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Form EAC2 UK: Complain About a Certificated Bailiff

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Part ofEnforcement Forms UK

Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
If a certificated enforcement agent, often called a bailiff, has behaved in a way that makes you question whether they should still hold their certificate, there is a formal route for raising this with the court. Form EAC2 is the document used to bring a complaint before the County Court that issued the bailiff's certificate, and the process sits under Regulation 9 of the Certification of Enforcement Agents Regulations 2014. There is no court fee for making this type of complaint, which is one of the few enforcement-related procedures that remains free to the public. This page walks you through what the form is for, how to prepare a credible complaint, where to send it, and what tends to happen once the court receives it. It is written for people who have already had a difficult encounter with a bailiff and want to understand their options clearly before taking the next step.

What this document is

Form EAC2 is the official HMCTS complaint form used to ask a County Court judge to reconsider whether a named enforcement agent is fit to hold a certificate. It is not a route for recovering money taken by a bailiff, nor is it a way to stop an ongoing enforcement action on its own.

Its purpose is narrower: it asks the court to look at the conduct of the individual agent and decide whether their certificate should continue, be subject to conditions, or be cancelled. Certificates are granted under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and the 2014 Regulations, and each certificate is held at a specific County Court hearing centre.

That is the court that deals with any complaint about the holder. The form is designed for members of the public who have been affected by a bailiff's conduct, but it can also be used by debt advisers, representatives and organisations acting on someone's behalf. Filing EAC2 triggers a judicial process, so the standard of evidence matters from the outset.

How to use this document

  1. Identify the bailiff and the issuing court. Before filling anything in, use the HMCTS Public Register of Enforcement Agents to confirm the agent's full name, certificate number and the County Court hearing centre that granted their certificate. That hearing centre is the one you send the complaint to, not your local court or the court that issued the original warrant, and getting this wrong can cause delays.
  2. Write a clear first-person account. Set out what happened in chronological order, in your own words, covering dates, times, locations, what was said, what was done and who was present. Avoid emotional language and stick to facts you can stand behind. A calm, factual narrative is far more persuasive to a judge than strong adjectives, and it gives the bailiff less room to dismiss your account as exaggerated.
  3. Gather supporting evidence. Pull together anything that backs up your account: photographs, video or audio recordings, text messages, letters, notices left by the bailiff, bank statements showing payments taken, and any police reference numbers or incident reports. If others witnessed what happened, ask them to write short statements in their own words. Keep originals safe and send copies as exhibits.
  4. Complete Form EAC2 and prepare a witness statement. Fill in Form EAC2 with the bailiff's details and a summary of your complaint, then attach a fuller witness statement that tells the whole story and refers to each exhibit in turn. Number the exhibits clearly so the judge can follow them. Sign and date everything, and keep a full copy of the bundle for your own records before sending.
  5. Submit the complaint to the correct County Court. Send the completed Form EAC2, your witness statement and the exhibits to the County Court hearing centre that holds the bailiff's certificate. There is no fee to pay. After filing, the court will send a copy to the bailiff, who has a short window to respond, and a judge will then decide whether to list a hearing or dismiss the complaint on the papers.

Common questions

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Common questions

Q Is there a fee to file Form EAC2?
No. Complaints about the fitness of a certificated enforcement agent are made to the County Court free of charge under the Certification of Enforcement Agents Regulations 2014. This is one of the few court processes in this area that does not carry a fee. You will, however, need to cover your own costs in preparing evidence and, if you choose to attend, travelling to any hearing that is listed.
Q Which court do I send the complaint to?
You send it to the County Court hearing centre that issued the bailiff's certificate, not your nearest court. You can find this by searching the HMCTS Public Register of Enforcement Agents, which lists every certificated agent along with the court that granted their certificate. Sending the form to the wrong court is a common mistake and can result in your complaint being returned or delayed.
Q Can the judge dismiss my complaint without a hearing?
Yes. After reading your complaint and the bailiff's response, the judge can decide there is no case to answer and dismiss it on the papers. There is no right of appeal against a dismissal at this stage, which is why it is so important to set out your account clearly and include strong evidence from the start. If a hearing is listed, the bailiff must attend.
Q What outcomes can the court order?
If the judge is not satisfied that the bailiff remains fit and proper to hold a certificate, they can cancel or suspend the certificate, impose conditions, or order that a sum be paid out of the security the bailiff lodged when certificated. The court does not award you compensation for losses through this process. Claims for damages or the return of money are handled separately.
Q Will filing EAC2 stop the enforcement action against me?
Usually not by itself. A complaint about fitness to hold a certificate is about the individual agent's conduct and does not automatically pause the underlying enforcement. If you want to challenge the enforcement itself, for example where goods have been taken or fees charged incorrectly, there are separate procedures, such as applying under paragraph 66 of Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
Q Do I need a solicitor to complete Form EAC2?
No. The form is designed to be accessible to members of the public, and many complainants file it themselves or with help from a debt adviser, Citizens Advice or a similar service. That said, preparing a witness statement and exhibits to a standard the court will take seriously can be demanding, so talking things through with someone experienced before you file can help you feel more confident.
Q How long does the bailiff have to respond?
Once the court sends the bailiff a copy of your complaint, they are given a short period, commonly fourteen days, to file a response. The judge then considers the complaint together with any reply before deciding whether to list a hearing or dismiss the matter. Timescales beyond that depend on the court's workload, and it is not unusual for the overall process to take several weeks or longer.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, speak to an experienced legal adviser who can walk you through it — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.