What matters most is when the judgment was made, how much it was for, whether it has been paid (satisfied) and how the rest of your credit file looks. A small, satisfied CCJ from several years ago is usually viewed very differently from a recent one that is still unpaid. Some lenders will not consider CCJs at all, while others work with adverse credit regularly.
This page explains how a CCJ shows on your credit file, why paying it matters even after the one-month window has passed, and what an adviser will want to know. If your judgment is less than a year old, our page on remortgaging with a recent CCJ goes into more detail.
On this page
In short
- A CCJ stays on your credit file for 6 years from the judgment date, even once it is paid.
- Paying in full within one calendar month of the judgment can get it removed from the register.
- Older, smaller and satisfied CCJs usually leave more options open than recent or unpaid ones.
- Equity in your home and a clean payment record since the judgment can both help.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Borrowing over a longer term can mean paying back more in total.
How does a CCJ show on your credit file?
In England and Wales, a CCJ is recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, and the credit reference agencies take that information onto your credit file. It stays for 6 years from the date of the judgment, not the date you paid it or the date the original debt started.
| Situation | What your credit file shows | How long it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment | Can be removed from the register, so it should not show | Not shown once removed |
| Paid in full after one month | The CCJ, marked as satisfied | 6 years from the judgment date |
| Not paid, or still being paid in instalments | The CCJ, shown as unsatisfied | 6 years from the judgment date |
| Set aside by the court | Should be removed from the register | Not shown once removed |
Based on the rules for county court judgments in England and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own court system, and in Scotland the equivalent is a court decree, so check the position that applies to you.
Removal under the one-month rule is not automatic. You usually need to apply to the court with proof of payment. Our guide to how long a CCJ affects a mortgage walks through the dates in more detail.
Does it matter if the CCJ is satisfied?
Yes. Paying a CCJ after the first month will not remove it, but for a remortgage it is usually still worth doing. A satisfied judgment shows the debt has been dealt with, and some lenders will not consider an unsatisfied CCJ, or will only go ahead if it is cleared when the remortgage completes.
Once you have paid, you can apply to the court for a certificate of satisfaction. It is useful evidence if a lender asks, and a good way to make sure the register has been updated. The GOV.UK guidance on county court judgments explains the process, and our page on remortgaging with a satisfied CCJ covers what lenders may look at.
In Scotland the nearest equivalent to a CCJ is a court decree. The one-month removal rule described here applies to county court judgments, so check how a decree has been recorded on your own credit file.
How much do the age and amount of a CCJ matter?
Time is usually the biggest factor. A judgment from the last 12 months is often the hardest to place, because lenders have little evidence of how things have gone since. As a CCJ gets older, and especially once it is satisfied, the number of lenders who may consider it tends to grow. After 6 years it drops off your file entirely.
The amount matters too. A small judgment over a disputed parking charge or an old phone bill is often viewed differently from a large one for an unpaid loan. Some lenders look at the total value of all judgments rather than each one, so having more than one CCJ can change the picture even if each is small.
What else will a lender look at alongside the CCJ?
A CCJ rarely sits on a file on its own. It usually follows months of missed payments, and the original account may also show a default, which our page on remortgaging with defaults explains. Your record since the judgment often counts as much as the judgment itself. Lenders will usually consider:
- your mortgage payment history, especially in recent months
- any other defaults, missed payments or arrangements to pay
- how much equity you have, which sets your loan to value (LTV)
- your income, outgoings and existing credit commitments
- recent credit applications, which show as hard searches
If you have been declined and are not sure why, the answer is usually in the detail of your file rather than the number in a credit app. Remortgaging with a low credit score explains what lenders see instead.
Can you remortgage to pay off a CCJ?
Some people use a remortgage to clear an unsatisfied CCJ, sometimes alongside other debts, and a lender may make paying it off a condition of the new mortgage. This changes its status to satisfied, but it turns the judgment debt into borrowing secured on your home.
If you add a CCJ or other debts to your mortgage, they become secured on your property, and your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments. Spreading a debt over a longer term can also mean paying more in total. Read about debt consolidation remortgages before deciding.
Alternatives include paying the judgment from savings first, or a product transfer with your current lender if you only need a new rate. If repayments are a struggle, StepChange and National Debtline offer free, confidential advice.
What if the CCJ is wrong or you did not know about it?
Some people only find out about a CCJ when they check their credit file, often because court papers went to an old address. If you think a judgment was made wrongly, you may be able to ask the court to set it aside, which should remove it from the register. Act promptly, and ask a free debt advice service to explain the process.
Either way, check your statutory credit report, free from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. The date, amount and status should match on all three.
What may affect your remortgage options
No two CCJ cases are the same. These are the details that tend to shape what may be available.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Age of the CCJ | Often the biggest factor. Judgments from the last 12 months are usually the hardest to place, and options tend to widen with time. |
| Amount of the judgment | Smaller judgments are often viewed more leniently. Some lenders set a limit on the total value of judgments they will consider. |
| Satisfied or unsatisfied | Some lenders will not consider unsatisfied judgments, or will want them cleared on completion. |
| Number of CCJs | One judgment is usually easier to explain than several, especially if the others are recent. |
| Mortgage payment history | On-time mortgage payments since the judgment help show the problem is behind you. |
| Property value | A current valuation sets how much equity you have, and can move you into a lower LTV band. |
| Outstanding mortgage balance | What you still owe, plus anything extra you want to borrow, sets the size of the new loan. |
| LTV and equity | A lower loan to value generally widens options, because the lender has more security. Borrowing more to clear debts pushes LTV up. |
| Income and affordability | Lenders check income and commitments and stress test the new payment. Instalments on an unpaid CCJ count as an outgoing. |
| Employment type | Employed, self-employed, director and contractor income are assessed differently. Self-employed applicants with bad credit may need extra paperwork. |
These are general points, not lender rules. Each lender sets and changes its own criteria.
Information an adviser may ask for
You don’t need all of this to make an enquiry. It helps to know where to find it, because an adviser is likely to ask about most of it.
- The date of each judgment and the court that made it
- The amount of each CCJ and who the creditor was
- Whether it has been paid in full, and when
- Your certificate of satisfaction, if you have one
- Details of any charging order linked to the judgment
- A short explanation of what led to the CCJ
- Your mortgage balance, monthly payment and deal end date
- An estimate of your property’s value
- Proof of income, such as payslips or tax calculations
Specific CCJ situations
More detail for particular circumstances.
Remortgaging with a CCJ from 1 to 2 years ago
What tends to change for a remortgage once a CCJ passes its first year, how the second year is often viewed, and what to do while you wait.
Remortgaging with a CCJ from over 6 years ago
What happens when a CCJ passes 6 years, how "have you ever had a CCJ" questions on application forms work, and why an unpaid old judgment can still matter.
Remortgaging with a CCJ against your business
How a CCJ against a limited company differs from one against a sole trader, when a personal guarantee changes things, and what a lender will want to know.
Remortgaging with more than one CCJ
How lenders may assess more than one county court judgment, from the pattern and total value to the mix of satisfied and unsatisfied, plus the risks of clearing them with equity.
Remortgaging with a CCJ over 3 years old
How a county court judgment over 3 years old is generally viewed, why satisfied status still matters, and how the countdown to 6 years works.
Using a remortgage to pay off a CCJ
How paying off a CCJ before you apply compares with clearing it from your remortgage funds on completion, and what to check afterwards.
Remortgaging with a satisfied CCJ
How a paid county court judgment shows on your credit file, why its status and dates matter to lenders, and what to check before you apply to remortgage.
Remortgaging after a CCJ is set aside
What it means to have a CCJ set aside by the court, how the application process works, and what to check on your credit file before you remortgage.
Remortgaging with a small CCJ
How a small county court judgment, often for a parking charge, phone bill or utility account, may be viewed differently from a larger one, and what to check.
Remortgaging with a recent CCJ
What a county court judgment from the last 12 months means for remortgaging, including the one-month rule, product transfers and whether to wait.
Remortgaging with an unsatisfied CCJ
What an unsatisfied county court judgment means for a remortgage, the difference between paying it yourself and clearing it on completion, and charging orders.
Remortgaging with a CCJ and defaults
Why a CCJ often appears alongside defaults on a credit file, whether it matters if they relate to the same debt, and how lenders may view the combination.
Frequently asked questions
Will paying off a CCJ now remove it from my credit file?
Not if more than one calendar month has passed since the judgment. After that, paying it in full marks it as satisfied, but it stays on your file until 6 years after the judgment date. Paying is still usually worthwhile, because a satisfied CCJ is generally viewed more favourably than an unsatisfied one, and some lenders will not consider unsatisfied judgments at all.
Can I remortgage with an unsatisfied CCJ?
It can be possible, but options are usually narrower. Some lenders will not consider unsatisfied judgments, while others may only go ahead if the CCJ is paid from the remortgage funds on completion, which secures that debt on your home. Paying it before you apply, if you can, is often simpler. If you cannot afford to, MoneyHelper can point you to free debt advice.
What if the creditor has a charging order on my home?
If a CCJ was not paid, the creditor may have asked the court for a charging order, which secures the debt against your property. A charging order usually has to be dealt with when you remortgage or sell, so the new lender and the solicitor will need to know about it. Tell an adviser at the start so it can be factored in from the beginning.
Will a lender see a CCJ I paid within a month?
If you paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment and had it removed from the register, it should not appear on your credit file, so a lender checking your report should not see it. Check all three credit reports to confirm it has gone. If an application form asks if you have ever had a CCJ, answer honestly.
Is a CCJ for a parking charge treated differently?
A CCJ is recorded in the same way whatever the original debt was. Some lenders do take the circumstances into account, though, so a small judgment over a disputed parking charge may be viewed differently from one for unpaid loan repayments. A short, clear explanation helps an adviser present your case.