To cancel a BBC TV Licence, you contact TV Licensing directly once you’ve stopped watching or recording live broadcasts on any channel or platform and stopped using BBC iPlayer entirely. The licence is a legal requirement under the Communications Act 2003, not a subscription you switch off in an account, and it currently costs £180 a year as of April 2026.1GOV.UK. Cost of TV Licence Fee Set for 2026/27 If time remains on your licence when you cancel, you can claim a refund for each complete month left.
When You’re Allowed to Cancel
A licence is required if you watch or record programmes as they’re broadcast on any channel, watch live TV through streaming services, or use BBC iPlayer for anything at all, including catch-up and on-demand. The rule applies whatever device you use.2TV Licensing. Legal Framework
You can cancel once none of that is true in your household. Watching only on-demand content on services like Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video, with no live streams and no iPlayer, does not require a licence.3TV Licensing. I No Longer Watch TV – How to Cancel My Licence
Other valid reasons include moving to an address already covered by a valid licence, leaving the UK, or the property becoming empty. Someone moving into a care home may already be covered by the home’s concessionary licence.
How to Submit the Cancellation
The quickest route is the online cancellations form on the TV Licensing website. You’ll need your ten-digit licence number, which appears on the licence itself, on bank statements showing licence payments, and on any letters or emails from TV Licensing.4TV Licensing. How Can I Find Out My TV Licence Number
The form asks why you’re cancelling, then takes your licence number, the name on the account, and your address. If you pay by Direct Debit, keep your bank details to hand so the system can match its records. Save the confirmation screen or reference number when you submit.5TV Licensing. TV Licence Refund and Cancellation
Now cancel the Direct Debit with your bank separately. TV Licensing’s system and your bank’s don’t talk to each other, so leaving the Direct Debit active means payments can still be collected while the cancellation is processed. Most banking apps handle it in a few taps.
If you’d rather not use the website, call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6117 between 8:30am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, or send a written request by post.
Getting Your Refund
If the licence still has time on it when you cancel, you can claim a refund for the unused portion. You need at least one complete month left before the licence expires to qualify, and refunds cover whole months only. Depending on timing, that can be anywhere from one to eleven months.6TV Licensing. How We Work Out Refunds
TV Licensing aims to process refunds within 21 days of receiving the application. Payment is usually made by cheque or credited back to the bank account that funded the original payments.5TV Licensing. TV Licence Refund and Cancellation
Timing matters. Cancel two weeks into a new month on your licence and you lose that month’s share of the refund, because partial months don’t count. Where you have the choice, line the cancellation up with the start of a new licence month.
After You Cancel: No Licence Needed Status
TV Licensing registers your address with a “No Licence Needed” declaration. Confirmation usually arrives by letter or email within a few weeks. That declaration is your record of compliance if the question comes up later.7TV Licensing. Telling Us You Don’t Need a TV Licence
Expect periodic contact asking you to confirm your circumstances haven’t changed. The site doesn’t spell out how often. Enforcement officers may also visit the property. They have no automatic right of entry: they can knock and ask questions, but you don’t have to let them in without a court-issued search warrant. If you genuinely don’t watch live TV or use iPlayer, a visit ends there.
Don’t Watch Live TV or iPlayer After Cancelling
Watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer without a licence is a criminal offence under Section 363 of the Communications Act 2003. The maximum fine on conviction is level 3 on the standard scale, up to £1,000, and courts can add costs and a victim surcharge.8Legislation.gov.uk. Communications Act 2003 – Section 363
This is where people slip up after cancelling: opening iPlayer to “just check” something, or catching a match streamed live on YouTube. The law doesn’t turn on the device or the channel. Any live broadcast on any platform needs a licence, and so does any use of iPlayer, live or on-demand. If you start again, buy a new licence first.
Concessions to Check Before You Cancel
You may not need to cancel outright. Three concessions can cut or remove the fee.
Free Licence for Over-75s on Pension Credit
If you’re 75 or over and you or a partner at the same address receives Pension Credit, the licence is free and covers everyone in the household, including anyone under 75 living there. Apply online or on 0300 790 6117; TV Licensing verifies Pension Credit with the Department for Work and Pensions. You can apply at 74 if you already receive Pension Credit, and the free licence starts on your 75th birthday.9TV Licensing. Check If You Can Get a Free TV Licence
Half Price for Blind or Severely Sight Impaired
If you or someone you live with is registered blind or severely sight impaired, the licence costs half price. It must be in the name of the registered person, and you’ll need a certificate from your local council or ophthalmologist confirming the registration.10GOV.UK. Financial Help If You’re Disabled – Television Licence Discount
Care Home Concessionary Licence
Residents in care homes and sheltered accommodation can be covered by an Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) licence at £7.50 per room. The resident has to be retired (60 or over and working no more than 15 hours a week) or disabled. The care home administrator handles the application, so raise it with them rather than TV Licensing.11TV Licensing. Residential Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation