How Long Does a CCJ Last?

A CCJ lasts six years on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. Pay the full amount within one month of judgment and it is removed completely. Pay later and it stays the full six years, marked as satisfied. How long a creditor has to enforce it is a separate question — and people mix the two up constantly. Here is both, kept apart.

How long does a CCJ stay on your credit file?

A CCJ stays on your credit file for six years from the date of judgment. It is recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, a public database lenders check before offering credit. During those six years the CCJ lowers your credit score and makes borrowing harder or more expensive. The only way to clear it early is to pay the full amount within one month of judgment. Pay after that window and the entry stays the full six years — but once you settle, it is marked ‘satisfied’, which lenders treat more kindly than an outstanding judgment. After six years it drops off automatically, paid or not. For more detail, see our guide on how long a CCJ stays on your credit file.

Is a CCJ removed if you pay it?

A CCJ is removed entirely only if you pay the full amount within one month of the judgment date. Hit that deadline and you can ask the court for a Certificate of Cancellation — the CCJ comes off the register as if it never existed. Miss it, and paying later does not erase the entry. The court marks it ‘satisfied’ instead, and that status shows on your file for the rest of the six years. Here is how to remove a CCJ after paying. The table below shows how each scenario plays out.

Does a CCJ disappear after six years?

Yes — a CCJ drops off the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines automatically after six years. The credit-file mark goes with it, and you do not apply for removal. But the underlying debt can be a separate matter. Coming off the register does not always mean the money is no longer owed. Whether a creditor can still chase it depends on the type of debt and the steps already taken. The public record clears at six years; the debt follows its own rules. We cover the detail in does a county court judgment expire.

How long does a creditor have to enforce a CCJ?

A creditor can enforce a CCJ for six years without asking the court’s permission. Enforcement means using the court’s machinery — sending an enforcement agent, securing a charge over property, or attaching earnings — to recover the money the judgment confirms. After six years, enforcing the judgment needs the court’s leave under Civil Procedure Rule 83.2, and the court can refuse if you have sat on it. The lesson is simple: do not wait. The sooner you enforce, the more likely the debtor still has assets worth taking.

This is exactly where Shergroup comes in. We enforce CCJs of £600 or more through the High Court — transferring the judgment up, issuing the Writ of Control, and sending an enforcement agent to recover what you are owed. Instruct online at High Court Enforcement and we respond the same working day.

Why do people confuse the credit-file limit with the enforcement limit?

People confuse the two limits because both run for six years — but they measure different things. The credit-file limit is how long the CCJ shows on the public register and affects your ability to borrow. The enforcement limit is how long a creditor has to act on the judgment before needing the court’s permission. One protects the debtor’s credit history; the other protects the creditor’s right to recover. Treat them as two separate clocks — started by the same judgment, ticking toward different deadlines. Not sure where you stand? You can check whether you have a CCJ for free first.

If you are a creditor, check the status of a CCJ before you decide how to act.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long a CCJ Lasts

How long does a CCJ stay on your credit file?

A CCJ stays on your credit file for six years from the date of judgment, unless you pay the full amount within one month. Pay within that window and it is removed completely, as if it never happened.

Does a CCJ disappear after six years?

Yes. A CCJ comes off the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines after six years, and the credit-file mark goes with it. The underlying debt can be a separate matter, but the public record clears automatically.

How long does a creditor have to enforce a CCJ?

A creditor can enforce a CCJ for six years without special permission. Enforcing a judgment older than six years needs the court’s leave under Civil Procedure Rule 83.2, which the court can refuse if the creditor delayed.

Can a CCJ be removed before six years?

Yes, but only by paying the full amount within one month of the judgment. Do that and you can apply for a Certificate of Cancellation, and the CCJ is removed from the register entirely.

Does paying a CCJ remove it from your credit file?

Not unless you pay within one month of judgment. Pay later and the CCJ stays the full six years, but it is marked ‘satisfied’ — which lenders view more favourably than an unpaid judgment.

Enforce Your CCJ — Before the Trail Goes Cold

Sitting on an unenforced CCJ? Time and the debtor’s assets both move. Shergroup enforces judgments of £600 or more through the High Court — from the transfer paperwork to the enforcement visit. Instruct online now at High Court Enforcement → — we respond the same working day.

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