What Is a CCJ? Meaning and How to Respond

Data last checked on 7 October 2026.

Checked against GOV.UK, the Ministry of Justice, legislation.gov.uk and other official sources. Edited by Steven Butler.

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A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is the court's formal decision that you owe money. GOV.UK says you may get one if someone takes court action against you, saying you owe them money, and you do not respond. The judgment says how much you owe, how to pay, the deadline for paying and who to pay. This guide covers England and Wales.

Key points

✓A claim is not yet a judgment: GOV.UK says you must respond by the date on the email or letter you receive, and you can ask for another 14 days if you are not paying the full amount.
✓Pay the full amount within one month and you can get the judgment removed from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
✓Pay after one month and the judgment stays on the register for 6 years, marked as satisfied.
✓You can apply for a judgment to be set aside on form N244 if you do not owe the money, or you did not receive, or did not respond to, the original claim.
✓This guide covers England and Wales: the law is different in Scotland, and Northern Ireland has its own enforcement office.

Scotland and Northern Ireland, different systems

Scotland: GOV.UK says the law is different in Scotland and points to the Accountant in Bankruptcy's guidance on court judgments for debt. In Scotland, proceedings for payment of £5,000 or less may only be brought under Simple Procedure in the Sheriff Court. Advice Direct Scotland's number is 0808 800 9060.

Northern Ireland: The Enforcement of Judgments Office enforces court judgments of money, goods and property. If a court order relates to money, nidirect says to contact the creditor and make an offer to repay the debt in full or arrange to pay it by instalments, which may prevent the creditor approaching the Enforcement of Judgments Office.

Step 1, You receive a County Court Claim Form

You get a letter or email if someone claims you owe them money. This is a claim you can respond to, not yet a judgment. GOV.UK says you must respond by the date on the email or letter you receive, and you should respond in the same way the claim was made, for example online if it was made online. You can ask for another 14 days to respond if you are not paying the full amount.

The Civil Procedure Rules give the general rule: the period for filing an acknowledgment of service is 14 days after service of the claim form (or of the particulars of claim, if they are to follow), and the period for filing a defence is 14 days after service of the particulars of claim, or 28 days if you file an acknowledgment of service. Follow the date on your own letter or email.

Act immediately. GOV.UK says you might have to pay more or get a county court judgment (CCJ) if you do not respond in time. Under rule 12.4 of the Civil Procedure Rules, a claimant can obtain a default judgment by filing a request once the time for responding has expired.

Yes: Pay the full amount
Yes: Offer to pay a different amount, if you think you owe less than the claim amount
Yes: Defend the claim, if you do not think you owe any money
Yes: Use form N9 if you need more time to respond to the claim

No: A claimant may not obtain a default judgment if you have admitted liability for all the money claimed and asked for time to pay

If you receive a CCJ

If a judgment has been made against you, GOV.UK says it will come in the post and explain how much you owe, how to pay (in full or in instalments), the deadline for paying and who to pay. Your options depend on timing:

Pay within one month

If you pay the full amount within one month, you can get the judgment removed from the register. Write to the court to say you've paid, and send proof of payment from the person or business you owed money to.

Pay after one month

If you pay after one month, you can get the record of the judgment marked as 'satisfied' in the register. It stays on the register for 6 years, but people searching the register will see that you've paid.

GOV.UK says to pay the person or business you owe, not the court, and to make sure you can prove you have paid. If you want proof from the court, you can apply for a certificate of cancellation (if you paid within one month) or a certificate of satisfaction (if you paid after one month), in writing or on form N443, with a cheque for £19.

A judgment accurately recorded on your credit reference file normally cannot be removed until after a set period. Our credit report guide covers checking and correcting your file.

Setting aside a CCJ

GOV.UK says you can apply for a judgment to be cancelled, known as getting it set aside, if you do not owe the money, or if you did not receive, or did not respond to, the original claim from the court saying you owed the money. For a default judgment, the Civil Procedure Rules set these tests:

Yes: The court must set aside a default judgment that was wrongly entered, for example because the conditions in rule 12.3 were not met or the whole claim was satisfied before judgment (rule 13.2)
Yes: The court may set aside or vary a default judgment if you have a real prospect of successfully defending the claim, or there is some other good reason (rule 13.3)
Yes: In deciding, the court must have regard to whether you applied promptly (rule 13.3)

No: A claim on a simple contract cannot be brought after six years from the date the cause of action accrued (Limitation Act 1980, section 5)

For how the six year limit works on an old debt, see our statute-barred debt guide.

Apply using form N244

To get a judgment set aside, fill in the application notice (N244) and send it to the court. GOV.UK says you may have to pay a court fee of £321, and an application under rule 13.3 must be supported by evidence. If you have little or no savings and get certain benefits or have a low income, GOV.UK says you might be able to get money off court fees.

Attend the set-aside hearing

GOV.UK says you will have to go to a private hearing at the court to explain why you do not owe the money. If you do not go to the hearing, your application will be rejected and you will have to pay the amount in the judgment.

CCJ enforcement methods

If you do not pay as ordered, GOV.UK says the person or business you owe money to may threaten you with bailiffs to collect the money, or ask the court to take action to force you to pay. The methods GOV.UK names include:

Yes: Attachment of earnings, where the court takes money from your wages by sending an order to your employer
Yes: Third-party debt order, where the court freezes money in your bank, building society or business account and decides if money from the account can be used to pay the debt
Yes: Charging order, a charge on your land or property that you must pay before you get your money if the property is sold
Yes: Warrant of control, where a bailiff asks for payment within 7 days and, if the debt is not paid, visits your home or business to see if anything can be sold to pay the debt
Yes: An order to come to court to answer questions about things like your earnings or employment status

If you cannot pay in full, GOV.UK says you can ask the court to change ('vary') the terms of the judgment using the N245 application form, with details of your income and spending and how much you can realistically afford to pay. You may have to pay a court fee. If a bailiff is threatened, N245 may stop the visit, and if your offer is accepted the warrant will be stopped as long as you keep up with the payments.

For what bailiffs can do, see our bailiffs guide.

GOV.UK also says you can get temporary protection from your creditors through the Breathing Space scheme, applied for through a debt adviser. For other ways to deal with debt, see the debt section.

Where to go next

Frequently asked questions

What does CCJ mean, and how do I know if I have a county court judgement against me?

CCJ stands for county court judgment. GOV.UK says that if you get a judgment, the court has formally decided that you owe the money. You can search the register of judgments for details of any judgments against you, and each search costs between £6 and £10. A judgment accurately recorded on your credit reference file normally cannot be removed until after a set period.

Where can I get help with a CCJ?

GOV.UK says you can get free, confidential and independent advice on dealing with debt problems, and its list includes National Debtline, Citizens Advice, PayPlan, Community Money Advice and StepChange Debt Charity. If you have received a claim, GOV.UK says you must respond by the date on the email or letter.

Can I appeal a CCJ?

There are two routes. GOV.UK says you can apply for a judgment to be set aside if you do not owe the money, or you did not receive, or did not respond to, the original claim. If a judge decided the case at a hearing, GOV.UK says you can appeal the decision if you think the judge made a mistake during the hearing.

What should I do if I receive a County Court claim form?

GOV.UK says you must respond by the date on the email or letter. You can pay the full amount, offer to pay a different amount if you think you owe less, or defend the claim if you do not think you owe any money, and you can ask for another 14 days to respond if you are not paying the full amount. You might have to pay more or get a CCJ if you do not respond in time.

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

A judgment stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years. If you pay the full amount within one month, you can get the judgment removed from the register by writing to the court with proof of payment. If you pay after one month, it is marked as satisfied and stays on the register for 6 years.

Can I set aside a CCJ?

Yes, in the cases GOV.UK describes: if you do not owe the money, or you did not receive, or did not respond to, the original claim. Fill in form N244 and send it to the court. GOV.UK says you may have to pay a court fee of £321 and that you will have to go to a private hearing. For a default judgment, rule 13.2 says the court must set aside a judgment that was wrongly entered, and rule 13.3 says it may do so if you have a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or there is some other good reason.

What is a default CCJ?

In the Civil Procedure Rules, a default judgment is a judgment without trial where a defendant has failed to file an acknowledgment of service, or has failed to file a defence or any document intended to be a defence. The claimant may obtain it only once the relevant time for responding has expired, and can do so by filing a request.

Can a CCJ affect my job or housing?

GOV.UK says a judgment stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years, and that banks and loan companies use this information to decide whether to give you credit or loans. We have not found an official source on how a CCJ affects a job or a tenancy application, so this guide does not say.

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Know Your Rights UK. "What Is a CCJ? Meaning and How to Respond." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/debt/ccj