The Individual Insolvency Register explained
The Individual Insolvency Register is the Insolvency Service’s public record of bankruptcies, debt relief orders and IVAs in England and Wales, and an entry is usually removed within 3 months of the case ending.
May not be suitable in all circumstances. Fees apply. Your credit rating may be affected. How fees and risks work
Lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Our licensed insolvency practitioners are James Kaye (IP number 9373, Insolvency Service register entry (opens in a new tab)) and Nick Morgan (IP number 9078, Insolvency Service register entry (opens in a new tab)), licensed by the ICAEW.
What is the Individual Insolvency Register?
The Individual Insolvency Register is the Insolvency Service’s public list of current bankruptcies, IVAs and debt relief orders in England and Wales, and entries are usually removed within three months of each one ending (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab); Insolvency Service (opens in a new tab)).
Search it with the Individual Insolvency Register search (opens in a new tab). Northern Ireland has its own register.
People often call it the IVA register or the bankruptcy register; it is the same record. Each entry relates to one of the formal procedures in our comparison of debt solutions, and the informal ones, such as a debt management plan, do not appear on it.
Scotland and Northern Ireland keep their own registers, which GOV.UK links to from the same page.
Who is on the insolvency register?
The insolvency register shows people with a current bankruptcy, debt relief order or IVA in England and Wales, and when someone is made bankrupt their name and address are published on it and in The Gazette (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab); GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
That means you appear on it if you enter an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, are made subject to a debt relief order, or go through bankruptcy. Sole traders can also be found by their trading name.
If publishing your address would put you at risk of violence, you can apply to the court for a person at risk of violence order. Your name is still published, but your address is not (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
A separate list shows people given bankruptcy or debt relief restrictions orders or undertakings, but only for the last 3 months; after that the main register no longer includes the penalty (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
How long do you stay on the insolvency register?
You stay on the insolvency register until your case ends and then usually for up to 3 months more: GOV.UK says records are usually removed within 3 months of an insolvency case ending (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
The register is separate from your credit file, which keeps the information longer. A bankruptcy can stay on your credit reference file for 6 years from its start; see bankruptcy and your credit file and an IVA and your credit file.
| Case | When the entry is removed or updated |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | Updated within 3 months of discharge (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)) |
| Debt relief order or IVA | Usually removed within 3 months of it ending |
| Bankruptcy cancelled because the order should not have been made | Removed after 28 days (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)) |
| Bankruptcy cancelled because the debts were paid or an IVA was agreed | Removed after 3 months |
How do I search the insolvency register?
You search the insolvency register online through the Individual Insolvency Register search (opens in a new tab) run by the Insolvency Service, by a person’s name or, for a sole trader, by trading name (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
If an entry about you is wrong, contact the office that dealt with the insolvency to have it corrected. To find out whether someone has been disqualified from being a company director, GOV.UK points to a separate register of disqualified directors.
Who can see that I have an IVA or am bankrupt?
Anyone can search the Individual Insolvency Register, lenders see the entry on your credit file, and bankruptcies are also published in The Gazette (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab); GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
An IVA appears on your credit file for 6 years from the date it starts (Key facts: protocol IVAs (opens in a new tab)), and a bankruptcy can stay on it for 6 years from the date of the bankruptcy. Your creditors know too, because they are asked to vote on an IVA proposal (rule 15.34 (opens in a new tab)).
The Gazette notice of a bankruptcy is permanent, but your details are left out of search engine results after 1 year and 3 months.
More questions people ask
Is an IVA a public record?
Yes. An IVA in England and Wales is listed on the Individual Insolvency Register, which anyone can search, and the entry is usually removed within 3 months of the IVA ending (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
Can I check the IVA register?
Yes. The same Individual Insolvency Register search (opens in a new tab) covers IVAs, bankruptcies and debt relief orders in England and Wales. Search by name, or by trading name for a sole trader.
Can I stop my address appearing on the register?
Only with a court order. If publication would put you at risk of violence, apply for a person at risk of violence order before your bankruptcy application is submitted, or before the hearing if a creditor has petitioned (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
Sources
The legislation, court decisions and official guidance this page relies on. We last checked the page against them on .
- Search the bankruptcy and insolvency register (opens in a new tab): what the Individual Insolvency Register holds and how long records stay (GOV.UK)
- Individual Insolvency Register: search (opens in a new tab): the official search by name or trading name (Insolvency Service)
- Becoming bankrupt: if you're at risk of violence (opens in a new tab): publication of your name and address, and person at risk of violence orders (GOV.UK)
- Becoming bankrupt: when bankruptcy ends (opens in a new tab): discharge after 12 months, public records and your credit file (GOV.UK)
- Becoming bankrupt: cancel a bankruptcy (opens in a new tab): annulment, including after an IVA is agreed (GOV.UK)
- Key facts: protocol Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) (opens in a new tab): fees taken from monthly payments, the credit file, your home and what happens if an IVA is cancelled (Insolvency Service, GOV.UK)
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, rule 15.34 (opens in a new tab): the three-quarters vote by value that approves an IVA (legislation.gov.uk)
Talk to a licensed insolvency practitioner
Speak to a licensed insolvency practitioner, who will explain your options in plain English. The call is confidential.
May not be suitable in all circumstances. Fees apply. Your credit rating may be affected. How fees and risks work
We help people across England and Wales.