What is a warrant of control?

When someone fails to pay a county court judgment (CCJ), the creditor does not automatically get to send in enforcement agents. They must go back to court and ask for a warrant of control. The court then issues it to a certified enforcement agency that covers the debtor’s address, and the process begins.

What the warrant authorises

A warrant of control gives enforcement agents the legal power to visit and take goods belonging to the debtor, up to the value of the debt plus fees and costs. Without it, an enforcement agent has no authority to act on a county court judgment.

The warrant does not give agents unlimited powers. What they can and cannot do under it is set out in the rules on bailiff powers.

Who can apply and what it costs them

The creditor named in the judgment applies using form N323. The court fee is £96. A warrant cannot be issued where the amount owed is £10 or less. Within six years of the judgment no permission from the court is needed; after that the creditor must ask the court first.

Court fee to apply

£96

Minimum debt

Over £10

County court maximum

£5,000

Warrant duration

12 months

Fee to suspend

£16

Which court issues the warrant

The amount owed determines where enforcement can take place.

Debts arising from credit cards, personal loans and other borrowing regulated under the Consumer Credit Act always stay in the county court, regardless of the amount. The High Court route is explained on the High Court enforcement officers page.

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What happens after the warrant is issued

1. Notice of Enforcement is sent

   Before any visit can take place, the debtor must be sent a Notice of Enforcement. This gives at least 14 clear days’ warning. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day do not count. The compliance stage fee of £79 is added at this point.

2. Payment window

   If the debt, fees and costs are paid in full within the notice period, no visit takes place and no further fees are added. HM Courts and Tribunals Service guidance says that if payment is not made within 15 working days of the warrant being issued, an enforcement agent will call at the address.

3. First visit

   An enforcement agent attends the address. The enforcement stage fee of £247 is added on that visit. The agent may enter if someone lets them in or through an unlocked door. 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.

4. Controlled goods agreement or removal

   If the agent gains entry, goods may be listed under a controlled goods agreement, meaning the debtor keeps them but cannot sell or dispose of them. 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.

The fees added to the debt

Enforcement agent fees are set by law and are added on top of the original judgment debt. With a car or without one, for most debts £79 is added when the notice is sent and £247 on the first visit. A further fee applies if goods are removed for sale. A full breakdown, including how the percentage fee works on larger debts, is on the bailiff fees page.

Paying during the notice period keeps the fees to the £79 compliance fee alone. Every stage a debtor pays before triggers a smaller total bill, which is why the notice letter matters even if the debt itself feels unmanageable.

How long a warrant lasts and what happens when it ends

A warrant of control is valid for 12 months. The creditor can apply to extend it before it expires. If it runs out without being extended, a new warrant and a new £96 fee are needed.

If an agent reports that there are no goods worth removing, no further action can be taken on that warrant. The debt itself is not cancelled. It goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it, such as an attachment of earnings order or a charging order on a property.

Asking the court to suspend the warrant

A debtor can apply on form N245 to suspend the warrant and propose affordable instalments. The court fee is £16 from 13 July 2026, and help with fees is available on a low income. The creditor is asked whether they agree; if they accept a suspension but not the amount offered, a court officer decides what is affordable. If they oppose any suspension, the court arranges a hearing.

If the court accepts the offer, the warrant is suspended for as long as payments are kept up. If payments are then missed, the creditor can have the warrant reissued without paying another fee. The full process for applying is explained on the form N245 page.