Form N443: Satisfy or Remove a Paid County Court Judgment

At a glance

• What it does: Form N443 asks the court to issue a certificate confirming a county court judgment (CCJ) has been paid — triggering an update to the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
• Certificate of cancellation: paid the full amount within one calendar month of the judgment date → the entry is removed from the register entirely.
• Certificate of satisfaction: paid the full amount after one month → the entry stays on the register for six years from the judgment date but is marked as satisfied.
• Court fee: £19 (check gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are for the current figure; Help with Fees — form EX160 — may apply if you are on a low income or qualifying benefits).
• Where to send it: the court that issued the original judgment.
• If the creditor won't confirm: the court writes to them; if no response arrives within one month, the court can issue the certificate on the evidence you supply.
• Register maintained by: Registry Trust, an independent body that maintains the register on behalf of the Ministry of Justice; searchable via TrustOnline (typically £6–£10 per search).

This guide provides general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not a substitute for legal advice about your specific circumstances.

What is the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines?

When a county court issues a judgment against someone for a debt, it sends details to the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines — a statutory public register maintained by Registry Trust under The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/3595). The entry typically includes the judgment date, the amount owed, and the court that issued it.

The register is searchable by lenders, landlords, employers and credit reference agencies. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion use it as a primary source when generating credit reports. An unresolved CCJ on the register signals to prospective lenders that you have previously failed to pay a debt as ordered by a court, and it can affect:

• mortgage and loan applications
• credit card and overdraft decisions
• tenancy applications
• certain employment background checks

Entries stay on the register for six years from the judgment date unless cancelled earlier. Paying the debt does not automatically update the register — you need to take active steps using Form N443 to make that happen.

The two certificates: what each one achieves

The outcome of your Form N443 application depends entirely on when you paid the judgment in full. The regulations describe the debtor's application generically as an application for a "certificate of satisfaction" (regulation 17), but which outcome you actually get — cancellation or satisfaction — is decided by the one-month test in regulation 11. You apply using the same Form N443 either way; the court works out which certificate applies from the dates you give it.

Certificate of cancellation — paid within one month

If you paid the complete judgment sum within one calendar month of the date on which the judgment was entered, the entry qualifies to be removed. The court notifies Registry Trust, which removes the entry from the register entirely. Anyone searching after that point will find no trace of the judgment.

This is the stronger outcome: future lenders and landlords run their checks and the CCJ simply does not appear. The one-month window runs from the date the judgment was issued, not from the date you first became aware of it.

Certificate of satisfaction — paid after one month

If full payment was made more than one calendar month after the judgment date, the entry cannot be removed. Instead, the court issues a certificate of satisfaction, notifies Registry Trust, and the register entry is updated to show the debt is paid. The entry remains visible on the register for the remainder of the six-year period, but the "satisfied" marker signals to anyone searching that the money has been handed over.

A satisfied CCJ is a better credit profile than an unsatisfied one, but it is not the same as having no entry at all. This distinction matters when applying for mortgages or regulated financial products where lenders run register searches.

Worked examples: cancellation vs satisfaction

Priya, a fictional example, has a judgment entered against her on 3 June for £1,200. She pays the full amount on 20 June — within the calendar month. She applies using Form N443, the court confirms payment with the creditor, and because payment fell inside the one-month window the entry is removed from the register entirely: a certificate of cancellation.

Tom, also fictional, has a judgment entered on 3 June for £1,400. He does not clear the debt until 15 August — more than one month after the judgment date. He applies using the same Form N443, but because payment fell outside the one-month window, the court issues a certificate of satisfaction instead. The entry stays on the register until six years from 3 June, but shows as satisfied from the date the certificate is issued.

Meera, a further fictional example, pays off her judgment under a court-ordered instalment plan, with her final instalment clearing the debt ten months after the judgment date. Even though the instalment order itself may have been agreed shortly after judgment, what matters for the one-month test is when the debt was actually paid in full — so Meera's outcome is a certificate of satisfaction, not cancellation.

Partial payment is not enough

Both certificates require full payment of the judgment sum, including any costs or interest the judgment ordered. Partial payment, or payment by instalments that is still ongoing, does not qualify. If you have paid under an instalment order and have now cleared the final instalment, you can apply once the full amount is cleared — using the date of that final payment as the relevant date for the one-month test.

The legal framework

The right to apply for a certificate of satisfaction is set out in regulation 17 of the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005. The evidence required, and the process for notifying the creditor where evidence is not readily available, is set out in regulation 18 and regulation 19. Whether the outcome is cancellation or endorsement as satisfied is governed by regulation 11. The automatic removal of entries after six years is provided for by regulation 26.

These regulations apply to county court judgments registered in England and Wales.

Step-by-step: how to complete and submit Form N443

Step 1 — Work out which certificate you need

Check the judgment date on your paperwork and compare it with the date you made the final payment. If full payment was made within one calendar month of the judgment date, you are likely to receive a certificate of cancellation. If it was later, you are likely to receive a certificate of satisfaction. This distinction affects how the register will be updated, so it is worth being certain before you complete the form.

If you no longer have the original judgment paperwork, your claim number will identify the court that issued it. You can also verify the entry on the register at TrustOnline (search fees typically run £6–£10).

Step 2 — Gather your evidence of payment

The court needs proof that the debt has been settled. Under regulation 18, the clearest form of evidence is a signed statement or receipt from the creditor confirming the full amount was received. If the creditor will not cooperate, you can tell the court you have taken reasonable steps to obtain evidence but been unable to, or that evidence is likely already in the court's possession (for example, if you paid through the court itself). In practice, useful supporting evidence includes:

• bank statements showing the payment leaving your account (with the payee name and amount clearly visible)
• payment confirmation emails or screenshots showing the transaction reference and amount
• any written correspondence in which the creditor acknowledges receipt

Keep originals where possible. The court does not return documents, so retain copies for yourself.

Step 3 — Complete Form N443

Form N443 is available to download from GOV.UK. Fill it in carefully, providing:

• your full name and date of birth
• your current address and contact number
• the name of the court that issued the judgment
• the claim or case number (found on the original judgment)
• the amount of the judgment
• the date payment was made in full
• details of the evidence you are enclosing

Double-check the claim number. An incorrect number makes it significantly harder for court staff to locate the original file, which delays processing.

Step 4 — Pay the application fee

The court fee for an application for a certificate of satisfaction or cancellation of a judgment debt is currently £19, set out in the civil court fees schedule EX50. Court fees are reviewed periodically, so always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK before sending your application.

Payment options:

• Cheque: make it payable to 'HMCTS' and enclose it with the form
• Card: contact the court in advance to arrange payment by debit or credit card

If paying the fee would cause you genuine financial hardship, you may qualify for the Help with Fees scheme. Eligibility depends on your income, savings and whether you receive certain qualifying benefits (including Universal Credit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit). Apply using form EX160, either online or by post alongside your Form N443.

Step 5 — Send the application to the correct court

Post or deliver Form N443, the evidence and your fee payment to the court that issued the original judgment. This is not necessarily your nearest court. Use the court address on your original judgment paperwork, or find the correct court at gov.uk/find-court-tribunal.

Step 6 — After submission

Once the court receives the application, it will typically:

1. Notify the creditor of your application using Form N441, where it does not already hold evidence of payment, giving the creditor one month to object
2. Issue the certificate of satisfaction or cancellation and send it to you once satisfied the debt has been paid
3. Notify Registry Trust to update the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines

Credit reference agencies then refresh their records from the register, but this is not instant — it typically takes several weeks for the updated status to appear on credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. If you need to speed up a specific credit application, a copy of the certificate is useful evidence you can show the lender directly.

Keep the certificate in a safe place. It is your formal proof that the judgment debt was settled and the court's record reflects that. If a stale or incorrect entry resurfaces on a credit report in the future, the certificate is the most direct way to resolve it.

If the creditor refuses to confirm payment

It is not uncommon for creditors — particularly where a debt has been sold on or the original business has changed — to fail to provide a receipt or confirmation. You can still proceed.

Submit Form N443 with whatever evidence you have and explain on the form that the creditor is not cooperating. The court will write to the creditor under regulation 18 of the 2005 Regulations, using Form N441 to notify them of your application and asking them to confirm within one month of the date of that notice whether the debt has been satisfied. If the creditor does not respond within that month, regulation 19 allows the court to issue the certificate based on the evidence you have submitted. A clear bank statement showing the payment, with the payee name and amount visible, is typically the most persuasive substitute for a creditor receipt.

How the register is updated in practice

Registry Trust maintains the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and receives notification from courts across England and Wales. It also operates TrustOnline, the public search service where anyone can check whether a judgment appears against a named individual.

After the court sends the cancellation or satisfaction notice:

• Registry Trust updates the register entry (removal for cancellation; "satisfied" endorsement for satisfaction)
• Credit reference agencies pull updated data from the register and reflect the change in individual credit files
• Lenders and landlords running checks after the update will see the corrected position

The register update itself is typically fast once Registry Trust receives the court notification. The credit file update depends on each agency's refresh schedule and can take several additional weeks.

Risks and common mistakes

• Applying before payment is actually complete. If any part of the judgment sum, including ordered costs or interest, remains unpaid, the application will not succeed. Check your paperwork for the full amount ordered, not just the headline debt figure.
• Confusing the one-month cancellation deadline with the six-year retention period. These are two entirely different time limits that do different jobs — missing the one-month cut-off does not mean you cannot apply at all, only that you receive a satisfaction certificate rather than a cancellation.
• Sending the form to the wrong court. Form N443 goes to the court that issued the original judgment, not your local county court hearing centre — check the claim number carefully.
• Not keeping copies. The court does not return your evidence, so keep copies of everything you submit and of the certificate once issued.
• Assuming a satisfaction certificate deletes the CCJ. It does not — it only marks the existing entry as paid. Only a cancellation, available for payment within one month, removes the entry.
• Expecting an instant credit file update. Registry Trust updating the register is separate from — and generally faster than — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion refreshing their own records, which can lag by several weeks.

What about judgments that are set aside?

Setting aside a judgment is a different process from Form N443. It uses a general application notice, Form N244, and involves convincing the court that the judgment should not have been entered in the first place — typically because you were not properly served with the original claim or because you have a genuine defence. Where no other fee applies, the standard court fee for a general application made on notice is currently £313; always check the current figure on the civil court fees schedule (EX50) before applying, as court fees are reviewed periodically. A successful set-aside cancels the judgment entirely.

Form N443 is only for cases where the judgment stands and has been paid. It does not re-open the merits of the claim.

Last reviewed: August 2026. Next review due: August 2027 or on legislative or fee change.