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Broadcast fee · United Kingdom

TV Licensing enforcement letter — not a fine, but it will keep coming

TV Licensing sends these letters to addresses with no TV licence, escalating from reminders to warnings of an investigation. The letters are not fines. A licence is legally required only for live TV or BBC iPlayer — not for on-demand services like Netflix.

How serious: routineAlso called: TV licence letter, TV Licensing warning, Official warning letter, Unlicensed property letter

The letter is sent because your address shows as unlicensed. The sequence escalates from reminders to warnings of an investigation. Foreign residents often receive a stream of these simply because their address has no licence on record.

A licence (£180 a year) is legally required if you 'watch or record live TV on any channel or service' or 'use BBC iPlayer'. It is not required for watching only on-demand services other than iPlayer — Netflix or YouTube, for example.

The letters themselves are not fines. Prosecution is only a risk if you actually watch or record live TV or use iPlayer without a licence. If you do not, the letters have no legal force — but they will not stop until TV Licensing is told.

Who sends it

TV Licensing — the body that administers and enforces the TV licence on behalf of the BBC.

Red-and-white TV Licensing branding, addressed to 'The Legal Occupier' or to you by name, referring to your address's unlicensed status, with escalating headings and a deadline date printed on it.

The deadline

Reply-by/action dates printed on each letter; no statutory deadline attaches to the letters themselves

Each letter prints its own reply-by or action date, running from the date on the letter. No statutory deadline attaches to the letters themselves.

If you do nothing

Letters continue and escalate in tone. If you actually watch or record live TV or use BBC iPlayer without a licence you risk prosecution: 'You can be fined up to £1,000 if you watch or record live TV without a TV Licence.' TV licence cases are typically prosecuted as minor offences under the Single Justice Procedure. If you genuinely do not need a licence, silence has no direct legal consequence — but the letters will not stop until you tell TV Licensing.

How it escalates

  1. 01Letters continue and escalate in tone until you buy a licence or tell TV Licensing you do not need one.
  2. 02If unlicensed viewing is established: prosecution, typically via a Single Justice Procedure Notice, with a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction.
  3. 03If you do not watch live TV or iPlayer: no legal consequence, but mail continues until you make a declaration.

Your options, procedurally

  • A TV licence can be bought (£180 a year; £60.50 for black and white sets) if you watch or record live TV or use BBC iPlayer.
  • TV Licensing can be told that no licence is needed (a No Licence Needed declaration) through its website or by phone on 0300 790 6071, which stops the letters.
  • Concessions (for example for over-75s on Pension Credit, care homes, or the blind concession) can be checked with TV Licensing.

Common questions

Is this letter a fine?

No. It is a reminder or warning sent to an unlicensed address. A fine of up to £1,000 can only follow a prosecution for watching or recording live TV without a licence.

I only watch Netflix. Do I need a licence?

No. A licence is required for live TV on any channel or service and for BBC iPlayer, not for other on-demand services.

How do I make the letters stop?

By buying a licence, or by telling TV Licensing that no licence is needed through its website or phone line.

How much is a licence?

£180 a year; £60.50 for black and white sets.

Sources

Facts verified against the sources below on 28 August 2026.