If you're aged 75 or over, you are entitled to a free over 75TV Licence for your home, even if you live with younger relatives or friends.
If you're aged 74 and will turn 75 before your next TV Licence is due to expire, you qualify to buy a short term TV Licence. This will cover you to watch and record TV in your home until your 75th birthday, when you will be entitled to a free over 75TV Licence. With a short term TV Licence, you need only pay for the number of months between the date of your current licence expiring and your birthday.
If you have a short term TV Licence, you will automatically receive a free over 75TV Licence when you turn 75. If not, it is important that you apply for yours by calling 0844 800 6790.
If you are not the current licence holder for your address and you share your home with someone younger, you may still apply for a free over 75TV Licence. You simply need to transfer the licence into your name, which you can do by calling us on 0844 800 6790.
To help speed up your application, please be ready to give us the following information:
Please call 0844 800 6790 with your current TV Licence number and National Insurance number (if you have these) to hand. You can then buy a short term TV Licence over the phone by debit or credit card. Or, if you prefer, we will send you a personalised letter showing you how much you need to pay and other ways you can pay.
If you are not the current licence holder for your address and you share your home with someone younger, you may still apply for a short term TV Licence. You simply need to transfer the licence into your name, which you can do by calling us on 0844 800 6790.
No. Your free over 75TV Licence will be automatically renewed each year. However, we will only send you paperwork once every three years, so the dates on your licence will cover a three-year period.
If you don't have a National Insurance number, we will write to you every year to ask you to validate your licence.
No. Simply apply for your free over 75TV Licence as explained above and we'll send you a revised payment plan detailing the remaining payments that we will take from your bank or building society account.
Then, at the correct time, we will stop taking payments and refund any monies owing to you directly into your bank account.
Please be aware that separate conditions apply to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
On the Isle of Man, if you are 75 before your current licence expires you can apply for a short term licence. To do this, call 0844 800 5875 (or 0845 601 5526 if you pay for your licence using a TV Licensing payment card or savings card). We will then automatically issue you with a free over 75 licence when it becomes due.
If you are 75 and don’t already have a free licence, please contact the Isle of ManSocial Security Department. They will arrange a refund of any existing licence and instruct us to issue a free licence.
On Guernsey, if you are 75* before your current licence expires you can apply for a short term licence. To do this, call 0844 800 5875 (or 0845 601 5526 if you pay for your licence using a TV Licensing payment card or savings card). We will then automatically issue you with a free over 75 licence when it becomes due.
If you are 75 and don’t already have a free licence, please contact the Guernsey Social Security Department. They will arrange a refund of any existing licence and instruct us to issue a free licence.
Please note that on Sark, there is no free over 75 TV Licence or short term TV Licence for 74 year olds.
*You may also be eligible to claim a free licence if you are 65 or over and receiving state benefits. Please contact the Guernsey Social Security Department for details.
On Jersey, you may be eligible for a free over 75 licence if you are aged 75 years or over and are on a low income. Please contact the Jersey Social Security Department for details.
Your free over 75TV Licence covers your main home address only. If you regularly stay elsewhere, say in a holiday home, this address will not be covered. You will need to apply for a separate TV Licence at the full fee to cover this and any other properties.
