DRO Register: Who Can See It and for How Long?

What the Debt Relief Order Register Is

When a Debt Relief Order (DRO) is approved, the Insolvency Service adds the applicant's name and details to a publicly searchable database called the Individual Insolvency Register. This register covers DROs, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), and bankruptcies across England and Wales. Anyone with an internet connection can search it at no cost — no login, no account, no fee.

For someone considering a DRO, understanding exactly what the register contains, who looks at it, and how long the entry persists is an important part of knowing what the process involves. The entry is not hidden or restricted — it sits alongside other types of formal insolvency and remains searchable for a set period after the DRO ends.

According to GOV.UK, the register is maintained by the Insolvency Service and is updated automatically as the status of a DRO changes — from active through to completed or revoked.

What Information Appears on the Register

A standard DRO entry on the Individual Insolvency Register includes the following details about the person subject to the order:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Last known address (or trading name, if self-employed)
• The date the DRO was made
• The name of the official receiver handling the case
• The current status of the DRO — active, revoked, or completed

The register does not publish the specific debts included in the DRO, the names of creditors involved, or the total amount owed. It records that a formal order exists and its current status — not the full financial picture behind it. This means a search result will confirm the existence of a DRO but will not reveal, for example, which credit cards or utility arrears were included.

How Long a DRO Stays on the Register

A DRO typically lasts for a moratorium period of 12 months. During this period, qualifying creditors cannot chase the person for payment and no enforcement action can be taken against them for the listed debts. Once the 12 months end without the DRO being revoked, the debts included are written off.

The entry on the Individual Insolvency Register remains visible for 15 months from the date the DRO was made — that is, the 12-month moratorium plus a further 3 months after it ends. After 15 months, the Insolvency Service removes the entry from the public-facing register automatically. No action is required from the person who held the DRO.

If the DRO is revoked before the 12-month period is complete — for example, because the person's financial situation improved materially or because information provided in the application was found to be inaccurate — the register is updated to show the revocation date and the reason. Revoked entries are also removed from the public register in due course, though the timing differs from a completed order and depends on the circumstances of the revocation.

What Happens After the Register Entry Is Removed?

Removal from the public register does not mean the DRO disappears from all records. The credit file impact lasts for 6 years from the date the DRO was made — regardless of when the register entry itself is taken down. Credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) record the DRO independently and are not bound by the 15-month register window.

This means there is a gap of roughly 57 months (just under five years) during which the DRO no longer appears on the public Insolvency Register but is still visible on a credit report. Lenders, landlords, and other parties who check credit files will still see the entry during this period, even though a direct register search would return nothing.

After 6 years from the DRO start date, the credit file entry is also removed automatically by the credit reference agencies. At that point, the DRO will not appear on either the register or the credit report under standard search methods.

Who Can Search the Register — and Who Actually Does

The Individual Insolvency Register is a public document. There is no restriction on who can search it — employers, landlords, credit reference agencies, lenders, and members of the public can all conduct a search. In practice, the parties most likely to run a check include:

• Credit reference agencies — which use the register to update credit files. A DRO will appear on a person's credit report for 6 years from the date it was made, which is longer than the register entry itself.
• Lenders and banks — when assessing applications for credit, mortgages, or bank accounts during and after the DRO period.
• Landlords and letting agents — many carry out insolvency checks as part of a referencing process, particularly for private rented tenancies.
• Employers in regulated roles — certain jobs in financial services, law, or positions of financial trust require disclosure of insolvency, and employers may check the register directly.
• Creditors named in the DRO — to confirm the status of the order and understand whether they can take any action.

Members of the general public can also search freely, though in practice unsolicited personal searches are uncommon. The register search at GOV.UK allows searching by name and partial postcode, returning all insolvency entries for a matching individual.

The DRO Register and Your Credit File — Two Separate Things

A common point of confusion is that the public register and the credit file are treated as the same thing. They are not. The Individual Insolvency Register is a government-maintained public database. The credit file is a separate record held by private credit reference agencies. Both are updated when a DRO is made, but they operate independently and on different timescales.

The public register entry lasts 15 months. The credit file entry lasts 6 years. Neither removes the other early. The 6-year clock starts from the date the DRO was made — not from the date it ends or from the date the register entry is removed.

For practical purposes, this means that a person who completed a DRO in, say, January 2024 would expect their register entry to be removed around April 2025 (15 months later), but their credit report would still carry the DRO marker until January 2030 (6 years from the start date).

Can You Check Your Own Register Entry?

Yes. Anyone can search the Individual Insolvency Register at GOV.UK using their own name and postcode. This is a free search and does not affect a credit score. It is useful for confirming the current status of a DRO — particularly if there is uncertainty about whether the 15-month period has elapsed and the entry has been removed.

For credit file information, the three main credit reference agencies in the UK — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — each allow individuals to access their statutory credit report. These are separate from the insolvency register and are the only way to verify what information lenders see during the 6-year period after the register entry has gone.

What Changed for DROs in June 2024

In June 2024, the rules around DRO eligibility changed significantly. According to GOV.UK and the Insolvency Service, the key updates were:

• The debt limit rose from £30,000 to £50,000 — meaning people with higher levels of qualifying debt can now apply.
• The £90 application fee was abolished — DROs are now free to apply for through an approved intermediary.
• The asset limit increased from £1,000 to £2,000 — allowing people with slightly more in assets to still qualify.
• The vehicle value limit rose from £1,000 to £4,000 — relevant for those who need a vehicle for work or caring responsibilities.
• The three-year residency restriction was removed — the previous rule that barred people who had previously held a DRO within the past three years was abolished.

These changes did not affect how the register works or how long entries remain — the 15-month window and 6-year credit file rules remain unchanged. However, the wider eligibility criteria mean that more people now qualify for a DRO, and so more entries are likely to appear on the register as a result.

What a DRO Entry Does Not Affect

Appearing on the Individual Insolvency Register does not automatically affect every aspect of life, though it is worth understanding the practical implications clearly. A DRO entry on the register does not, by itself:

• Prevent someone from holding a bank account — basic bank accounts are generally available to people in formal insolvency, though some banks have their own policies.
• Automatically end a tenancy — a landlord cannot evict a tenant solely because of a DRO, though the tenancy agreement and landlord's response will vary.
• Affect someone's immigration status or right to remain in the UK.
• Stop someone from being employed — with the exception of certain regulated roles where disclosure is required by law or by a professional body.

The restrictions that do apply during the 12-month moratorium are set out in the Insolvency Act 1986 and related regulations. These include restrictions on obtaining credit above £500 without disclosing the DRO, and on acting as a company director.

Free Debt Advice — Where to Get It

Free debt advice is available from regulated, not-for-profit organisations. The following services are available at no cost and can provide information about whether a DRO or another formal debt solution may be relevant to a particular situation:

• MoneyHelper — moneyhelper.org.uk
• StepChange Debt Charity — stepchange.org
• Citizens Advice — citizensadvice.org.uk
• National Debtline — nationaldebtline.org

These organisations are independent of UK Debt Team and provide free, impartial support. UK Debt Team is an introducer and referral service — not a debt advice provider — and refers enquiries to regulated firms. Nothing on this page constitutes debt advice.