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The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines is the public record, run by Registry Trust, that lists county court judgments (CCJs) made in England and Wales, along with some High Court judgments and magistrates’ court fines. When a CCJ is made against you, it’s entered on this register, and credit reference agencies use the register as their source for showing the judgment on your credit file.
Why the register and your credit file are linked but separate
It’s easy to assume the register and your credit file are the same thing, since a CCJ affects both, but they’re run by different organisations for different purposes.
| Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines | Credit file | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Registry Trust | Experian, Equifax, TransUnion (separately) |
| Who can search it | Anyone, for a small fee | Only you and organisations you give permission to |
| What it shows | County court judgments, some High Court judgments, magistrates’ court fines | CCJs (sourced from the register), plus your other credit accounts and history |
| How long a CCJ stays | 6 years from the judgment date, or removed if paid within one calendar month | 6 years from the judgment date, mirroring the register |
Because credit reference agencies draw CCJ information from the register, a judgment normally appears in both places at once, and it should be removed from both if you qualify for a certificate of cancellation. Our guide on what a CCJ is covers the basics of how a judgment is made in the first place.
There can occasionally be a short lag between the two. If a judgment is updated on the register, for example marked satisfied, it can take a little time for that change to reach all three credit reference agencies, since they don’t all refresh their data on exactly the same schedule. If your credit file still shows a judgment as unsatisfied a month or so after you know the register has been updated, it’s worth raising it directly with the agency showing the outdated information.
Who can search the register, and why
The register is public, and searches are usually available for a small fee through Registry Trust or its registered search providers. This means lenders, letting agents, employers and even individuals can check whether someone has a current judgment against them, separately from any credit file check a lender might carry out. It’s part of why a CCJ can affect more than just mortgage applications, and why dealing with one properly matters beyond your credit score alone.
How a judgment is removed from the register
| Situation | Effect on the register |
|---|---|
| Paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment | Can apply for a certificate of cancellation; judgment can be removed entirely |
| Paid in full after one calendar month | Marked satisfied, but stays on the register for the full 6 years |
| Not paid | Stays on the register, unsatisfied, for 6 years |
| Judgment set aside by the court | Removed from the register, since it’s treated as if it hadn’t happened |
Both certificates, cancellation and satisfaction, use the same court form, and GOV.UK sets out the current process for CCJs. Our guide on what a certificate of satisfaction is explains the difference in more detail, since the two are easy to confuse.
It’s the judgment date, not the date you eventually pay, that decides when a judgment leaves the register and your credit file, whether it’s removed entirely through a certificate of cancellation or stays for the full term marked satisfied. Two people who pay off similar judgments at different points can end up with quite different outcomes on the register purely because of that one-calendar-month cut-off, which is why it’s worth acting quickly if you can pay in full soon after a judgment is made.
Checking whether you’re on the register
If you’re not sure whether you have a CCJ, you can check your credit file directly with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, or search the register itself, usually for a small fee, through Registry Trust’s own search service or a registered provider. Our guide on how to check if you have a CCJ walks through both routes.
What this means for remortgaging with adverse credit
A specialist adviser assessing a remortgage with a CCJ will usually work from your credit file rather than searching the register separately, since the file already reflects what the register shows. Where it matters is if you believe a judgment has been wrongly recorded, or you’ve had one set aside by the court, since it can take time for the register update to filter through to all three credit reference agencies.
If you’re working towards paying off a CCJ before you remortgage, remember that only payment within one calendar month of the judgment lets you apply to have it removed from the register entirely. Paying later still helps, since a satisfied judgment is generally viewed more favourably than an unpaid one, but it will stay recorded, on both the register and your credit file, for the full 6 years from the judgment date.
Because the register is public, it’s also worth being aware that other checks carried out during a remortgage, such as those by solicitors handling the legal work, can pick up a judgment independently of the credit file search a lender carries out. Being upfront with your adviser about any judgment on the register, rather than hoping it goes unnoticed, avoids problems surfacing late in the process when a mortgage offer is already close to completion.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Register of Judgments the same as my credit file?
No, though the two are closely linked. The register is a separate public record, run by Registry Trust, listing county court judgments. Credit reference agencies take CCJ information from the register and add it to your credit file, where it can be seen alongside your other accounts.
Can anyone search the register?
Yes, it's a public register and searches can usually be made for a small fee through Registry Trust or a registered search provider, typically by potential lenders, employers or landlords carrying out background checks, as well as by individuals checking their own record before applying for credit.
Does paying a CCJ remove it from the register?
Only if you pay in full within one calendar month of the judgment, in which case you can apply for a certificate of cancellation and the judgment can be removed. Paying later marks it satisfied, but it stays on the register, and on your credit file, for the full 6 years.
Does Scotland use this register?
No. Scotland has a separate court system, and the nearest equivalent to a CCJ is a decree, which isn't recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. Check the position with a Scottish court or a Scottish debt adviser instead, since the process for recording and clearing a decree works differently.