You can still watch TV if you don’t have a licence, and you can let the authority know you are doing it
540,000 people across the country have stopped paying the TV Licence in the last year, and thousands of them are doing it officially – meaning they do not need to pay the £180 fee. The BBC’s annual report shows 23.3 million TV licences were active by the end of the year – 540,000 fewer than the year before – and 80 per cent of people don’t pay for a licence.
And the total number of households officially declaring they did not need a licence increased by 62,000, to a total of 3.7 million.
BBC chief financial officer Berangere Michel said: “We can see that the large majority of the reason for the decline is people… not consuming licensable content. That is a trend that I don’t see changing back. In fact, I see it accelerating, and that is one of the reasons why we would like a reform of the funding.”
You can officially opt out of needing a TV Licence online. The step is as simple as answering six yes or no questions.
You legally must have a TV Licence if you:
- Watch or record live TV on any channel. This applies to any television service (like Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media) and any live streaming service (like watching live broadcasts on ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, or Sky Go).
- Use BBC iPlayer. You need a licence for anything you watch or download on BBC iPlayer, whether it is a live broadcast, a catch-up episode, or an on-demand box set.
Many people think you only need a licence for BBC channels. That is a myth. If you watch live broadcasts you legally need a licence.
When You DO NOT Need a TV Licence
You do not need a TV Licence if you strictly use your devices to watch:
- On-demand / Catch-up services (excluding BBC iPlayer). You are fine to watch on-demand content on ITVX, Channel 4, Channel 5, etc., as long as it isn’t a live stream.
- Subscription streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV+ (again, for on-demand movies/shows only).
- On-demand videos on websites like YouTube or TikTok.
- Physical media like DVDs or Blu-rays.
If you genuinely never watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer, you can go to the official TV Licensing website and fill out a “No Licence Needed” declaration to stop the reminder letters. A TV Licensing statement reads: “If you tell us you don’t need a licence we may visit you to check. If we then find that you have been watching, recording or streaming programmes illegally, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 (£2,000 in Guernsey) plus any legal costs and compensation you may be ordered to pay.”
A standard colour TV Licence costs £180 a year. However, certain people qualify for discounts or free licences:
- Over 75s on Pension Credit: If you are 75 or older and receive Pension Credit, you can get a free TV Licence (you must apply for it, it isn’t automatic).
- Registered Blind: If you are certified as blind or severely sight-impaired, you are eligible for a 50% discount.
- Students: Students usually need their own licence if they have a separate tenancy agreement and watch live TV in their room. However, if you only watch on a phone or laptop powered strictly by its internal battery (not plugged into the mains), you may be covered by your parents’ home licence.
