How long do defaults and CCJs stay on your credit file in the UK?
Quick answer: Defaults and CCJs both stay on your UK credit file for six years, then drop off automatically whether you have paid them or not. A default is removed six years from the default date. A CCJ is removed six years from the judgment date.
The one exception: a CCJ paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment can be removed from the register completely. And for a mortgage, you rarely need to wait anywhere near six years.
I am a mortgage broker in Greater Manchester and I specialise in adverse credit. Most of the people who call me have already searched this exact question, and most of what they found online stops at "six years". That answer is correct but it misses the part that actually matters if you want a mortgage: lenders do not treat a default or CCJ the same way across those six years. What is impossible at month three can be routine at month thirteen.
This guide covers the exact rules for how long each marker lasts, when it gets removed, what paying it off does and does not change, and then the part nobody else writes about: what mortgage lenders actually do at year one, year three and year six.
How long does a default stay on your credit file?
A default stays on your credit file for six years from the default date, which is the date the lender formally registered the account as defaulted. This applies whether you pay the debt off, settle it partially, or never pay it at all. The rule is the same at all three UK credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Three points people regularly get wrong:
- The clock runs from the default date, not the last payment. Not from when you opened the account, not from when you cleared the balance, and not from when the debt was sold to a collector. If a debt collector buys a defaulted debt, the original default date must stay the same, so the sale does not restart anything.
- Paying it off does not remove it early. A settled default is marked as satisfied but stays visible for the full six years.
- It disappears even if you never pay. An unsatisfied default drops off at six years the same as a satisfied one. The debt may still legally exist, but the marker is gone from your file.
When does a default get removed?
Exactly six years after the default date, automatically. You do not need to apply, chase anyone or pay a fee, and once it is gone the lender cannot re-register it even if you still owe the money. A quick reference:
| Default or CCJ registered | Removed from your credit file |
|---|---|
| August 2020 | August 2026 (dropping off now) |
| 2021 | 2027 |
| 2022 | 2028 |
| 2023 | 2029 |
| 2024 | 2030 |
| 2025 | 2031 |
One detail worth checking: lenders usually register a default after roughly three to six months of missed payments. If your default date looks later than it should, challenge it, because a later date keeps the marker on your file longer than necessary. The Information Commissioner's Office expects default dates to reflect when the relationship actually broke down. And when a default does drop off, most people see a meaningful jump in their credit score, though the exact amount varies by agency and by what else is on the file.
How long does a CCJ last?
A County Court Judgment stays on your credit file, and on the public Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, for six years from the date of the judgment. After six years it is removed from both automatically.
How long does a CCJ last if it is unpaid?
Still six years. An unpaid CCJ shows as unsatisfied for the whole period, which is the worst version of it as far as lenders are concerned, but it does not stay on your file any longer than a paid one. At the six year mark it comes off the register and off your credit file even if you never paid a penny. The debt itself can still be enforced in some circumstances, so removal from your file is not the same as the debt disappearing.
The one month rule: paying a CCJ off quickly
A CCJ is different from a default in one important way: it has a genuine early removal route. If you pay the full judgment amount within one calendar month of the judgment date, you can apply to have the CCJ removed from the register entirely, as if it never existed. You apply to the court using form N443 for a certificate of cancellation. The court fee is £19 as of August 2026 and you will need proof of payment, such as a bank statement or written confirmation from the creditor.
Pay after that one month window and the CCJ cannot be removed. Instead you can apply, again on form N443, for a certificate of satisfaction. The judgment then stays on the register for the full six years but shows as satisfied, which lenders view far more favourably than an unpaid one.
One warning from cases I see regularly: paying a CCJ does not automatically update your credit file. If you have settled a judgment and it still shows as unsatisfied, apply for the certificate yourself and then check all three agencies have updated. I have seen mortgage applications delayed by a paid CCJ that nobody told the register about.
When does the six year clock start?
| Marker | Clock starts | Removed early if paid? |
|---|---|---|
| Default | The default date registered by the lender | No. Marked satisfied but stays six years |
| CCJ | The date of the court judgment | Only if paid in full within one calendar month |
If you are not sure whether what is on your file is a default or a CCJ, or how the two relate, read my guide on the difference between CCJs and defaults. Short version: a default is registered by the lender, a CCJ is ordered by the court, and a CCJ is usually what happens when a defaulted debt still goes unpaid.
Can lenders see defaults and CCJs after six years?
No. Once the marker drops off, a lender running a credit check cannot see it. There is no hidden archive that mainstream mortgage lenders can look into. Your file works as a rolling six year window: old problems fall away while recent behaviour stays visible.
Two honest caveats. First, mortgage applications ask direct questions, and some lenders ask whether you have ever had a judgment or been in arrears. Answer truthfully. Lying on a mortgage application is fraud, and it is never worth it when there are lenders who will take the history as it is. Second, if you still owe the money, the debt does not vanish just because the marker did. The creditor may still pursue it unless it is statute barred.
Is it true your credit clears after seven years?
No. The seven year figure is American. In the UK it is six years, and it is individual markers dropping off on their own timelines, not your whole history resetting on one date. There is no single day when your file is wiped clean.
What mortgage lenders actually do at year one, three and six
This is the section that matters if the reason you searched this question is a mortgage. The six year rule tells you when the marker disappears. It tells you nothing about when you become mortgageable, and those are very different dates. Lenders apply what brokers call seasoning: the older the adverse, the more doors open and the better the pricing. Here is how it plays out in practice.
Under 12 months old: hardest, not hopeless
Fresh adverse is where the high street says no and most brokers give up. It is also where the detail matters most. A handful of specialist lenders will consider defaults or CCJs registered within the last six months, usually capped at around 75% loan to value, and some routes only exist through packagers rather than direct applications. Small items help you more than people think: several lenders simply ignore defaults below a few hundred pounds, and some disregard telecoms and utility defaults entirely. So two small mobile phone defaults from eight months ago can be a completely different case from a £4,000 loan default, even though both look like "recent defaults" on paper.
12 to 24 months old: the market opens up
Once a default or CCJ passes the 12 month mark, and again at 24 months, whole tiers of specialist lending unlock and rates step down noticeably. Many specialist lenders work in bands: nothing registered in the last 12 months gets one tier, nothing in 24 months gets a better one, nothing in 36 months better again. So a mortgage with a CCJ registered in the last 24 months is a very placeable case, it just prices differently at 13 months old than at 25.
Whether the item is satisfied starts to matter more here too. A satisfied CCJ is one of the most workable forms of adverse credit there is: at two years old with clean conduct since, it is a placeable case at sensible rates, often with a 10 to 15% deposit, and some lenders treat satisfied judgments almost as if the slate is clean. This is also the window where waiting a few months can be a genuine strategy. If a default hits its second birthday in March, applying in April can mean a cheaper product than applying in February.
3 to 6 years old: close to normal
Adverse in this band is largely historic. Specialist lenders price it lightly, and some high street lenders will consider it, particularly where it is satisfied, small, or an isolated blip with a clean file since. The main trap at this stage is credit scoring: a lender's automated score can still decline a strong applicant over an old marker even when their written criteria say it is fine. This is exactly where a broker earns their fee, because we know which lenders score hard and which underwrite manually.
After six years: gone, with one footnote
Once the marker drops off, most lenders cannot see it and will not price for it. The footnote is the application question mentioned above: where a lender asks whether you have ever had a CCJ, the honest answer is yes even after six years. In practice, historic and resolved adverse disclosed honestly rarely causes a problem at that stage.
The takeaway from all four bands: almost nobody actually needs to wait six years. Most of my clients were mortgageable one to two years after their worst marker, and some far sooner. What changes over time is the rate and the deposit needed, not the yes or no. If you want the fuller picture on options with a poor history, my bad credit mortgages page covers deposits, rates and how the process works.
How to check what is on your file
- Check all three agencies, not one. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion each hold their own version of your file and lenders do not all report to all three. Statutory reports are free from each agency, and services like Checkmyfile show all three together.
- Check the default dates. A wrong default date keeps the marker on your file longer than it should. Dispute it with the lender and the agency if it is wrong.
- Check paid CCJs show as satisfied. If not, apply for the certificate on form N443.
- Add a notice of correction if there was a genuine reason behind the adverse, such as illness or redundancy. Manual underwriters do read these.
Frequently asked questions
How long do defaults stay on your credit file in the UK?
Six years from the default date registered by the lender. The default is removed automatically after six years whether it was paid or not, and the lender cannot re-register it.
How long does a CCJ last on your credit file?
Six years from the date of the judgment. It appears on your credit file and on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for that period, then it is removed automatically even if it was never paid.
How long does a CCJ last if it is unpaid?
Still six years. An unpaid CCJ shows as unsatisfied for the whole period, which lenders view as the most serious version, but it is removed from your credit file at the six year mark just like a paid one. The underlying debt can still be enforced in some circumstances after that.
When does a default get removed from your credit file?
Automatically, exactly six years after the default date. You do not need to apply or pay anything, and once removed the lender cannot put it back, even if the debt was never paid.
Does paying off a CCJ remove it from your credit file?
Only if you pay the full amount within one calendar month of the judgment date, in which case you can apply for a certificate of cancellation on form N443 and the CCJ is removed from the register completely. Paid after one month, it stays for the full six years but is marked as satisfied, which lenders view more favourably.
Can a default be removed before six years are up?
Only if it is wrong. If the default was recorded in error, is not yours, the default date is inaccurate or the lender did not follow the correct process, you can dispute it with the lender and the credit reference agency. A correctly recorded default cannot be removed early, and companies charging fees to wipe accurate defaults should be avoided.
Can I get a mortgage with a satisfied CCJ?
Yes, and satisfied CCJs are among the most workable forms of adverse credit. Many specialist lenders accept a satisfied CCJ that is 12 to 24 months old with a 10 to 15% deposit, and the older it gets the closer the rates move to normal. Some lenders also ignore small CCJs entirely.
Is it true your credit clears after seven years in the UK?
No. Seven years is the American rule. In the UK, defaults and CCJs are removed six years after they were registered, and each marker drops off on its own timeline rather than your whole file resetting at once.
Do I have to wait six years after a default or CCJ to get a mortgage?
No. Specialist lenders consider applications long before the marker drops off, in some cases within months of it being registered. The age of the adverse, whether it is satisfied, the amounts involved and your deposit all shape which lenders will consider you and at what rate.
Do defaults and CCJs show on all three credit reference agencies?
Not always. Lenders choose which agencies they report to, so a default may appear with one, two or all three of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. CCJs come from the public Register of Judgments so they normally appear across all three. Check all three files before applying for a mortgage.
Turned down? Turn to us.
I specialise in mortgages for people with defaults, CCJs and missed payments across Leigh, Wigan, Bolton, Manchester and the rest of Greater Manchester. If a bank has said no, that is usually the start of the conversation, not the end of it. Tell me what is on your file and I will tell you straight what is realistic, even if the honest answer is to wait a few months.
Or call Chris directly on 07359 911696
All mortgages are subject to status and affordability. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of lending. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Credit file rules verified against GOV.UK, Experian and Registry Trust guidance, August 2026. Court fees and lender criteria change, so check the current position before acting.