Form N441 UK: Clear or Satisfy a CCJ (Guide)

What this document is

A County Court Judgment, usually shortened to CCJ, is a formal order made by a County Court in England or Wales confirming that someone owes money to another party. It tends to be the end point of a dispute that began with an unpaid debt, whether that's a parking charge, a utility bill, a credit agreement, or something similar, where the creditor has taken the matter through the courts.

Once a judgment is entered, it goes onto the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which is maintained by the Registry Trust, and it generally stays there for six years. Credit reference agencies pick up from this register, which is why a CCJ can make it harder to be approved for loans, mortgages, credit cards, or even some rental agreements.

Form N441 is the mechanism for updating that record once you have paid. It is a single form that can be used for two different outcomes, depending on how quickly you settled the debt.

How to use this document

1. Pay the debt in full. Before you can file Form N441, the judgment debt needs to be paid off completely. Keep hold of any receipt, bank transfer confirmation, or letter from the creditor acknowledging payment, because the court will want to see proof that the debt has genuinely been cleared before updating the register.
2. Decide whether you are asking for satisfaction or cancellation. The distinction turns on timing. If you paid within the period set by the court order, usually around a month from the date of judgment, you can ask for cancellation, which removes the CCJ from the register. If you paid after that window, you can only ask for the judgment to be marked as satisfied.
3. Complete Form N441 accurately. Fill in the claim number, the names of the parties, the date of the judgment, and the date the debt was paid. Double check the details against the original court paperwork, because any mismatch can slow things down or cause the application to be rejected outright.
4. Send the form to the correct court with evidence and any fee. The form should go to the County Court that issued the original judgment, together with your proof of payment. A fee usually applies for marking a judgment as satisfied or cancelled, so check gov.uk for the current amount before you send anything.
5. Wait for confirmation and check your credit file. Once the court processes the request and notifies the Registry Trust, the entry on your credit file should be updated. This can take a few weeks. After that, it is worth pulling your credit report to make sure the change has flowed through to the main credit reference agencies.

Common questions