- Earliest permitted time
- 6am
- Latest permitted time
- 9pm
- Days permitted
- Any day of the weekIncluding Sundays and bank holidays
- Compliance fee (notice sent)
- £79
- Enforcement stage fee (first visit)
- £247
Where the time restriction comes from
The Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 set the permitted hours for enforcement agents. The regulations restrict visits to between 6am and 9pm. A visit that begins before 6am or after 9pm is outside those rules. There is no separate rule that restricts particular days: the regulations permit calls on any day, including Sundays and public holidays. The bailiff rights page sets out the full list of what agents can and cannot do.
What a call outside those hours means
A visit outside the 6am to 9pm window is not permitted under the regulations. A person who believes an agent has visited at an unlawful time can make a formal complaint to the enforcement firm and, if the firm is accredited, to the Enforcement Conduct Board. How to complain about a bailiff explains the steps.
A visit at the lawful time still adds fees
The permitted hours tell you when an agent may attend. They say nothing about what happens financially if nobody answers. 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.
Does the time restriction apply on weekends?
Yes. The regulations do not exclude any day of the week. An enforcement agent can call on a Saturday, a Sunday or a bank holiday, as long as the visit takes place between 6am and 9pm. The article Can bailiffs come on a Sunday? goes into more detail on weekend visits.
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What about the notice period before a first visit?
Before any visit can take place, a Notice of Enforcement must be sent giving at least 14 clear days’ written warning. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are not counted when working out those 14 days. The £79 compliance fee is added to the debt when that notice is sent. The Notice of Enforcement page explains how to count the days correctly.
Vulnerable people and the time of a visit
The time restriction is the same for everyone, but additional protections apply where the person is vulnerable. An agent may not enter premises or take control of goods where the only person present is a child under 16 or a vulnerable person. These protections apply regardless of the time of day. Bailiffs and vulnerable people sets out those rules in full.
How much a visit adds to the debt
The time of a visit does not affect the fees. For most debts, £79 is added when the notice is sent and £247 on the first visit, whether that visit takes place early in the morning or late in the evening. 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.
Can bailiffs come at night?
No. The Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 restrict visits to between 6am and 9pm. A visit after 9pm or before 6am is outside what the regulations allow.
Can bailiffs call early in the morning?
The earliest permitted time is 6am. A visit at or after 6am is within the rules. A visit before 6am is not.
Do bailiffs have to give notice before they visit?
Yes. A Notice of Enforcement must be sent at least 14 clear days before any first visit. The £79 compliance fee is added when that notice is sent. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day do not count toward those 14 days.
What if I do not answer the door when the bailiff calls?
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.
Can bailiffs call on Sundays or bank holidays?
Yes. The regulations permit visits on any day of the week, including Sundays and bank holidays, as long as the visit takes place between 6am and 9pm.
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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.