Television Licensing Laws in the UK It can be confusing to understand whether or not you need a television licence in the UK, how much it will cost you and how you can pay. This guide will help answer some of the questions often asked.
Do I need a TV licence? A TV licence covers the premises not an individual so first check whether you need one by asking the landlord or owner of the place you are living in to see if one is in place. The TV licence is needed if you watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service or if you download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.
The TV licensing law still applies to students, lodgers and renters.
If you own a second home you will need to apply for a seperate TV licence for that property.
What about TV licensing if I have no TV? If you don’t have a TV but you use a computer, laptop, phone or other device to watch live TV on any channel or any BBC programmes on iPlayer then you are still required to have a TV licence. These devices are:
Laptops and desktop computers
Tablets, mobile phones and other portable devices
Digital boxes or PVRs (such as Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV)
Games consoles
Media streaming devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Now TV)
Freeview, Freesat or YouView
I only watch TV online, do I have to buy a TV licence? Yes, you will still need to buy one. The licence is needed if you watch BBC iPlayer but it also includes ANY online TV service that has a streaming or smart TV service, a website or an app that lets you watch live TV over the internet. These include; All 4, Sky Go, Virgin Media, Now TV, BT TV, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video and ITV Hub.
How much is a TV licence? A standard TV Licence costs £150.50 per year. You can pay this by credit or debit card or by direct debit. You can buy and pay for your TV licence online through this link. tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/…app.
If you are over the age of 75, then your TV licence will be free for you and will cover anyone else living in your household. You do need to still apply for one though, it is not automatically sent out to you.
If you are blind (severely sight impaired) and can provide appropriate evidence, you are eligible to apply for a 50% concession. Your licence will also cover other members of your household. However, If you are partially sighted (sight impaired) you are not eligible for this discount.
If you are a resident of a care home, supported housing or sheltered accommodation you may be able to apply for a concessionary TV Licence. This is called a an Accommodation for residential care (ARC) licence. It costs £7.50 per room, flat or bungalow.
Do I have to pay my TV licence in one go? No, there are two other options available to you. If you want to pay monthly, you have the option of setting up a direct debit. With this option, you’ll usually pay for your first licence over six months, at around £25.10 a month. After this, you pay for your next licence in 12 monthly instalments of around £12.56 – six payments before your licence is due to be renewed, and six after. A quarterly direct debit option is also available, with this you’ll pay around £38.89 every three months. If you choose to pay by direct debit you will not need to renew your TV licence, as the payments will continue until you cancel the direct debit.
If I don’t pay for my TV licence, how will they catch me? The TV licensing company has a database of approximately 31 million licensed and unlicensed addresses which lets them know if your address has a TV Licence. Their team of enforcement officers check the database and if a TV licence isn’t in place they may send a detector van to your address. These vans can detect the use of TV receiving equipment. If you are found to have this in your house and no licence you will either be asked to pay the full TV licence there and then or you could be prosecuted. The maximum penalty in the UK is a £1,000 fine plus legal costs and/or any compensation you may be ordered to pay. They may also send enforcement officers round to your address even if you have declared that you don’t need a TV licence.
Television Licensing Laws in the UK
It can be confusing to understand whether or not you need a television licence in the UK, how much it will cost you and how you can pay. This guide will help answer some of the questions often asked.
Do I need a TV licence?
A TV licence covers the premises not an individual so first check whether you need one by asking the landlord or owner of the place you are living in to see if one is in place. The TV licence is needed if you watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service or if you download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.
What about TV licensing if I have no TV?
If you don’t have a TV but you use a computer, laptop, phone or other device to watch live TV on any channel or any BBC programmes on iPlayer then you are still required to have a TV licence. These devices are:
I only watch TV online, do I have to buy a TV licence?
Yes, you will still need to buy one. The licence is needed if you watch BBC iPlayer but it also includes ANY online TV service that has a streaming or smart TV service, a website or an app that lets you watch live TV over the internet. These include; All 4, Sky Go, Virgin Media, Now TV, BT TV, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video and ITV Hub.
How much is a TV licence?
A standard TV Licence costs £150.50 per year. You can pay this by credit or debit card or by direct debit. You can buy and pay for your TV licence online through this link. tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/…app.
Do I have to pay my TV licence in one go?
No, there are two other options available to you. If you want to pay monthly, you have the option of setting up a direct debit. With this option, you’ll usually pay for your first licence over six months, at around £25.10 a month. After this, you pay for your next licence in 12 monthly instalments of around £12.56 – six payments before your licence is due to be renewed, and six after. A quarterly direct debit option is also available, with this you’ll pay around £38.89 every three months. If you choose to pay by direct debit you will not need to renew your TV licence, as the payments will continue until you cancel the direct debit.
If I don’t pay for my TV licence, how will they catch me?
The TV licensing company has a database of approximately 31 million licensed and unlicensed addresses which lets them know if your address has a TV Licence. Their team of enforcement officers check the database and if a TV licence isn’t in place they may send a detector van to your address. These vans can detect the use of TV receiving equipment. If you are found to have this in your house and no licence you will either be asked to pay the full TV licence there and then or you could be prosecuted. The maximum penalty in the UK is a £1,000 fine plus legal costs and/or any compensation you may be ordered to pay. They may also send enforcement officers round to your address even if you have declared that you don’t need a TV licence.