Most adverse markers stay on your UK credit file for six years. This article explains what each marker is, when the clock starts, and what changes as time passes.
This article provides general information about credit file retention periods in the UK. It is not personalised financial advice and does not take your individual circumstances into account. Rules and lender policies can change, so it is worth checking directly with a credit reference agency or a free debt advice service if you have specific concerns.
What does "bad credit" mean on a file?
"Bad credit" is not a single entry. It is a collection of different markers that lenders, credit reference agencies, and other organisations record when something has gone wrong with a credit agreement or a court has issued a judgement.
The most common markers include:
- Missed or late payments, recorded when a payment is overdue, usually after 30 days.
- Defaults, registered when a lender closes an account following sustained missed payments, typically after three to six months of arrears.
- County Court Judgements (CCJs), recorded when a court orders repayment of a debt.
- Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), a formal insolvency arrangement recorded on the Insolvency Register and your credit file.
- Bankruptcy, a more serious insolvency marker, also recorded on both the Insolvency Register and your credit file.
- Debt Management Plans (DMPs), not always recorded as a single marker, but individual payment arrangements and missed payments within a DMP will be.
Each of these has its own recording rules and its own effect on how lenders view your application.
How long does each marker stay on your file?
For most adverse markers, the retention period is six years. The table below sets out the typical periods.
| Marker | Typical retention period | When the clock starts |
|---|---|---|
| Missed or late payment | 6 years | Date of the missed payment |
| Default | 6 years | Date the default was registered |
| CCJ | 6 years | Date of the court judgement |
| IVA | 6 years | Date the IVA was registered |
| Bankruptcy | 6 years | Date of the bankruptcy order |
| Hard credit search | Up to 2 years | Date of the search |
A few points worth noting:
- The clock starts from the date the event was recorded, not from when you repay or settle the debt. Settling a default early does not remove it ahead of the six-year mark.
- CCJs are a partial exception. If you pay the full CCJ amount within one calendar month of the judgement date, you can apply to have it set aside and removed from the public Register of Judgements, which means it can also be removed from your credit file. After one month, paying it updates the status to "satisfied" but it remains on file for the full six years.
- Hard searches have a shorter retention of up to two years. Multiple applications in a short period will all be visible to lenders during that window, which can affect how they assess your application.
- Soft searches, such as those made when you check your own file or use an eligibility checker, do not appear to other lenders and are not used in credit decisions.
Does "off the file" mean lenders won't know?
This is the most important point to understand, and it is one many people miss.
Once a marker passes the six-year point, credit reference agencies remove it automatically. At that stage, it no longer appears on your credit report and no lender using a standard credit check will see it.
However, some lenders, particularly for mortgages, secured loans, or higher-value credit, use manual underwriting. A manual underwriter may ask you to explain your credit history in more detail, including events that pre-date your current file. Some application forms ask directly whether you have ever been declared bankrupt or subject to an IVA.
Be careful if you are applying for a mortgage or secured lending after a serious adverse event such as bankruptcy or an IVA. Even when the marker has dropped off your file, some lenders and application forms ask about prior insolvency. Answering honestly is important; a false declaration on a credit application can have serious consequences.
For most unsecured credit, the six-year limit is a genuine practical boundary. For secured borrowing, the picture can be more nuanced.
What to check: does older bad credit have less impact?
Generally, yes. Most lenders weight recent information more heavily than older entries. A default from five years ago is likely to have less influence on a decision than one registered six months ago.
This happens for a few reasons:
- Scoring models used by lenders typically apply a recency weighting, where events in the past one to two years carry more influence.
- A longer gap since the last adverse event suggests a more stable recent pattern of repayment.
- If you have opened new accounts and managed them well in the period since the adverse entry, that positive information will also appear on your file and be taken into account.
That said, there is no rule that requires any lender to reduce the weight they place on an older entry. The effect of age on a given marker depends on the individual lender's credit policy, and those policies are not public. What improves your position over time is not just the passage of time, but the positive credit behaviour recorded alongside it.
Checking your credit file with each of the three main UK credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) can help you understand what is currently recorded. All three allow you to check your statutory credit report for free. You may also want to check that each entry has an accurate start date, since this determines when the six-year period ends.
What can you do while adverse entries are still on file?
Adverse entries on your credit file do not prevent you from applying for credit entirely, but they do affect which products and lenders are likely to consider your application.
A few practical things that may be worth considering:
- Check your file before applying. Knowing what is recorded gives you a clearer picture before you approach any lender.
- Look for errors. If a date is wrong, or a marker refers to an account you do not recognise, you can raise a dispute with the relevant credit reference agency.
- Consider credit-building products. Some credit cards and accounts are designed for people with adverse credit histories. Used carefully and repaid in full each month, these can add positive payment history to your file over time. There is no promise that doing so will affect any specific lending decision.
- Use eligibility checkers before applying. Eligibility checkers use soft searches and do not leave a mark visible to other lenders. They can give you a sense of which products you are more likely to be accepted for before you make a full application.
For more on how credit files work and what affects your credit score, see our guide to credit reports and scores. For information on borrowing options when you have adverse credit, see our bad credit loans guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a default stay on my credit file?
A default stays on your credit file for six years from the date it was registered. After six years it is removed automatically. The start date is fixed at registration, so paying or settling the debt does not remove it early, though lenders can see the settled status alongside the marker.
Does paying off a debt remove it from my credit file?
Paying or settling a debt does not remove the marker early. The record stays for six years from when the adverse entry was first registered. What changes is the status shown alongside the entry: it will reflect that the balance has been cleared, which some lenders view more favourably than an outstanding balance.
Does old bad credit matter less to lenders?
In most cases, yes. A default or missed payment from five years ago will generally carry less weight than one from six months ago. Lenders typically look at the whole picture, including how recent events are. There is no rule requiring this, and individual lender policies vary, so outcomes differ.
When does the six-year clock start for a CCJ?
The six-year period for a County Court Judgement (CCJ) starts from the date the judgement was made. If the CCJ is paid in full within one month of the judgement, it can be removed from the Register of Judgements and your credit file. After one month, paying it changes the status to satisfied but does not remove it early.
How long do hard searches stay on my credit file?
Hard searches, such as those made when you apply for credit, typically stay on your file for up to two years. They are visible to other lenders during that time. Soft searches, such as eligibility checks, do not appear to lenders and are not factored into credit decisions.
Does bad credit disappear automatically after six years?
Most adverse markers are removed automatically by the credit reference agencies once the six-year period is up. You do not need to request removal. If an entry remains after six years, you can raise a dispute with the credit reference agency that holds it.
Sources
- Experian: credit file and credit score information guidance
- MoneyHelper: understanding your credit report
- How long does a default stay on my credit file?
A default stays on your credit file for six years from the date it was registered. After six years it is removed automatically. The start date is fixed at registration, so paying or settling the debt does not remove it early, though lenders can see the settled status alongside the marker.
- Does paying off a debt remove it from my credit file?
Paying or settling a debt does not remove the marker early. The record stays for six years from when the adverse entry was first registered. What changes is the status shown alongside the entry: it will reflect that the balance has been cleared, which some lenders view more favourably than an outstanding balance.
- Does old bad credit matter less to lenders?
In most cases, yes. A default or missed payment from five years ago will generally carry less weight than one from six months ago. Lenders typically look at the whole picture, including how recent events are. There is no rule requiring this, and individual lender policies vary, so outcomes differ.
- When does the six-year clock start for a CCJ?
The six-year period for a County Court Judgement (CCJ) starts from the date the judgement was made. If the CCJ is paid in full within one month of the judgement, it can be removed from the Register of Judgements and your credit file. After one month, paying it changes the status to satisfied but does not remove it early.
- How long do hard searches stay on my credit file?
Hard searches, such as those made when you apply for credit, typically stay on your file for up to two years. They are visible to other lenders during that time. Soft searches, such as eligibility checks, do not appear to lenders and are not factored into credit decisions.
- Does bad credit disappear automatically after six years?
Most adverse markers are removed automatically by the credit reference agencies once the six-year period is up. You do not need to request removal. If an entry remains after six years, you can raise a dispute with the credit reference agency that holds it.