When a county court judgment (CCJ) is not paid, the creditor has to choose how to enforce it. For smaller debts the only route is a county court warrant of control, enforced by county court bailiffs. For larger debts the creditor can transfer the judgment to the High Court, where a High Court enforcement officer (HCEO) enforces a writ of control instead. The two routes follow the same rules on notice, hours and protected goods, but they charge on separate fee scales and they are paused by different court applications.
Which court enforces which judgment
| Amount owed under the judgment | Who can enforce it |
|---|---|
| Under £600 | County court only |
| £600 to £5,000 | The creditor can choose the county court or the High Court |
| Over £5,000 | The High Court, if the full amount is to be enforced against goods |
| Any amount under a regulated consumer credit agreement | County court only, regardless of the amount |
The last row is important. A judgment on a credit card, personal loan or other borrowing covered by the Consumer Credit Act cannot be transferred to the High Court. It stays in the county court whatever the amount owed.
How each route begins
For the county court route, the creditor applies on form N323 with a £96 fee. The court issues a warrant of control to a certified enforcement agency that covers the debtor’s address. The agency sends a Notice of Enforcement giving at least 14 clear days before a visit.
For the High Court route, the creditor applies to have the judgment transferred up and for a writ of control to be sealed. The court fee for sealing the writ is £82, and that fee is added to what is owed. The sealed writ is addressed to a High Court enforcement officer, who then sends a Notice of Enforcement on the same 14-clear-days minimum. More detail on the transfer process is on the High Court enforcement officers page.
The difference in fees
Both routes start with the same £79 compliance fee, but the enforcement stage fees diverge sharply after that. On the standard county court scale the enforcement stage fee is £247, triggered when an agent first visits. On the High Court scale the first enforcement stage fee is £200, but a second enforcement stage fee of £520 applies if no payment or agreement is reached, or if an agreement is made and then broken.
Fees changed on 1 May 2026
The figures below are in force from 1 May 2026. Before that date the standard enforcement fee was £235 and the High Court first enforcement stage was £190.
| Stage | County court (standard scale) | High Court scale |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance (notice sent) | £79 | £79 |
| First enforcement visit | £247 | £200 |
| Second enforcement stage | Not applicable | £520 |
| Sale or disposal | £116 | £550 |
| Percentage fee applies above | £1,900 (7.5% of the excess) | £1,200 (7.5% of the excess, at first enforcement and sale stages) |
On the standard scale the fixed fees are £79 at the notice, £326 once an agent has visited and £442 if goods are removed for sale, before any percentage fee on a larger debt. The High Court scale can therefore reach higher totals, particularly where a case moves to a second enforcement stage. Enforcement Conduct Board data for January to June 2025 showed that the average fee collected on a High Court case paid in full was £569, against £184 on the standard scale. Those figures predate the 1 May 2026 increase.
With a car or without one, for most debts £79 is added when the notice is sent and £247 on the first visit under the county court route, or £200 under the High Court route.
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What both routes have in common
Both county court bailiffs and HCEOs can
- Enter a home if someone opens the door or it is unlocked.
- Clamp or take a vehicle parked outside.
- Take goods belonging to the debtor, or jointly owned goods.
- Offer a controlled goods agreement in place of removing goods.
- Return to a property they have previously been let into.
Neither can
- Force entry to a home on a first visit.
- Take essential household items such as clothing and bedding.
- Take tools or equipment needed for work, up to a total value of £1,350.
- Take goods that are on hire purchase, leased or rented.
- Take goods that belong only to someone else.
- Enter when only a child under 16 is present.
A closed door does not stop the costs. For most debts the £247 enforcement stage fee is added from the first visit whether or not anyone answers, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
Goods are taken away in a small share of cases: 2,624 of almost 3.7 million in January to June 2025, most often a clamped vehicle. What happens far more often, with a car or without one, is cost. Of the cases that ended in payment in that period, 64% were paid at the enforcement stage or later, after an agent’s first visit had added the larger fee. The average fee collected on a case paid in full was £201, on the lower fees then in force.
How to pause each route
The two routes are paused by different court applications, and this is one of the most important practical differences.
County court warrant: form N245
A person can apply to suspend a county court warrant of control using form N245. The fee is £16. The form asks for income, outgoings and an offer of payment. If the court accepts the offer, the warrant is suspended for as long as the payments are kept up. More detail is on the county court bailiffs page.
High Court writ: stay of execution on form N244
A writ of control is paused by a court order called a stay of execution. The application is made on form N244. The fee is £321 for an application on notice, or £126 where it is by consent or without notice, from 13 July 2026. The court decides on evidence. Where the judgment itself is disputed, the application is to set the judgment aside; if that succeeds the writ falls with it.
Where enforcement by either route ends without the debt being paid, the debt itself is not cancelled. It goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it, such as deductions from earnings, a charging order on property, or a third-party debt order freezing money in a bank account.
Why the creditor’s choice between £600 and £5,000 matters
When the debt is between £600 and £5,000 the creditor can choose either route. The High Court route costs more in fees at the enforcement and sale stages, which can make the total owed rise faster. On the other hand, the county court route is paused by the relatively straightforward N245 form at £16, while the High Court route requires an N244 application at up to £321. The type of debt also matters: if the judgment is on a regulated consumer credit agreement, the creditor has no choice and must use the county court, whatever the amount.
Can a CCJ be transferred to the High Court?
Yes, if the judgment is for £600 or more and the debt is not regulated by the Consumer Credit Act. The creditor applies to have the CCJ transferred and a writ of control sealed. For judgments over £5,000 the High Court is the only route for enforcing against goods.
Are High Court enforcement officers more powerful than county court bailiffs?
They have the same powers at a home: both need to be let in or find a door unlocked. HCEOs can use reasonable force to enter business premises, as can county court bailiffs. The main differences are in the fee scale, which is higher for HCEOs, and in how enforcement is paused.
My debt is a credit card judgment over £5,000. Can it go to the High Court?
No. A judgment on a debt regulated by the Consumer Credit Act, which covers most credit cards and personal loans, can only be enforced through the county court, regardless of the amount.
How much more expensive are High Court enforcement fees than county court fees?
Both start with £79 at the notice stage. After that, the county court enforcement fee is £247 for a single visit stage, while the High Court has a first enforcement stage of £200 and a second of £520 if no agreement is reached or an agreement breaks down. The High Court sale fee is £550 against £116 in the county court.
Can I use form N245 to stop a High Court enforcement officer?
No. Form N245 applies only to county court warrants of control. A High Court writ of control is paused by a stay of execution, applied for on form N244, with a fee of £321 on notice or £126 without notice from 13 July 2026.
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Sources
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule (fee tables)
- Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366)
- House of Commons Library: Enforcement agents and High Court enforcement officers (SN04103, April 2026)
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 83 (writs and warrants: general provisions)
- GOV.UK: Apply for a warrant of control
- Enforcement Conduct Board: Insight Report 2026 (data for January to June 2025)