There are a lot of rules to be aware of when it comes to TV Licensing
TV Licence rules can be hard to follow(Image: Getty)
TV Licence rules can be easy to misunderstand. If you’re not sure whether you have to speak to or let a visiting officer into your home, here’s what the official guidance says.
According to TV Licensing, officers will show their ID and explain the purpose of the visit. They will act lawfully without threats, respect privacy and only enter with your permission, they say.
However, there is one circumstance where they can enter your home without permission. Officials confirm their officers can “enter your property only when you give permission, unless a search warrant has been issued.”
They explain that when officers visit a property, they will:
- Show their ID card. If requested, they’ll also give you a telephone number so you can call and confirm the details on their card
- Explain why they’re visiting
- Be polite and fair
- Follow all laws, regulations and policies
- Not use threats. Or any intimidation
- Respect your right to privacy. And confidentiality
- Enter your property only when you give permission, unless a search warrant has been issued
- When necessary, complete a record of interview. And ask for your signature to confirm that their notes are correct
- Make sure the person being interviewed knows what may happen as a result of watching or recording any live TV or BBC iPlayer without a TV Licence
- Stop the visit if you ask them to leave, unless a search warrant has been issued
- When necessary, use detection equipment or apply for a search warrant if they believe that someone at the property is committing an offence
TV Licensing also confirms that you do not need to say anything. Discussing the “rules that apply to a record of interview” it explains: “Officers may interview a person they believe or suspect to have committed an offence under the Communications Act 2003. But only after they’ve cautioned them.
“This is in line with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 in England and Wales. Or equivalent in other areas. An Officer will take the details of the person being interviewed, ask to check the TV receiver and write down everything that’s said under caution.
“The person being interviewed doesn’t have to let the Officer into their property and has the right to remain silent. They can ask to speak to a lawyer and can refuse to sign the record of interview. They can also ask for changes to be made to it if they disagree with anything before signing.”
TV Licence cost and fine for not having one
A standard colour TV Licence now costs £180 per year, while a black-and-white licence is £60.50. The most recent price rise took effect on April 1.
Watching, recording or downloading TV programmes without a valid TV Licence can result in prosecution. If you’re convicted, you could be fined up to £1,000, alongside any legal costs and compensation the court tells you to pay. In Guernsey, the maximum fine is higher, at up to £2,000.
What can I watch without a TV Licence?
If you don’t have a TV Licence, you can legally watch:
- 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
- DVDs or Blu-rays
- YouTube streamers’ videos or clips live or recorded
- Catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer, such as ITVX, All4 and My5
- S4C programmes on demand
If you do have a TV Licence, you can watch all of the above, as well as:
- Live streams of programmes, news or sport on services like ITVX, Sky, YouTube or Netflix
- Live TV on any channels included in a package you pay for, like Virgin, EE TV or Sky
- Live TV on all free channels, including BBC One, ITV2 and Sky News
- Everything on BBC iPlayer, including award-winning British TV dramas and thousands of other boxsets exclusive to BBC iPlayer
- Live sporting events, like the Rugby World Cup, UEFA Euros and the Olympics
- Other memorable live events, like the King’s speech, Royal weddings, Glastonbury and the Eurovision Song Contest
TV Licensing adds: “With a TV Licence, you can watch all of the above on any device.”