One CCJ does not put a mortgage out of reach, and neither does a lender telling you no. I compare mortgages across 120+ lenders including specialists who look at the age, amount and status of a judgment rather than just its existence, and I will give you a straight answer on whether your case is placeable now.
HTG Mortgages
Mortgage With a CCJ | Satisfied, How Old and How Much
Last Updated: September 2026
Featured in The Telegraph • Daily Mail • The Times • Sky News
A county court judgment (CCJ) sits on your credit file for six years, and lenders read it in the same way they read a default: how old is it, how much was it for, and has it been satisfied. A satisfied CCJ over six months old, or a low value one, is where specialist lenders start to consider you. One that is six years old has gone from your file and is no longer part of the conversation with most lenders.
A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments and your credit file for six years unless paid within one month of the judgment
Satisfied CCJs more than six months old, or small ones, are where the specialist market starts to say yes
Unsatisfied CCJs are the hardest to place, so settling one before applying usually widens your options
As featured in…
Meet your Advisor
Harry Goodliffe
- FCA Authorised
- Director & Mortgage Advisor
“I‘m not about confusing jargon or passing you from person to person. From our first chat to the day you get the keys, you’ll deal directly with me. I‘ll keep you updated, answer any burning questions, and do everything I can to make the whole process as stress-free as possible.”
Let’s Talk About Your Mortgage
The mortgage process with a CCJ
1
Step 1
First Chat
Send me your credit reports and, if you have it, the certificate of satisfaction for the CCJ, so I know exactly how it is recorded.
2
Step 2
Research
I match your file to lender criteria on the age, amount and status of the CCJ, and on how many judgments there are, because each lender draws its own line.
3
Step 3
Application
Once you have chosen a lender, I handle the application and present the CCJ with a clear explanation, which underwriters expect and read.
4
Step 4
Completion
After the offer I stay on it through to completion, and I will work around whatever fits your circumstances, not just office hours.
About
Our approach.
Why choose HTG Mortgages?
People often do not know they have a CCJ until a mortgage search finds it, because a judgment can be entered without you attending court if the paperwork went to an old address. Reading your own file first avoids that surprise happening in front of a lender.
Paid within a month, gone completely.
If you pay a CCJ in full within one calendar month of the judgment and send proof to the court, it is removed from the register altogether. Pay later and it is marked satisfied but stays visible for the full six years.
Age and amount set the tier.
Lenders group CCJs by how long ago they were registered and how much they were for. A satisfied judgment for a few hundred pounds from three years ago sits in a very different tier from an unsatisfied one for several thousand from last year.
Unsatisfied is the hard one.
Many lenders, including most specialists, want a CCJ satisfied before they lend, or will only consider unsatisfied ones below a low value. Clearing it before you apply usually widens your choice and can improve the rate.
Check the register, not just your report.
The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines is the official record. If you did not know about a judgment, check the register and consider whether you can apply to have it set aside if it was wrongly entered.
How lenders treat a county court judgment
A CCJ is recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which the credit reference agencies copy onto your file. It stays for six years from the judgment date. If you paid it in full within one calendar month and told the court, it is removed entirely; paid after that it is marked satisfied but remains visible. Lenders then apply their own criteria. High street lenders typically decline recent CCJs and may accept older, satisfied, low value ones. Specialist lenders set bands, so a judgment registered more than 12, 24 or 36 months ago opens progressively more options, and many set a maximum total value of CCJs they will accept in a given period. The number of judgments matters too, and an unsatisfied CCJ is the hardest thing on this page to place. If a CCJ sits alongside missed payments or a default, lenders assess the whole file together, which I explain on my mortgage with defaults page. My wider bad credit mortgages page covers the market as a whole.
What to do before you apply
Get your reports from all three credit reference agencies and check the register itself. If the judgment is genuine and unpaid, settle it and obtain a certificate of satisfaction from the court, then allow time for the agencies to update. If you believe it was entered wrongly, for example because the claim went to an address you had left, you can apply to the court to have it set aside, though there is a fee and it needs grounds. From then on, keep every account paid on time, stay on the electoral roll, and avoid new credit applications before the mortgage. A larger deposit helps with a recent judgment, because lenders taking more risk want more equity in the deal. Whether to apply now or wait for the CCJ to age depends on the whole file and what you are buying, and that judgement is what an advice appointment is for. My guide to getting a mortgage with bad credit goes into the preparation in more detail.
Why use HTG’s mortgage services?
Available 24/7, so we are always there to help when you need us
We are an independently owned, whole-of-market mortgage broker offering first-charge mortgages
We provide unrivalled customer service, ensuring that you get the care you deserve
Let’s get your mortgage sorted
Written by Harry Goodliffe
Director & Mortgage Adviser, HTG Mortgages · FCA Authorised (1017945)
CeMAP Qualified · Featured in National Press · South England Prestige Awards 2026/27 winner