Remortgaging with a satisfied CCJ can be possible, and a judgment you have paid is often viewed more favourably than one that is still outstanding. It does not disappear, though. A CCJ paid after the first calendar month stays on your credit file, marked satisfied, for 6 years from the judgment date. What an adviser and lender will usually weigh up is how long ago the judgment was, how much it was for, when you paid it and how your credit history has looked since.
This page covers the paperwork that proves you paid, how a satisfied judgment appears on the register and your credit file, and why the timing matters. For judgments that are still unpaid, see our main page on remortgaging with a CCJ.
On this page
This page covers
- Credit issue
- County court judgments (CCJs)Usually stays on your credit file for 6 years from the judgment date.
- Status
- Satisfied or settledSettled issues are generally viewed more favourably than ones still outstanding, though they remain on your file for the full period.
In short
- Paid in full within one calendar month, a CCJ can be removed from the register. Paid later, it is marked satisfied and stays for 6 years.
- A satisfied CCJ is usually seen more positively than an unsatisfied one.
- A certificate of satisfaction is the clearest proof that you paid, and when.
- Check that Experian, Equifax and TransUnion all show the judgment as satisfied before you apply.
What does ‘satisfied’ mean on a CCJ?
A CCJ is marked satisfied once the court has a record that the full amount has been paid. Paying by instalments is not the same thing: until the final payment is made and recorded, the judgment still shows as unsatisfied, even if you have never missed an instalment. When you paid also matters, as the table shows.
| When it was paid in full | On the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines | On your credit file |
|---|---|---|
| Within one calendar month of the judgment date | Can be removed if you ask the court and send proof of payment | Should not show once removed |
| After one calendar month | Stays on the register, marked satisfied | 6 years from the judgment date |
| Not yet paid in full | Stays on the register as unsatisfied | 6 years from the judgment date |
Rules for county court judgments in England and Wales. Northern Ireland and Scotland (where the equivalent is a court decree) have their own systems.
How do you get a certificate of satisfaction?
If you paid after the first month, you can apply to the court that made the judgment for a certificate of satisfaction. You will normally need proof that the debt was paid in full, such as a letter from the creditor. There is a small court fee, and GOV.UK explains the process.
Once the court updates the register, the change should reach the credit reference agencies, which take judgment data from it. The certificate is also useful for a remortgage application, because it shows exactly when the judgment was settled.
Paperwork to keep together
- The original judgment, showing the claim number, court and judgment date
- Your certificate of satisfaction, or proof that you have applied for one
- A creditor letter or bank statement confirming the final payment and its date
Why a satisfied CCJ still matters to lenders
Satisfying a judgment does not reset or shorten the 6 years. A CCJ from 2022 that you paid off in 2024 still drops off your file 6 years after the 2022 judgment date, not 6 years after you paid.
What it changes is the story. An unpaid judgment points to a debt that could still be enforced. A satisfied one shows it was dealt with. Many lenders who consider adverse credit look more favourably on satisfied judgments, and some may only consider an application once every CCJ is satisfied.
Time since the judgment, and time since you paid
Lenders usually focus on the judgment date, because that is what sets the 6 years. The satisfaction date adds context: a judgment settled soon after it was made can read differently from one cleared years later, just before an application. If yours is only a few months old, see our page on a recent CCJ. If you have more than one, see remortgaging with multiple CCJs.
Check all three credit reference agencies show it as satisfied
Lenders do not all use the same agency, so every report needs to be right. Your statutory credit report is free from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and checking your own file is a soft search that lenders cannot see.
- Check the amount, court and judgment date match your paperwork.
- Check the status says satisfied, with the satisfaction date.
- If a report is wrong, raise a dispute with that agency and send a copy of your certificate.
- If the register itself is wrong, contact the court that made the judgment.
The account behind a CCJ may also show missed payments or a default, each with its own date. See remortgaging with defaults for how those may be viewed, and our guide on how long a CCJ affects a mortgage for the timings.
What lenders may look at with a satisfied CCJ
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Judgment date | How long ago the CCJ was registered. It drops off 6 years after this date, and options often widen as it ages. |
| Date satisfied | When you paid in full. Settling soon after the judgment can read better than clearing it years later. |
| Amount and type of debt | Some lenders may treat a small utility or parking judgment differently from a larger one for an unpaid loan or card. |
| Other credit issues | Defaults, missed payments or other judgments alongside the CCJ, and whether they come from the same period. |
| Mortgage payment history | Whether your mortgage has been paid on time, particularly since the judgment. |
| Loan to value | How much you want to borrow against your home’s value. More equity generally widens the options. |
| Income and employment | What you earn, how it is evidenced and your committed outgoings. |
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 judgment date, court name and claim number for each CCJ
- The date you paid in full, with your certificate of satisfaction or a creditor letter
- Recent copies of your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports
- Your mortgage balance, deal end date, any early repayment charges and an estimate of your home’s value
- Proof of income, such as payslips or tax calculations if you are self-employed
- A short explanation of what led to the judgment
Frequently asked questions
Does paying off a CCJ improve my chances of remortgaging?
It can help. Many lenders who work with adverse credit view a satisfied judgment more favourably than an unpaid one. Unless you paid within the first calendar month, though, the CCJ stays on your file and the judgment date still counts.
Do I need a certificate of satisfaction to remortgage?
Not always, but it is the clearest evidence that you paid in full and when. If your credit file already shows the CCJ as satisfied, a lender may accept that alongside a creditor letter.
My CCJ was satisfied years ago. Why does it still show?
It stays for 6 years from the judgment date, whenever you paid it, then should drop off automatically. If it is still showing after that, raise it with the credit reference agency concerned.
Will a lender treat a satisfied CCJ the same as having no CCJ?
Usually not while it is on your file, because lenders can see it. Its effect often fades as it ages, especially if your credit and mortgage payments have been clean since. Nearer the 6-year point, it may concern fewer lenders.