TV licence debt: visits, prosecution and paying in instalments
You cannot really owe “TV licence arrears” — the risk is prosecution if you watch without one. Here is how to get licensed affordably.
Applies to: England & Wales
What to do now
- If you need a licence, get one now and pay by instalments if that helps.
- If you are struggling, ask a free debt adviser to refer you to the Simple Payment Plan.
- If you do not need a licence, tell TV Licensing so it can update its records.
Why it is not a normal debt
A TV licence is a legal requirement, not a bill for a service you have already used. TV Licensing does not usually chase unpaid licence fees as a debt. Instead, if you watch without a valid licence, you risk being prosecuted. Missed instalments on a licence can lead to it being cancelled, which puts you back at risk if you keep watching.
Priority or non-priority?
Treat it as a priority if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer, because a conviction leads to a court fine, which has strong enforcement powers. It is not a priority if you genuinely do not need a licence.
Letters and visits
TV Licensing sends letters to unlicensed addresses and may send an enquiry officer. An enquiry officer has no right to enter your home without a search warrant, and you do not have to let them in. Anything you say can be used as evidence, so be careful and honest. If you do not need a licence, you can declare that to TV Licensing.
Prosecution and fines
Cases are heard in the magistrates’ court, often on paper through the Single Justice Procedure. The maximum fine is £1,000, and costs and a victim surcharge can be added. You are not sent to prison for watching without a licence. But an unpaid fine becomes a court fine that can lead to deductions from wages or benefits, bailiffs and, as a last resort for wilful refusal or culpable neglect to pay, prison. See magistrates’ court fines.
Paying in instalments
- Standard instalments. You can pay by monthly Direct Debit or other regular payment options.
- Simple Payment Plan. For people in financial difficulty. It spreads the cost over 12 months, fortnightly or monthly, and you can catch up a missed payment over the rest of the plan. Three missed payments in a row remove you from it.
- Who can use it. Among other routes, people visited by an enquiry officer, people whose licence was cancelled for missed payments in the last six months, and people referred by a free, not-for-profit debt advice organisation.
- Concessions. Ask TV Licensing about free licences for people aged 75 or over who get Pension Credit, and discounts for people who are blind.
Formal solutions
The licence itself is an ongoing cost to include in your budget. A TV licence fine is a court fine, so it cannot be included in a DRO or IVA and is not written off by bankruptcy. The government has been reviewing how the licence fee is funded and enforced, but at the time of writing, watching without a licence remains a criminal offence.
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation.
Common questions
Can you go to prison for not having a TV licence?
Not for watching without a licence. The penalty is a fine of up to £1,000 plus costs. But prison is possible as a last resort if you wilfully refuse or culpably neglect to pay the court fine.
Do I have to let a TV licence officer in?
No. An enquiry officer has no right to enter your home without a search warrant. Anything you say can be used as evidence.
What is the TV licence Simple Payment Plan?
A plan for people in financial difficulty that spreads the cost of a licence over 12 months, paid fortnightly or monthly. A free, not-for-profit debt adviser can refer you.