How to check if you have a CCJ

Most people only find out about a CCJ when they are refused credit, but it is worth checking sooner if you have missed letters, moved house or had a debt passed between collectors. Judgments are often made because the court papers went to an old address. The earlier you find one, the more you can do about it.

Where are CCJs recorded?

County court judgments in England and Wales go on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. Registry Trust, a not-for-profit organisation, keeps the register for the Ministry of Justice, and runs the TrustOnline search service. Registry Trust also keeps registers for Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland.

The credit reference agencies take judgment information from the register and add it to your credit file. So there are two ways to check: search the register itself, or look at your credit reports.

How do you search the register on TrustOnline?

Go to TrustOnline, the official search service. Each search covers one name at one address, and the price depends on how many registers you search:

• one register: £6
• two registers, or all sections of the England and Wales register: £8
• all registers: £10

Prices include VAT. You pay even if the result is “nothing registered”.

Because each search is for one address, search every address you have lived at in the last 6 years, and use the name exactly as it might appear on a claim, including any middle name or former surname. A search against the wrong address will come back clear even if there is a judgment against you somewhere else.

The result shows each judgment’s court, case number, date and amount, and whether it has been satisfied. Keep the case number: you need it for anything you do next.

Does the register include High Court judgments?

Yes, but not all at once. A High Court judgment made in default is registered straight away. A defended High Court judgment, or a county court judgment transferred to the High Court for enforcement, is registered once enforcement starts. Unpaid magistrates’ court fines are also recorded, and stay for 5 years.

How do you check your credit report for free?

You are entitled to a statutory credit report from each credit reference agency. Experian and Equifax both describe theirs as free. TransUnion is the third main agency. Check all three if you can, because lenders do not all use the same one and the files are not always identical.

A judgment on your credit report shows the date, the amount, the court and whether it has been satisfied. It stays for 6 years from the judgment date. See how long a CCJ lasts for what happens after that.

You do not need a paid subscription to see this. If you do sign up for a credit report service, read the terms first, because some start with a free trial and then charge monthly.

What if you find a CCJ you did not know about?

Do not ignore it. A judgment that nobody pays can lead to bailiffs, deductions from your wages or a charge on your home.

1. Note the details from the search: the court, the case number, the date and the claimant.
2. Contact the court that made the judgment and ask for copies of the claim form and the judgment. This shows where the claim was sent and what it was for.
3. Check whether you owe the money. If you do, pay as ordered or contact the claimant to agree payments. If you are within one calendar month of the judgment date and can pay in full, you can get it removed.
4. If you did not owe it, or never received the claim, you may be able to ask the court to set the judgment aside. Act quickly, because the court considers whether you applied promptly. See how to remove or set aside a CCJ.
5. If it is not yours at all, for example a judgment against someone with a similar name, contact the court, Registry Trust or the credit reference agency with evidence and ask for it to be corrected.

If you have paid a judgment but the register still shows it as unpaid, apply to the court for a certificate of satisfaction. Our guide to satisfied and cancelled CCJs explains how.

What if the CCJ is one of several debts?

A judgment is often a sign that other debts are also behind. A court can lower CCJ instalments you cannot afford, and some debt solutions deal with judgment debts alongside everything else, including an IVA, a debt relief order or bankruptcy. Each works differently and has its own costs and effects on your credit file: the debt solutions comparison sets them side by side. What a CCJ is explains how judgments are enforced if they are not paid.

Free, impartial advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline, who can look at the judgment and your other debts together. See where to get free debt advice.

What to do next

1. Get your free statutory credit reports and look for any judgments.
2. If you need to confirm an entry, or check an old address, search TrustOnline for each address you have lived at in the last 6 years.
3. If you find a judgment, get copies from the court and decide whether to pay it, ask for new payment terms or apply to set it aside.
4. For other court letters and credit file problems, see our debt problems hub.