Most writs begin as county court judgments that a creditor has moved up to the High Court for enforcement. Once the High Court seals the writ, it is handed to an authorised High Court enforcement officer, who follows a set sequence of stages — each carrying its own fee.
How a county court judgment becomes a writ of control
A creditor with a county court judgment for £600 or more can apply to transfer it to the High Court for enforcement, and must do so if the full amount of a judgment over £5,000 is to be enforced against goods. The High Court then seals the writ of control, addressed to a named enforcement officer. The creditor pays an £82 court fee to have the writ sealed; that fee is added to the amount the debtor owes.
Not every judgment can follow this route. Judgments on debts regulated by the Consumer Credit Act — which covers most credit cards and personal loans — cannot be transferred to the High Court whatever the amount. They remain in the county court. Typical writs involve unpaid business invoices, rent arrears, employment tribunal awards and utility debts.
For the difference between a county court warrant of control and a High Court writ of control, see County court bailiff or High Court enforcement officer.
The four fee stages on a writ of control
The High Court fee scale is separate from the standard bailiff scale and has four stages, not three. The figures below are in force from 1 May 2026. Before that date the figures were £75, £190, £495 and £525, with a percentage threshold of £1,000.
| Stage | What triggers it | Fixed fee | Percentage add-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | The officer receives the writ and sends a Notice of Enforcement. | £79 | None |
| First enforcement | A first visit. If it ends in payment or in an arrangement that is kept, fees stop here. | £200 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,200 |
| Second enforcement | No payment or agreement is reached, or an arrangement is broken. | £520 | None |
| Sale or disposal | Attendance to remove goods for sale. | £550 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,200 |
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.
Because private creditors are often not VAT registered, a sum equivalent to VAT can also be added to the fees. Interest on the judgment debt can run while the writ is live. The full fee picture is set out on the bailiff fees page.
What the enforcement officer can and cannot do
The rules allow a High Court enforcement officer to
- Visit between 6am and 9pm, after a Notice of Enforcement giving at least 14 clear days.
- Enter a home peacefully if the door is opened or unlocked.
- Use reasonable force to enter business premises where the debtor trades.
- Take control of vehicles and goods belonging to the debtor.
- Offer a controlled goods agreement instead of removing goods.
The rules do not allow a High Court enforcement officer to
- Force entry to a home on a first visit.
- Take protected household items, or work equipment worth up to £1,350 in total.
- Take goods belonging to someone else, including a company’s goods for a director’s personal debt.
- Enter when only a child under 16 or a vulnerable person 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. Under a High Court writ the first enforcement stage fee of £200 is added on that visit all the same.
New from 1 May 2026: where nobody is in on the first visit, the officer cannot move to the second enforcement stage until the person has been given another opportunity to pay in full or enter into a repayment arrangement or a controlled goods agreement.
Rather talk it through with someone? Request a call
How long a writ of control lasts
An officer may not take control of goods after the expiry of 12 months beginning with the date of the Notice of Enforcement. A court can extend that period. If the power to take control expires without the debt being collected, the debt itself is not cancelled. It goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it.
This means that paying during the notice period keeps the fees to the £79 compliance stage alone. Once the officer attends for the first time, the £200 first enforcement stage fee is added, and if no arrangement is made or kept, the £520 second enforcement stage fee follows. The time limit and what happens when it expires are covered further on the How long can bailiffs chase a debt page.
What the writ letter means in practice
A letter or notice that mentions a writ of control will usually carry a court seal and a claim number. It will be from, or on behalf of, a named High Court enforcement officer. Receiving it means the compliance stage has begun, the £79 compliance fee is already owed, and the 14-clear-day notice period before a visit can take place has started.
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. Under High Court writs the average fee collected was £569 for cases paid in full.
Every authorised High Court enforcement officer is listed in the directory kept by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association. A genuine writ carries a court seal and a claim number that the issuing court can confirm. See Is this bailiff genuine? for how to check.
Pausing or challenging a writ
A writ of control can be paused by a court order called a stay of execution, applied for on form N244. The court fee for an application on notice is £321 from 13 July 2026, or £126 where the application is by consent or without notice. Where the underlying judgment is disputed — for example because the claim form went to an old address — an application to set the judgment aside would, if successful, bring the writ down with it.
Other routes that can pause enforcement — including Breathing Space and the 28-day extended notice period — are set out on How bailiff action can be stopped or paused.
What is the difference between a writ of control and a warrant of control?
A warrant of control is issued by a county court and is enforced by a county court bailiff on the standard fee scale. A writ of control is sealed by the High Court and is enforced by a High Court enforcement officer on a separate, higher fee scale with four stages instead of three. The blog post County court bailiff or High Court enforcement officer covers the comparison in full.
Can a credit card debt be collected under a writ of control?
No. A judgment on a debt regulated by the Consumer Credit Act, which includes most credit cards and personal loans, can only be enforced through the county court. It cannot be transferred to the High Court for a writ of control.
How long does a writ of control last?
An officer may not take control of goods after 12 months beginning with the date of the Notice of Enforcement. A court can extend that period. If it expires without the debt being collected, the debt itself is not cancelled — it goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it.
What fees apply under a writ of control?
From 1 May 2026: £79 at the compliance stage, £200 at the first enforcement stage (plus 7.5% of the debt above £1,200), £520 at the second enforcement stage if no arrangement is made or kept, and £550 if goods are removed for sale (plus 7.5% above £1,200). A sum equivalent to VAT may also be added where the creditor is not VAT registered.
Can a High Court enforcement officer force entry to a home?
No. Forced entry to a home is not permitted. An officer can enter peacefully if the door is opened or found unlocked, and can use reasonable force to enter business premises where the debtor trades. The door not being answered does not prevent the first enforcement stage fee of £200 from being added, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
Want to talk it through with someone?
Tell us where things are up to and one of our team will call to talk it through. A debt adviser then explains the options. There is no obligation to go any further.
Speak to someone now on 0161 660 0876
We do not charge for speaking to you. If you choose a debt solution, you are referred to one of our trusted debt solution providers, and we receive a fee if you enter into an agreement with one of them. A debt solution may have fees, which are explained before anything is agreed.
Free debt advice is available
These organisations give free, impartial debt advice and are independent of Bailiff Support Team. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available. Their advisers can also ask an enforcement firm to extend a notice period or apply for Breathing Space where it fits.
- MoneyHelperGovernment-backed. Finds a free debt adviser nearby or online.
- StepChange Debt CharityFree debt advice online and by phone.
- Citizens AdviceDetailed help with bailiffs, online and in person.
- National DebtlineFree advice and sample letters, run by the Money Advice Trust.
Sources
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule (fee tables)
- Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366)
- Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 83 (writs and warrants: general provisions)
- Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 9 (time limit)
- Enforcement Conduct Board: Insight Report 2026 (data for January to June 2025)