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Most negative information on a UK credit file, including defaults, missed payments, CCJs, IVAs and bankruptcy, is removed automatically 6 years after the date it was recorded. Each type of entry has its own starting point, so working out what will still show in a year’s time depends on the specific date attached to it, not a single calendar you can check once.
Knowing what actually changes at the 6-year mark, and what doesn’t, can help you plan around it rather than assume every problem simply vanishes on the same day.
What is removed at 6 years
The 6-year rule applies consistently across the three main credit reference agencies, but the start date differs by entry type.
| Entry | Removed 6 years from |
|---|---|
| Late or missed payment | The date it was recorded |
| Default | The default date |
| CCJ (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) | The judgment date |
| IVA | The start date, even if it completed early |
| Bankruptcy | The bankruptcy date |
Removal is automatic in every one of these cases. You don’t need to write to anyone or apply for it, unlike a CCJ paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment, which can be removed from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines early through a separate process.
What doesn’t work to the 6-year rule
Not everything on your credit file follows this timeline, which is where confusion often creeps in.
- Hard searches. These show when you’ve applied for credit, and are visible to other lenders while they’re recorded, but they don’t stay on file anywhere near as long as a default or CCJ. Our guide on how long hard searches stay on your file covers the shorter timeline that applies to these.
- Financial associations. If you’ve had a joint account or mortgage with someone, that link can remain on your file even after any negative entries linked to it have gone. It doesn’t disappear automatically just because 6 years have passed; you may need to request a notice of disassociation once the joint financial link has genuinely ended.
- Your account and payment history. Positive information, such as accounts kept up to date, isn’t wiped at 6 years in the same way negative entries are. Lenders can still see a longer picture of how you’ve managed credit over time.
- The underlying debt itself. This is one of the most misunderstood points, covered in more depth below.
Does the debt disappear when the entry does?
No, and this catches people out. A default or CCJ dropping off your credit file after 6 years is about what shows on your report, not about whether the debt still legally exists. If a debt was never paid, it may still be owed, and in some cases could become statute-barred, meaning too much time has passed for a creditor to enforce it through the courts in the usual way. Whether that applies depends on the type of debt and what’s happened since, so it’s a legal question worth getting free advice on, rather than assuming based on the credit file alone.
If a debt was sold to a collector at some point, our guide on what happens when your debt is sold explains why the original default date should carry over, and why a sale shouldn’t reset any of these clocks.
What to do as an entry gets close to 6 years old
If you know you have a default, CCJ or other entry approaching its removal date, a few things are worth checking beforehand.
- Confirm the exact date. The default date, judgment date, or start date, not the date you first fell behind, is what starts the clock. Our guide on the default date explained covers how that date gets set for a default specifically.
- Use a date calculator if you’re unsure. Our credit file date calculator works out the exact date an entry is due to drop off, based on the type of entry and its recorded date.
- Check all three agencies. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion don’t always hold identical information, and dates can occasionally differ between them.
- Answer application forms honestly regardless. If a form asks whether you’ve ever had a CCJ or been bankrupt, the honest answer is yes even after it’s dropped off your file, since the question is about what happened, not what currently shows.
What this means if you’re remortgaging
If you’re timing a remortgage application around an old default, CCJ, IVA or bankruptcy dropping off your file, the exact date matters more than a rough sense of “a few years ago”. Some lenders take a more relaxed view of an issue that’s close to, or past, the 6-year point, particularly where the rest of the file has been clean since. Others focus more on whether an entry is settled than on its age.
Our pages on remortgaging once a CCJ is over 6 years old, remortgaging once defaults are over 6 years old and remortgaging once bankruptcy is over 6 years old look at what tends to matter once the standard timeline has passed. If your file still has more recent issues elsewhere, our page on remortgaging with a low credit score covers how lenders weigh a mix of older and newer entries together.
Whatever your timeline, it’s worth getting your statutory credit report free from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion before you apply, so you know exactly what a lender will see rather than relying on memory. If money worries remain alongside any of this, free and impartial help is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to apply to have old entries removed after 6 years?
No. Removal after 6 years happens automatically at each credit reference agency. The exception is a CCJ paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment, which can be removed early, but that involves the court, not waiting for the standard 6 years.
Does a debt disappear once it drops off my credit file?
Not necessarily. The credit file entry disappearing doesn't automatically mean the underlying debt has gone away or become unenforceable. Very old unpaid debts can sometimes become statute-barred, which is a separate legal question, so get free advice if this applies to you.
Will old CCJs or defaults still count if I answer an application form?
Answer honestly based on what actually happened, even once something has dropped off your credit file. Some mortgage application forms ask whether you have ever had a CCJ or been bankrupt, not just whether it currently shows, so always answer accurately.
Do hard searches also disappear after 6 years?
No, hard searches don't stay on file anywhere near that long. They're usually removed well before the 6-year point that applies to defaults, CCJs and insolvency, though the exact timing can vary between agencies.