ll usually receive a response pack including Form N9 and normally have 14 days from service of the claim to respond. Depending on your circumstances, you can:

Admit the debt and offer payment in full or through an affordable repayment plan using the admission form;
Defend all or part of the claim if you dispute the debt or believe the amount is incorrect;
Request extra time to respond before the court enters judgment.
Responding to a court claim on time can help you avoid a CCJ and protect your credit record.

Never ignore the papers If you do nothing, the creditor can ask the court to enter a CCJ against you “in default” — automatically. Always reply, even just to ask for time or set up instalments you can afford. Ignoring it is what turns a claim into a judgment on your credit file.

Already have a CCJ? How to get it off your file

What you do	What happens
Pay in full within 30 days	The CCJ is removed from the Register completely — the best outcome by far.
Pay after 30 days	Marked “satisfied” — it stays for 6 years, but searchers can see you’ve paid (much better than unpaid).
Do nothing	Stays on the register for 6 years, then drops off — but unpaid debts can still be enforced.

Once you’ve paid, tell the court and ask for a certificate of satisfaction (or cancellation if paid within 30 days). Can’t pay it all at once? You can apply to the court to vary the payments to an affordable amount.

Shouldn’t Have Got the CCJ? Apply to Set It Aside

If a County Court Judgment (CCJ) was entered incorrectly, you may be able to ask the court to cancel it. This is known as applying to set aside a CCJ. Common reasons include:

You did not owe the debt;
You never received the court claim papers and therefore had no opportunity to defend the claim;
There was a significant error in the claim or court process.

Applications are normally made using Form N244 and usually require a court fee. It is important to act quickly. If the court grants the application, the CCJ can be removed, the judgment cancelled, and the case reopened for a proper hearing.

Do this now

If it’s a live claim, complete form N9 within 14 days. If you have a CCJ you owe, pay within 30 days to remove it, or set up affordable instalments. If it’s wrong, get advice about setting it aside with N244.

Free, expert help: National Debtline 0808 808 4000, StepChange 0800 138 1111 or Citizens Advice. See also free debt help and which debt to pay first.

✓ Source verification

Primary sourceGOV.UK — County court judgments for debt; Citizens Advice; National Debtline

Specific URLgov.uk/county-court-judgments-ccj-for-debt

Last verified15 June 2026 (the default-judgment process, the N9 response/~14-day window, the pay-within-30-days removal, the 6-year register period and setting aside via N244 web-checked against GOV.UK + Citizens Advice)

ConfidenceHigh — a CCJ is a county court decision (England & Wales) that you owe money, usually entered in default when a claim isn't answered; you respond to a claim using form N9 (normally within 14 days); paying the full amount within one month removes the CCJ from the Register, paying later marks it 'satisfied'; it stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years; you can apply to set aside a CCJ with form N244 if there's a genuine reason (didn't owe it, never received papers).

Key factsCCJ = court says you owe money (E&W) · respond to a claim with form N9 within ~14 days (admit/pay/dispute/ask for time) · ignore it → default CCJ · pay in full within 30 days → removed from Register; pay later → 'satisfied' (stays 6 years) · drops off after 6 years · set aside via form N244 if wrong · vary payments if you can't pay in full · Scotland = decree (different)

ScopeEngland & Wales. Information, not legal advice — get free help from National Debtline, StepChange and Citizens Advice.

CCJs — common questions

What is a CCJ?

A county court decision (England & Wales) that you owe someone money — usually entered when you don't respond to a court claim, so the court rules 'in default'. It says how much to pay, by when and to whom, and goes on the Register of Judgments for 6 years.

I've had a claim but not a CCJ — what do I do?

Respond using form N9 within about 14 days: admit and offer to pay (in full or by instalments), dispute it, or ask for more time. If you ignore it, the creditor can have a CCJ entered against you in default — so always reply.

How do I get a CCJ removed?

Pay the full amount within 30 days and it's removed from the Register completely. Pay after that and it's marked 'satisfied' — it stays 6 years but shows as paid. Either way it drops off after 6 years. Tell the court once you've paid.

Can I cancel a CCJ I shouldn't have got?

Sometimes — it's called setting aside, using form N244, if you have a genuine reason (you didn't owe it, or never received the papers). Act quickly and get advice, as you'll need to show a real defence. If the court agrees, the CCJ is cancelled.

How does it affect my credit?

A CCJ stays on your credit file for 6 years, making credit, mortgages, phone contracts and some tenancies harder or more expensive. Paying within 30 days to remove it is the best outcome; even paying it off so it's 'satisfied' looks far better than leaving it unpaid.

Sources The default-judgment process, the N9 response, the pay-within-30-days removal, the 6-year register and setting aside with N244 · GOV.UK — County court judgments for debt and Citizens Advice. SortedUK is not a regulated adviser and this is general information — get free help from National Debtline, StepChange or Citizens Advice. Last reviewed: 15 June 2026.

Got a CCJ or Court Claim? Act Fast and Protect Your Credit Record.

What a County Court Judgment (CCJ) Actually Is

Had a court claim but not yet a CCJ?

Already have a CCJ? How to get it off your file

Shouldn’t Have Got the CCJ? Apply to Set It Aside

CCJs — common questions

A CCJ isn’t the end — if you move quickly.