The debt review flag stays on your credit record indefinitely. It does not expire automatically after 5 years, 7 years, or any other fixed period. Unlike adverse payment profile information or civil judgments, which have statutory retention periods under the credit bureau regulations, the debt review flag is a status indicator that reflects your current legal position under the NCA. It remains until that status is legally changed.
Consumers who entered debt review 10 or 15 years ago and never properly exited through a clearance certificate or court order still have the flag on their credit profile today. Stopping payments, losing contact with your debt counsellor, or the debt counsellor becoming deregistered does not remove the flag.
The only ways to remove the debt review flag:
• Clearance Certificate (Section 71): once all accounts are settled.
• Court Order under Section 87: declared no longer over-indebted.
• Court Rescission under Section 165: existing order rescinded.
• Pre-Form 17.2 withdrawal: if you withdrew before credit providers were formally notified.
If you have been under debt review for many years and believe the flag should have cleared, obtain your credit profile from all four bureaus immediately. If the flag is still present, contact NDRC for a free assessment to determine what is required to formally remove it.