Updated November 2026 by the Get A Better Car finance team (FCA No 713342)
Can you get car finance with a CCJ? Often, yes. Specialist bad credit lenders will consider you with a County Court Judgment, especially if it’s a few years old, it’s been paid, and you’re keeping up with your credit now. You’ll still need to pass an affordability check, and the APR will usually be higher than for good credit. Checking your eligibility with us is a soft search, so it won’t affect your credit score.
Yes, a CCJ doesn’t automatically rule you out. Mainstream lenders such as banks usually decline, but specialist fair and bad credit car finance lenders look at the whole picture, not just the judgment. There are more than 15 of these lenders in the UK, each with different criteria, so where you apply matters as much as what’s on your file.
Yes. In England and Wales, if you pay the full amount within one month of the judgment, you can ask the court to remove it from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, so it won’t show on your credit file. If you pay it after a month, it stays on the register but is marked as “satisfied”, which lenders can see.
To get it removed or marked as satisfied, write to the court with proof of payment, or apply for a certificate using form N443 (£19). Full details are on GOV.UK.
A CCJ stays on the register and your credit file for 6 years from the date of the judgment, whether or not it’s been paid. After that it drops off automatically. In Scotland the equivalent is a decree, and the process is different.
Often, yes. A default is recorded when a lender closes an account after missed payments. Like a CCJ, it stays on your credit file for 6 years from the default date. Lenders care more about how recent the defaults are, whether they’ve been settled, and how you’re handling credit now than about the default itself. Settling a default (or paying it off in full) shows on your file and helps.
If you have little or no credit history, lenders have nothing to judge you on, which can make approval harder than with an old CCJ. Being on the electoral register at your current address helps, and so does a mobile phone contract or credit card kept up to date. Some lenders specialise in first-time borrowers. See our car finance for 18 year olds guide.
Lenders will still consider you, but it’s harder. If you’re in an IVA you’ll need your supervisor’s written permission for credit over £500 (see our IVA car finance guide). On a debt management plan? See car finance on a DMP. If you’ve been made bankrupt, lenders usually want you to be discharged and for some time to have passed since.
Usually not. In around 85% of cases the lender’s valuation covers the full price of the car, so no deposit is needed. A deposit or part exchange lowers what you borrow and your payments. See no deposit car finance with bad credit, or use our car finance calculator.
No. Every lender has to check that the payments are affordable for you, so no one can guarantee approval. Applying through a specialist that works with the right lenders gives you the best chance. Read why guaranteed car finance doesn’t exist.
We’re a bad credit car finance specialist dealer on the A52 at Bramcote, between Nottingham and Derby, recognised as Car Finance Experts by the Finance & Leasing Association. Your application goes to our panel of fair and bad credit lenders with a soft search, and lenders usually reply within two to three working hours. Every car comes with a full MOT and a 6 month warranty, and we deliver free within 100 miles.
It’s a soft search only, with no impact on your credit rating.
Often, yes. Specialist bad credit lenders consider CCJs, especially older or satisfied ones, as long as you pass their affordability checks.
6 years from the date of the judgment, whether it’s paid or not. If you pay in full within one month, you can ask the court to remove it.
Yes. A satisfied CCJ shows lenders you dealt with the debt, and it’s viewed more favourably than an unpaid one.
Often, yes. Lenders look mainly at how recent they are and how you’re managing your credit now.
No. Checking your eligibility with us is a soft search, so it won’t affect your credit score.
Get A Better Car is a trading name of Twiggco Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No 713342). We are a credit broker, not a lender. Finance is subject to status and affordability; applicants must be 18 or over. This guide is general information, not debt advice. If you’re struggling with money, get free advice from MoneyHelper or StepChange.