Form N293A: Transfer a CCJ to the High Court — Enforcement by Writ of Control (2026 Guide)

What Form N293A actually is

Form N293A is the Combined Certificate of Judgment and Request for Writ of Control (or Writ of Possession). It does two jobs on one document. First, it acts as the County Court’s certificate confirming that a judgment exists and what remains outstanding on it. Second, it is your formal request for the High Court to issue a writ — almost always a writ of control, which is the High Court equivalent of a county court warrant of control, authorising enforcement against the debtor’s goods.

The form exists because the County Court and the High Court are separate enforcement venues with separate officers. A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is, by default, enforced by County Court bailiffs through a warrant of control. But the law allows a judgment creditor to “transfer up” a qualifying CCJ to the High Court so that enforcement is carried out instead by a High Court Enforcement Officer. The N293A is the vehicle for that transfer and the request for the writ in a single step.

You are not starting a new claim. The debt, the judgment and the amount are already established. N293A is purely an enforcement document — it is the bridge from “I have a judgment” to “an officer with the power to seize goods is now acting on it.”

When you can use it — and when you cannot

Three things commonly decide whether a CCJ can be transferred up to the High Court for a writ of control. Treat each as a checkpoint, and confirm the current figures and rules before you file, because thresholds and procedures change.

1. The debt must be above the minimum threshold

There is a minimum money judgment value below which a CCJ cannot be transferred to the High Court for a writ of control — it must stay in the County Court and be enforced there. The figure commonly cited is around £600, but you should check the current threshold before you proceed, because the amount that still has to be outstanding (not just the original judgment sum) is what matters.

2. The debt must not be regulated by the Consumer Credit Act

Judgments arising from agreements regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 generally cannot be enforced by a High Court writ of control. These have to remain in the County Court. If your judgment relates to a credit agreement, loan, hire-purchase or similar regulated arrangement, confirm whether the regulated-debt exclusion applies before attempting to transfer up.

3. Old judgments may need the court’s permission

If your judgment is more than six years old, you may need the court’s permission to enforce it before a writ can be issued (this turns on the rules in CPR Part 83). An old judgment is not automatically dead, but you should not assume you can simply lodge the N293A — check whether permission is required and, if so, obtain it first.

If all three checkpoints are clear — the outstanding sum is above the threshold, the debt is not regulated, and the judgment is recent enough not to need permission — you can generally proceed to transfer up using N293A.

The statutory and CPR framework

It helps to understand the legal scaffolding, because it explains why the steps are what they are.

Confirm that each reference above is current and correctly applied to your situation before relying on it; the procedural detail is what makes the difference at the court counter.

HCEO vs County Court bailiff — why creditors transfer up

The single biggest reason people use N293A is that a High Court Enforcement Officer is often more effective than a County Court bailiff at recovering money. The reasons are practical rather than legal.

Crucially, the HCEO’s statutory fees are generally recovered from the debtor, not absorbed by you — provided enforcement succeeds. If the writ is returned unsatisfied, you may be left out of pocket for some costs, so it is not risk-free. Weigh whether the debtor actually has goods or income worth taking control of before you transfer up.

The process, stage by stage

Step 1 — Confirm eligibility

Run the three checkpoints above: outstanding sum above the threshold, not a regulated debt, and not so old that permission is required. Calculate the current balance owed, including any interest that has accrued and any costs already awarded.

Step 2 — Complete Form N293A

Fill in the claim/case number, the issuing court, the parties, the date and amount of the judgment, the sum now outstanding, any interest claimed and the writ you are requesting (a writ of control to recover money). Accuracy here is what gets the certificate sealed first time.

Step 3 — Send it to the issuing County Court for sealing

The N293A must go to the County Court that issued the judgment so the court can seal the certificate confirming the judgment and the balance due. Check the current court fee for this step.

Step 4 — Lodge the sealed certificate at a High Court District Registry

Once sealed, take or send the certificate together with the writ request to a High Court District Registry, which issues (seals) the writ of control. Check the current fee for issuing the writ.

Step 5 — Pass the sealed writ to a High Court Enforcement Officer

With the sealed writ in hand, instruct an HCEO to enforce it. The officer must give the debtor the statutory notice before taking control of goods, then attends to recover the debt, interest and statutory fees.

Step 6 — Outcome

The debtor may pay in full, agree a controlled payment arrangement, or the writ may be returned unsatisfied if there are no goods to take. If enforcement is resisted or the debtor applies to suspend the writ, you may need to respond — that is where having your documents drafted to a high standard pays off.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Transferring up a debt below the threshold. The court will not issue the writ, and you lose time. Confirm the outstanding sum clears the minimum first.
• Missing the regulated-debt exclusion. Consumer Credit Act judgments must stay in the County Court; attempting to transfer them up is a dead end.
• Forgetting permission for old judgments. If the judgment is over six years old, lodging the N293A without first checking whether permission is needed can see your request rejected.
• Sending the form to the wrong office. Sealing happens at the issuing County Court; the writ issues at a High Court District Registry. Reversing the order causes delay.
• Mis-stating the balance. Overstating interest or including sums you cannot evidence undermines the certificate. State the figure you can prove.
• Enforcing against a debtor with no assets. A writ only works if there are goods or income to take control of. Assess that before paying the issue fee.

Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form N227: Request for Default Judgment — Amount to Be Decided by the Court
• Form N316: Order to Obtain Information from a Judgment Debtor
• Form N337: Attachment of Earnings Order
• Form N349: Third Party Debt Order
• Form N245: Application to Vary a CCJ Payment
• Civil Court Forms Index

Frequently asked questions

Is N293A the same as a warrant of control?

No. A warrant of control is County Court enforcement carried out by County Court bailiffs. N293A transfers the judgment up to the High Court so it can be enforced by a writ of control through a High Court Enforcement Officer instead.

Can I transfer any CCJ to the High Court?

No. The outstanding sum generally has to be above a minimum threshold (commonly cited as around £600 — check the current figure), the debt must not be regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and an older judgment may need the court’s permission to enforce.

Why use a High Court Enforcement Officer at all?

HCEOs are largely paid on results and tend to act more promptly and persistently than salaried bailiffs. Their statutory fees are usually recovered from the debtor when enforcement succeeds, which is why many creditors prefer the High Court route for qualifying debts.

What does it cost?

There is a fee to seal the certificate at the County Court and a fee to issue the writ at the High Court District Registry, plus the HCEO’s statutory fee stages, which are usually added to the debt. All of these figures change, so check the current fees before filing.

What if the writ is returned unsatisfied?

If the debtor has no goods worth taking control of, the writ can be returned without recovering the debt. You may then consider other enforcement methods — a charging order, an attachment of earnings order, or a third-party debt order — depending on what the debtor owns or earns.

My judgment is more than six years old. Is it too late?

Not necessarily, but you may need the court’s permission to enforce it before a writ can issue (see CPR Part 83). Check the current rule and obtain permission first if it is required, rather than lodging the N293A and having it rejected.

Can N293A be used for possession as well as money?

The combined form can also relate to a writ of possession in the right circumstances, but its everyday use is the writ of control to recover a money judgment. Confirm the scope of the current form for your situation.

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