Are there CCJs in Scotland?
If you have searched for CCJs, you may be looking at advice written for England. Scotland uses different words and different rules, and they can work in your favour.
No. County court judgments (CCJs) are part of the legal system in England and Wales. In Scotland, a court order to pay a debt is called a decree, granted by a sheriff court or the Court of Session. Undefended money decrees from the sheriff courts go on a public register and are passed to the credit reference agencies, so they show on your credit file for six years, much like a CCJ.
Received court papers or a charge for payment? Court papers from a Scottish court give you a ‘last date for a response’, and a charge for payment usually gives you 14 days. Do not ignore either. See what to do if you receive a simple procedure claim and get free debt advice quickly.
What is the Scottish equivalent of a CCJ?
The nearest equivalent is a decree: a formal order from the court saying you must pay money to a creditor. Most debt decrees come from the sheriff courts:
- claims worth £5,000 or less go through simple procedure, a quicker and less formal process
- larger claims go through ordinary cause, a more formal process
Once a creditor has a decree, they can use sheriff officers to enforce it, usually starting with a charge for payment. What is a decree in Scotland? explains decrees in more detail, including how long they last.
Scotland is different. Advice written for England talks about CCJs, county courts and bailiffs. In Scotland the equivalents are decrees, sheriff courts and sheriff officers, and the rules on enforcement, time limits and protections are different. Check that any advice you read is about Scotland.
Does a decree show on your credit file?
Yes, in most debt cases. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service says the sheriff courts send details of Scottish decrees to Registry Trust, which keeps the public register and passes the details to the credit reference agencies.
Registry Trust says the Scottish register holds undefended money decrees from the sheriff courts, whether the case was a small claim, summary cause, simple procedure or ordinary cause. It does not hold defended decrees. An undefended decree is one granted without the person being sued putting forward a defence, for example because they did not respond to the claim.
| Situation | What happens to the entry |
|---|---|
| Not paid | Shows as unsatisfied for six years from the date of the decree |
| Paid in full after the first month | Can be marked as satisfied, but still stays for six years from the date of the decree |
| Paid in full within one calendar month of the decree | Removed, or never added, if proof of payment reaches Registry Trust in time |
| Recalled by the court or entered in error | Removed |
Scottish courts do not issue certificates of satisfaction. To get a decree marked as satisfied, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service says you need a letter from the creditor, or the creditor’s solicitor, confirming you have paid in full, which you then send to Registry Trust.
A summary warrant, which councils use for council tax arrears, is not a decree, and mygov.scot says it does not usually show on your credit file.
Can an English CCJ be enforced in Scotland?
Yes, but not by English bailiffs, who have no powers here (see are there bailiffs in Scotland?). A creditor with a money judgment from England, Wales or Northern Ireland has to register it in Scotland first. Under the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982:
- The creditor applies to the court that gave the judgment for a certificate.
- The certificate must be registered in the Court of Session within six months of the date it was issued.
- Once registered, it has the same force as if the Court of Session had given the judgment, and the creditor can enforce it by Scottish diligence.
From that point, Scottish rules apply. That includes the protected balance on bank accounts, the limits on wage deductions, and the right to ask for a time to pay order, which the law allows for civil judgments from outside Scotland that are enforceable here.
In England and Wales, Registry Trust says a CCJ stays on the register for six years unless it is paid within one calendar month, cancelled or set aside. So if you had a CCJ before moving to Scotland, it may still be on your credit file even if nobody is chasing it.
A court decree or CCJ on top of other debts? Tell us a little about your situation and a licensed insolvency practitioner firm will call you to go through every option, including ones that are not a trust deed.
May not be suitable in all circumstances. Fees apply. Your credit rating may be affected. Free, impartial advice is available from MoneyHelper and other services.
What should you do about a decree or a CCJ?
- Check the details. Is the debt yours, is the amount right, and did you know about the court case? If you did not, ask an adviser whether the decree can be recalled.
- Pay within a month if you can. If you can pay a decree in full within one calendar month, it should not stay on the public register. Keep proof of payment.
- Ask for time to pay. If you cannot pay in one go, you can ask the court to let you pay by instalments, as long as you have not had time to pay for that debt before.
- Watch for a charge for payment. It usually gives you 14 days before wages or bank accounts can be arrested.
- Look at the bigger picture. If you have several debts, an adviser can explain every option, from informal plans to the Debt Arrangement Scheme, a trust deed or sequestration. Each has different costs and effects on your credit file.
Official sources
- mygov.scot: sheriff court decrees on debt
- Registry Trust: Scottish decrees help and guidance
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: money judgments and certificates of satisfaction FAQs
- Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982, section 18 and Schedule 6 (enforcing UK judgments in another part of the UK)
- Registry Trust: what is a CCJ (England and Wales)
Common questions
Can you get a CCJ if you live in Scotland?
County court judgments come from the courts of England and Wales. If a creditor takes you to court in Scotland, the result is a decree, not a CCJ. The general rule is that people are sued in the courts of the part of the UK where they are domiciled, although there are exceptions, so if you receive court papers from England, get advice quickly rather than ignoring them.
How long does a decree stay on your credit file in Scotland?
Six years from the date of the decree. mygov.scot says it shows as satisfied once it has been paid, but it stays on the file for the full six years. The exception is a decree paid in full within one calendar month, which Registry Trust says is removed from the public register, provided you send proof of payment in time.
Is a summary warrant the same as a CCJ?
No. A summary warrant is used mainly by councils for council tax arrears, and it is granted without a court case against you. mygov.scot says it does not usually show on your credit file, unlike a decree. It still allows sheriff officers to enforce the debt after a charge for payment, so it needs dealing with just as quickly.
Can I check whether I have a decree against me?
Yes. Registry Trust keeps the public register of undefended money decrees from the Scottish sheriff courts and offers searches through its TrustOnline service, for which a fee is charged. Your credit reference files should also show any decree registered in the last six years, and you can ask the credit reference agencies for a copy.
Related guides
- What is a decree in Scotland? What a court decree for debt means, how long it lasts, what can follow and how recall works.
- If you receive a simple procedure claim Your deadline, your three options, what happens if you do nothing and where to get free help.
- Are there bailiffs in Scotland? Why Scotland has sheriff officers instead of bailiffs, and what English bailiffs cannot do here.
- What is a charge for payment? The 14-day demand from sheriff officers, what can follow and how to use the time.