Form N9 Acknowledgment of Service: How to Fill It In and Get 28 Days to Respond

When a county court money claim lands, you have 14 days from deemed service to respond. That is rarely enough time to gather evidence, take advice, and draft a proper defence. Filing an Acknowledgment of Service on Form N9 buys you an extra 14 days — extending the total deadline to 28 days — without needing the claimant's agreement or a court application.

It is the single most valuable procedural move available to a defendant in the first week.

What the Acknowledgment of Service Does

An Acknowledgment of Service tells the court you have received the claim and intend to respond. It does not commit you to any position — you are not admitting or denying anything. You are simply saying "I know about this claim, and I will file a proper response."

The practical effect: your deadline to file a defence extends from 14 calendar days to 28 calendar days from the deemed service date, automatically under CPR 15.4(1)(b). No court fee is payable.

How to Complete It

Online (OCMC or MCOL)

If the claim was issued through the Online Civil Money Claims service or Money Claim Online, you acknowledge service through the same portal. Log in with the details on your claim notification, select the option to acknowledge the claim, and confirm. The system records the date and adjusts your response deadline.

Paper (Form N9)

The paper N9 form arrives in the response pack alongside the claim form (N1) and the admission/defence forms (N9A, N9B, N9C, N9D). The acknowledgment section is on the front page of the N9 pack:

1. Enter the claim number (found on the top of the N1 form)
2. Confirm your full name and address
3. Tick the box indicating you intend to defend the claim (or part of it)
4. Sign and date the form
5. Send it to the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC) at St Katharine's House, 21–27 St Katharine's Street, Northampton, NN1 2LH

Keep a copy for your records. If posting, use recorded delivery — you need proof the court received it before the 14-day deadline.

Common Mistakes

Filing after the 14-day deadline. An acknowledgment received after day 14 does not prevent the claimant from requesting a default judgment. The extension only works if the acknowledgment is filed within the original window.

Assuming extra time beyond 28 days. The acknowledgment extends the deadline to 28 days total, not 28 days from the date of acknowledgment. If you need more time beyond 28 days, you must agree an extension with the claimant in writing under CPR 15.5 (maximum additional 28 days) or apply to the court for an order.

Not filing a defence after acknowledging. The acknowledgment is not a response — it is a placeholder. You still need to file a full defence (or admission) by the extended 28-day deadline. If you acknowledge and then do nothing further, the claimant can request default judgment once day 28 passes.

When to Skip the Acknowledgment

If you already know your response — you plan to pay in full, admit the debt and propose instalments, or your defence is ready to file — you can skip the acknowledgment and submit your substantive response directly within 14 days. The acknowledgment is a timing tool, not a mandatory step.

For most defendants, though, two extra weeks makes the difference between a rushed, incomplete defence and a properly evidenced one. Filing the acknowledgment is a few minutes of work with no downside.

The England & Wales Money Claim Response Guide includes a step-by-step deadline calculator and walks you through the entire response process — from acknowledgment through defence to hearing.

See more England and Wales guides →