Last updated: November 5th, 2026
Bolton Business Finance arranges business loans with a CCJ for UK limited companies and their directors, and in most cases a County Court Judgment narrows the options rather than closing them.
You can usually get a business loan with a CCJ, but which options are open to you depends on four things: whether the judgment is satisfied, how old it is, how much it was for, and what security you can offer. A live or recently settled County Court Judgment makes funding harder, not impossible. Most high street banks will decline a live or recent CCJ, while specialist lenders assess the underlying trading position, and several will lend where a bank will not.
Written by Marcus Wright, owner and founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, in financial services since 2008 and a commercial finance broker since 2019. Last reviewed November 2026.
We are an independent commercial finance broker in Bolton with access to a panel of 135+ lenders, and we place adverse credit cases regularly. There is no broker fee on most facilities, and we will tell you honestly if something is not placeable rather than run you through a pointless application.
The short version
- A UK business can often get finance with a CCJ, but the options depend on whether the judgment is satisfied, its age, its value and the security available.
- A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years from the date of judgment.
- If the full amount is paid within one month of the judgment, the court can remove it from the register altogether.
- Paid after one month, the CCJ stays on the register for six years but is marked as satisfied, which lenders treat far more favourably.
- Secured and asset backed finance, such as invoice finance, asset refinance, merchant cash advances and bridging, is the most accessible with a CCJ because the lender relies on the asset rather than the credit file.
- A CCJ on its own does not stop someone acting as a company director.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who we help | Limited companies and LLPs, where the CCJ is against the company or a director |
| Judgments considered | Live, satisfied, under dispute and cancelled |
| How long a CCJ shows | Six years from the date of judgment, unless cancelled or set aside |
| Most accessible options | Merchant cash advance, invoice finance, asset refinance and bridging |
| Hardest scenario | Unsecured borrowing against a live, unpaid judgment |
| Broker fee | None on most facilities. Property secured deals carry £495 upfront plus 1% on completion |
| Credit searches | We approach lenders selectively, not every lender at once |
Getting Business Finance With a CCJ
You can get business finance with a CCJ, because there are lenders who accept applications from companies and directors with a County Court Judgment on file. The judgment could be registered against the company, or against an individual director or sole proprietor, and lenders look at both.
What is available depends on your sector, your assets and the specifics of the judgment. The table below sums up how each type of CCJ is usually treated, then find the scenario that matches your situation.
| CCJ status | How lenders see it | Realistic options |
|---|---|---|
| Paid within one month and cancelled | Removed from the register, so it no longer shows on searches | Most options, including unsecured business loans |
| Satisfied, over three years old | Carries noticeably less weight, especially if it was small | Specialist unsecured loans, merchant cash advance, invoice finance, asset finance, commercial mortgages |
| Satisfied, under three years old | Harder, and priced for the extra risk | Merchant cash advance, invoice finance, asset finance and secured lending |
| Live and unpaid | Outside the criteria of most unsecured lenders | Secured lending such as bridging and asset refinance, plus invoice finance and merchant cash advance |
| Being defended or challenged | Shows as unsettled until the court resolves it | Treated as a live judgment until then |
Was the CCJ settled within a month?
If so, the judgment can be removed from the court register entirely, which makes raising finance considerably easier. According to GOV.UK, you apply to the court that handled the case for a certificate of cancellation, in writing or on form N443. If you paid within the month and it is still showing, it is worth doing before you approach any lender.
Was the CCJ settled after a month?
It will remain on the register but should show as satisfied. If it is not yet marked satisfied, tell the court it was paid and request a certificate of satisfaction, again on form N443, with a small court fee. Check the current fee on GOV.UK before you apply. This makes funding harder than a clean file but options remain open, and a satisfied judgment over three years old carries noticeably less weight than a recent one.
Is the CCJ still live and you need a loan to settle it?
This is the most difficult scenario, but there may still be options. It is very likely you will need to provide security in the form of an asset, owned either by the company or by a director. Property, vehicles, plant and machinery or a debtor book can all serve.
Are You Challenging Or Defending A CCJ Claim?
If you are defending a claim from a creditor, it will still show as an unsettled CCJ on your file until resolved. After that, a judgment stays on record for six years unless cleared within one month, set aside or successfully defended.
CCJs Against a Company and CCJs Against a Director
A CCJ can be registered against a limited company or against a person, and lenders check both when you apply for business finance. The company search shows judgments against the business itself. A personal search on each director shows judgments against them as individuals.
A personal CCJ matters because most unsecured business lending is backed by a director’s personal guarantee, so the lender assesses the guarantor as well as the company. On asset backed and secured facilities it matters much less, because the lender’s protection comes from the asset.
Can you be a company director with a CCJ?
Yes. A CCJ on its own does not stop you being a company director. According to GOV.UK, the people who cannot act as a director without the court’s permission are disqualified directors and undischarged bankrupts. A CCJ is a court order to pay a debt, not a disqualification, although lenders will still take it into account.
We arrange business finance for limited companies and LLPs. If you trade as a sole trader or a small partnership, talk to us first, because some funding for unincorporated businesses is regulated and we can only make non-regulated introductions.
What Lenders Actually Look At
Beyond the fact of the judgment, underwriters weigh five things.
| Factor | What it tells the lender |
|---|---|
| Satisfied or unsatisfied | The single biggest factor |
| Age | Judgments over three years old are treated far more leniently |
| Value | A £900 supplier dispute reads very differently from a £40,000 judgment |
| Cause | A documented commercial dispute is not the same as simple non-payment |
| Pattern | One judgment is an incident, several are a habit |
Alongside that they will look at current trading. Adverse credit from three or four years ago set against two years of clean, profitable trading since is a far easier case than the same event six months ago. See our glossary entry on CCJs for how judgments are recorded and removed, and our guide to business loans for bad credit if you also have defaults or missed payments on file.
Getting a Bank Loan With a CCJ
A bank loan with a CCJ is difficult, because high street banks use automated credit scoring and a live or recent judgment usually produces a decline before a person looks at the case. A satisfied, older and small judgment, set against strong accounts, may still be considered, particularly by a bank you already have a long trading relationship with.
Specialist and alternative lenders work differently. Many underwrite manually, read the explanation behind the judgment and weigh it against current trading. That is where most of the CCJ cases we place end up, either as a specialist business loan or as one of the secured options below.
For context, our typical unsecured business loan rate for a business with clean credit was around 14% a year in October 2026. Expect a CCJ to push pricing above that, with the gap depending on the age, value and status of the judgment.
Speak To A Business Finance Expert
We are experienced at helping companies across the UK with CCJs secure funding. Call 0161 546 9128 or fill in the form below.
What Types Of Business Funding Can You Get With A CCJ?
The realistic options with a satisfied or unsettled CCJ are merchant cash advances, invoice finance, asset finance and refinance, bridging loans, commercial mortgages and, for older satisfied judgments, specialist business loans. Some are only available to companies in certain sectors. As a general rule, the more security behind a facility, the less the judgment matters.
| Finance type | What the lender relies on | How much the CCJ matters |
|---|---|---|
| Unsecured business loan | Your credit file, accounts and a personal guarantee | A lot. Live judgments are usually declined |
| Merchant cash advance | Your card takings | Much less. Card sales carry the decision |
| Invoice finance | Your customers’ ability to pay | Less. The lender mainly assesses your debtors |
| Asset finance and refinance | The value of the vehicle, plant or equipment | Less, often with a deposit on new assets |
| Bridging loan | Property value and the exit | Less, even with an unsettled judgment |
| Commercial mortgage | Property value, LTV and trading | Moderate. Satisfied judgments are often accepted |
Business Loans With A CCJ
A live judgment falls outside the eligibility criteria of most business loan providers. If it was settled within a month you may be able to apply once it has been cleared from your file.
If it was settled after a month but was for a small amount and the company is financially stable, some banks and specialist loan providers will still consider a short or long term loan, priced for the additional risk.
Merchant Cash Advance With A CCJ
If your business takes card payments, this is often the most accessible option. The advance is underwritten primarily against your card takings rather than a credit score, so a CCJ carries much less weight. Funds can be available in 24 to 72 hours.
Bridging Loan With A CCJ
Regardless of circumstances, you may be able to use property as security for a secured facility. Even with an unsettled judgment there are often secured options available, because the lender’s protection comes from the property rather than from your credit history. Bridging can also be used to clear a live judgment where there is a clear exit, such as a sale or a refinance onto a term loan.
Invoice Factoring & Invoice Discounting With A CCJ
Is your business owed money? If you have a substantial debtor book you may be able to raise funding against it. A number of invoice finance providers will consider applications from businesses with a CCJ, because they are largely assessing your customers’ creditworthiness rather than yours.
Asset Finance With A CCJ
You may be able to raise funding through asset refinance, using an existing asset such as vehicles, machinery, plant or equipment owned outright. This is frequently the most straightforward route with adverse credit.
Acquiring new assets is also possible with a satisfied CCJ, though you would normally need to put down a cash deposit.
Commercial Mortgages With A CCJ
If you already have a commercial mortgage on your premises, remortgaging with a CCJ may be possible depending on the loan to value and recent financial performance.
A new commercial mortgage with a recently satisfied judgment is also achievable, again subject to performance and the size of the judgment. A lower loan to value, meaning a bigger deposit or more equity, makes a CCJ case much easier to place.
How We Place a Business Loan With a CCJ
We place a CCJ case in four stages, and the order matters because every lender approached leaves a search on file.
- Get the facts straight. The judgment date, the amount, who it is against, and whether it is satisfied or cancelled, with the certificate if you have one.
- Write a short explanation. What happened, why, what changed and what has been settled. No excuses and no drama.
- Choose lenders selectively. We go to the lenders whose criteria fit the judgment, rather than submitting your details everywhere.
- Underwriter review and offer. With the judgment disclosed upfront, the case goes to a person rather than an automated decline.
Whatever the scenario: disclose it upfront
Lenders run the searches and will find the judgment regardless. A CCJ declared at the outset with a short factual explanation is a manageable fact. The same judgment discovered after an offer has been issued usually kills the deal, because at that point there is a credibility problem as well as a credit problem.
One short paragraph is enough. It is routinely the difference between a decline and a referral to an underwriter.
Before you apply
- Check what is on the register. The Registry Trust runs the official Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for England and Wales.
- If you have paid, get the certificate of satisfaction or cancellation first, so the register matches what you tell the lender.
- Avoid several applications in a short period. A cluster of searches reads as distress.
- Have your latest accounts and recent business bank statements ready.
CCJ Business Finance FAQ
Can I get a business loan with a CCJ?
Often yes, although a live judgment falls outside most mainstream lenders’ criteria. Satisfied judgments, particularly those over three years old, are considerably easier to place. Secured and asset backed options such as asset finance, invoice finance and merchant cash advances are the most accessible with a CCJ, because the lender’s protection comes from the security rather than your credit file.