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A default stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date it was registered, known as the default date. This applies whatever the size of the debt, whether it was a phone contract or a loan, and whether or not you ever paid it off. Paying a default changes how it’s marked, but it does not shorten the 6 years.
If you’re trying to work out when an old default will drop off, or whether it’s worth settling one now, the default date is the number that matters.
Where does the 6-year rule come from?
Credit reference agencies in the UK follow the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance on how long negative information can be kept and shown. Under that guidance, most adverse information, including defaults, late payments, CCJs, IVAs and bankruptcy, is removed 6 years after the date it was recorded. This is a long-standing industry standard rather than a fixed law with a specific number in it, but all three main agencies apply it consistently.
| Item | Removed 6 years from |
|---|---|
| Default | The default date |
| CCJ | The judgment date |
| Late or missed payment marker | The date it was recorded |
| IVA | The start date |
| Bankruptcy | The bankruptcy date |
Our how long does a CCJ affect a mortgage guide covers the CCJ timeline in more detail if you have both a default and a judgment on the same debt.
What sets the default date in the first place?
The default date isn’t the day you missed a payment. Under ICO guidance, a lender normally registers a default after about 3 to 6 months of missed payments, once it has decided the account has broken down. Mortgage lenders generally have more discretion over timing than other lenders. So the clock usually starts several months after the arrears began, not from the very first missed payment.
This is why two people who missed their first payment in the same month can end up with default dates months apart, depending on how quickly each lender acted.
What happens at each stage of the 6 years
| Time since the default date | What typically shows |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | Default recorded, shown as unsatisfied unless already paid |
| Up to 6 years | Default remains visible to any lender that checks your file, whether paid or not |
| Exactly 6 years | Removed automatically from your credit file |
| After 6 years | Should not show again, though the underlying debt may not automatically disappear if it was never paid |
Removal is automatic. You don’t need to apply to have a default taken off after 6 years, unlike a CCJ paid within one month, which can be removed early through the court.
A worked example
Say a credit card payment was first missed in March 2023. The lender sends a default notice, and by August 2023 the account is treated as broken down, so the default date is registered as August 2023. That default will drop off automatically in August 2029, regardless of whether it’s paid in April 2024, still outstanding in 2027, or sold to a debt collector at some point in between. Only the August 2023 date decides the 6 years, not March 2023 when the trouble started, and not whenever it’s eventually resolved.
This is why two people with what feels like a similar problem can have quite different timelines, and why checking the actual default date on your report matters more than estimating from memory.
Does settling the default early make any difference?
Settling doesn’t shorten the 6 years, but it can still be worth doing. A default marked satisfied or settled shows the debt has been dealt with, which many lenders view differently from one still shown as outstanding. Our page on remortgaging with defaults goes into how the settled or unsettled status can affect a mortgage application, separately from the timing question covered here.
If a debt was sold to a collection agency partway through, the default date should stay the same as when the original lender registered it. The new owner reporting the account under its own name shouldn’t reset the clock. Our guide on what happens when your debt is sold explains this in more detail.
Can a default be removed before 6 years?
Only if it’s wrong. A default that was correctly registered can’t be removed early just because you’d prefer it gone, and no company can lawfully guarantee to remove an accurate default for a fee. What you can do is dispute a default that has the wrong date, the wrong balance, or isn’t yours at all. See our guide on how to remove a default for the dispute process.
What this means if you’re remortgaging with a default on file
If you’re weighing up whether to remortgage now or wait, the default date tells you roughly when the entry will drop off, using the credit file date calculator to work out the exact date. Some lenders take a more relaxed view of a default in its final year or two, particularly if the rest of your file is clean since. Others focus on whether it’s settled rather than how old it is.
There’s no single lender rule here, so the amount, the type of account and the rest of your credit history all matter alongside the age of the default. Our page on remortgaging with defaults covers what an adviser is likely to ask, and if you have several, remortgaging with multiple defaults looks at that specifically.
Get your free statutory credit report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion to check the default date on each account before you apply, since dates can differ between agencies.
Frequently asked questions
Does paying off a default make it disappear sooner?
No. Paying a default changes its status to satisfied or settled, but it still shows for 6 years from the default date. The 6 years only depends on when the default was registered, not on whether or when you paid it.
Does a default disappear if I never pay it?
Yes, it is still removed automatically 6 years after the default date, whether or not it was ever paid. Removal from your credit file doesn't necessarily mean the debt has gone away, so check your position with a free debt adviser if you're unsure.
Why does my default show a different date to when I stopped paying?
Lenders usually register a default a few months after the first missed payment, once the account has broken down, so the default date is normally later than the date you first fell behind. Our guide on the default date explains why this gap exists.
Do all defaults last exactly 6 years?
Yes, the length is the same for every default, whatever the amount or type of account. What varies is when the 6 years starts, since that depends on the default date rather than a fixed rule about how serious the debt was.