UK TV Licence Requirement Checker
Five questions, statutory answer. Real Communications Act 2003 rules with current £174.50 fee.
UK TV Licence Checker · 2025-26 fee £174.50
Do you legally need a TV Licence?
Five questions, statutory answer. Based on the Communications Act 2003 and the 2004 Television Licensing Regulations (as amended 2016 + 2020).
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How This Tool Works
Most TV-licence guides are out of date — they cite the £169.50 fee, miss the 2020 over-75 amendment, and conflate iPlayer with on-demand streaming. This checker uses the current £174.50 (2025-26) fee, the 2016 iPlayer rule, the 2020 Pension-Credit means test for over-75 free licences, and the £7.50 ARC concession scheme. Five questions cover every common situation; the verdict cites the exact statutory authority.
- 1Tick whether you watch live TV.
- 2Tick whether you use BBC iPlayer (any content).
- 3Pick your age band and Pension Credit status.
- 4Tick blind/sight-impaired or ARC residence if applicable.
- 5Verdict cites Communications Act 2003 + 2004 Regulations.
- 6Action link goes straight to the TV Licensing page.
Complete Guide: UK TV Licence Rules 2025-26
Who needs one, who doesn't, what the concessions are, and how to legally cancel.
📅 Last updated: April 2026
Quick Tips
Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips
Even just BBC iPlayer for catch-up programmes requires a licence since 2016. If you have it installed and signed-in, you need one.
Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, ITVX catch-up, Channel 4, My5 — none require a licence so long as you don't use them to watch live channels.
If you genuinely don't need one, submit a No Licence Needed declaration on tvlicensing.co.uk to stop letters and visits.
Both criteria. Universal free licences ended 2020. Apply via tvlicensing.co.uk — never automatic.
TV Licensing officers have no right of entry without a warrant. You can refuse to engage entirely.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps to get the most from this tool
"Live TV" means watching/recording any broadcast at the moment it's aired — whether through an aerial, Sky/Virgin/Freeview/Freesat box, smart-TV app simulcast, or live YouTube stream. Be honest: live news on the BBC iPlayer app counts, even if you only watch it in the background.
Any iPlayer use — live, catch-up, downloaded, or even just streaming the radio via the BBC Sounds-iPlayer combination on smart speakers — triggers the requirement. Just having it installed but not using it is fine.
"75+ AND Pension Credit" is the only combination that gives a free licence. Pension Credit is a separate means-tested benefit — many eligible older people don't claim it. If unsure, check entitlement at gov.uk/pension-credit.
You need to be officially registered with your local authority (CVI form completed). Just having reduced vision is not sufficient. The 50% concession applies to the whole household.
Care homes that hold an ARC licence can pass on the £7.50 rate to residents who watch in their own room. Your care home administrator will know if you qualify.
The action link goes directly to the relevant TV Licensing application or declaration page — buy, claim concession, or declare No Licence Needed.
Advanced Topics
Deep dives for advanced users
The "detector van" myth is largely retired. Today, enforcement is driven by: (1) the database of every UK address with no licence on record, (2) cross-references against electoral roll/postal data, (3) door-to-door officer visits to those addresses, (4) interview-under-caution recordings used as court evidence. Officers cannot enter without permission. Their evidence at court is your statement.
Some forums claim you only need a licence "if you watch within the past 28 days/two years". This is false. The Communications Act offence is committed every time you install/use a receiver to watch live TV or iPlayer without a current licence — there is no grace period.
Watching foreign live TV (e.g., NDTV, Al Jazeera, RAI, even via a VPN-bypassed service) STILL requires a licence — the rules cover any channel anywhere on any device. Geo-bypassed BBC iPlayer from abroad also needs a licence; it's also a breach of iPlayer's terms of service.
Hotels need a Hotel and Mobile Units (HMU) licence — currently £174.50 for 1-15 rooms, escalating per room above that. B&Bs with 15 rooms or fewer can use a standard licence covering all guest rooms. Businesses where staff watch live news in a shared area need a standard licence.
If you're reviewing household media spend, see True Cost of Streaming Subscriptions. For broadband (often paired with TV), use the UK Broadband Cost Comparator.
Frequently Asked Questions
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