To cancel your UK TV Licence by phone, call the specific number for your payment method: 0300 555 0286 for cash/payment card, or 0300 790 0368 for Direct Debit, ensuring you're only watching TV without live broadcasts or BBC iPlayer to be eligible for a refund or cancellation. You'll need to explain you no longer need a licence, often by confirming you don't watch live TV or BBC iPlayer, and may be able to claim a refund for any unused months.
If you're sure you no longer need your licence, please let us know by completing our online cancellation form. Cancel your TV Licence.
Our website at www.tvlicensing.co.uk. By our Contact us form. The post at: Customer Relations, TV Licensing, Darlington, DL98 1TL. Our call centre by phone on 0300 790 6096*
If you don't have a TV Licence, you can legally watch: Catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer, such as ITVX, All4 and My5. On demand films or TV shows that you watch, rent or buy online from providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky, EE TV, Sky, Apple TV+, Disney+ or Now.
When you have sold, disposed of or lost your television set(s) you are no longer required to have a TV licence. You must notify the SABC of your changed circumstances in writing on a pro forma affidavit which is available from your nearest SABC offices or by making the relevant statement at any Commissioner of Oaths.
The court can only give you a fine. But if you fail to pay the fine for not having a TV licence, the court can take further action. They can send bailiffs or sheriff officers to your home. And they can take money from your wages or benefits if you refuse to pay what you owe.
How do you qualify for a reduced fee licence?
There are a few reasons why you might need to cancel your TV Licence:
One in eight users now evades payment despite using the BBC, at a cost to the corporation of £550m. According to the BBC's annual report, the number of TV licences fell by around 300,000 between March 2024 and March 2025.
You need a TV licence if you watch or record 'live' TV or use BBC iPlayer. If you don't do any of these, you don't need a licence. So you don't need a licence to, say, read anything on the BBC News website, or watch clips on the BBC Sport app or website.
Please call a member of our team on 0300 131 1260*.
If you get inclusive minutes, calls to an 0300 number will be included free of charge. Please enter your 10-digit reference number, this will be on any letter or email we've sent you about your no licence needed declaration.
You can apply for a refund if you won't need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it. If you're eligible for an over 75 or blind concession, you can apply for a refund at any time and for any length of time left on your licence.
What email address is being used? We send our emails from [email protected] (or [email protected]). If you are a TV Licensing payment card customer and you make mobile payments via the TVL Pay app, you may receive emails from [email protected].
The number of people paying the licence fee is expected to fall by more than a million, to 21 million over the same period. Around 300,000 households stopped paying the licence fee last year, as households continue to favour streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime over the BBC.
You're not feeling well.
Once your card is set up, you can pay online, via the TVL Pay app, by phone, by text message or in person at any PayPoint store. When you change how you pay, we may need to cancel your current licence and issue you a new one. Don't worry, you'll still be covered throughout.
What happens if you don't pay for a TV Licence (or have a free one)? Not paying for a TV Licence could lead to a £1,000* fine if we find that you have been watching, recording or downloading programmes illegally. Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of TV.
How to cancel your licence
You don't need a TV Licence to watch on demand programmes on Netflix.
No, and they can't prove you're watching tv anyway.
No, but you might get an e-mail, or a letter through the post from them after a while saying that they've noticed you watched iplayer, and they should give you the date. And there'll be a lot of blurb saying the cases when you need a license.
Applying for a free TV Licence online before you reach 75
We'll confirm this in writing. If you're blind (severely sight impaired) and can provide the appropriate evidence, you're eligible to apply for a 50% concession. Once your blind application has been accepted you can then apply for a free TV Licence.
There are concessions available for:
The good news is you don't need a TV licence to stream on-demand content from platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ITVX, Channel 4 and 5 (on-demand only). So, if you're not watching live broadcasts or using BBC iPlayer, you might be able to ditch your licence altogether.
On any device. You only need one TV Licence per household, even if you use more than one of the devices listed above. A TV Licence costs £174.50 for colour TV, and £58.50 for black and white. Find out about ways to pay.