After bankruptcy
iEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Details of every bankruptcy are recorded on the Individual Insolvency Register. This is a database that can be viewed by the public.
How do you find out that someone declared bankruptcy?
The official receiver (OR) contacts anyone who needs to know about the bankruptcy.
England and Wales:
Details of bankruptcy can be found on the online Individual Insolvency Register for free.
Northern Ireland:
You must contact the High Court in Belfast to search the register. It is free to view.
The insolvency register lists:
- The personal details of the person who has been declared bankrupt including:
- Name
- Address
- Occupation
- The date of the bankruptcy order
- The OR's details
How long do you stay on the bankruptcy register?
Details normally stay on the register until three months after you are discharged from bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy also appears on your credit file for six years. This affects your credit score and makes it harder to get credit.
Are bankruptcies on the public record?
Yes. But details of bankruptcy are not always easy to find.
England and Wales:
Your details are published in your local newspaper if:
- You hide assets or
- Do not cooperate with the OR
Northern Ireland:
All bankruptcies are published in the Belfast Telegraph.
Apply to the court to withhold your address from the register if having it public could put you at risk of violence.
Bankruptcy and The Gazette
Details of all bankruptcies in the UK are published in The Gazette.
- The Gazette is a ‘newspaper of record’
- It lists official notices
- This information is available for free on the Gazette website
All bankruptcies in the UK are also advertised in the paper and online versions of The Gazette.
The online version looks like this.
There are three weekly print versions:
- London
- Edinburgh
- Belfast
The Gazette shows the same details as the Insolvency Register. Ask them to keep your address hidden if it would put your personal safety at risk.
You cannot stop your details appearing in the Gazette.
It remains in their records permanently.
Do not let the Gazette listing put you off.
- It is not likely that anyone you know would find this information by mistake
- Lenders use information from credit reference agencies, rather than The Gazette, to decide if they will lend to you
Bankruptcy order notices are available to be indexed by search engines for one year and three months after publication.
After this point they are automatically blocked from appearing in search engine results and would only be available to view on The Gazette website.
The Gazette privacy policy explains this fully.
Get free and impartial debt advice before choosing bankruptcy.
Use our online debt advice tool to find the best options for you.