TV Licensing

Why does my TV Licence end less than a year after I bought it?

Your licence starts on the day you buy it. For example, if you buy a licence today it will cover you for up to 12 months - the rest of this month and 11 months after that. 

Licences expire at the end of the month and expiry dates stay the same each year, even if you renew late. This means that if you buy a licence at any time in September it will start straight away and expire on 31 August the following year. Then, in following years it will always expire on 31 August. If  you renew it late, your licence will still expire on the 31st August, unless the licence is cancelled.

Setting end-of-month expiry dates keeps TV Licensing’s collection costs down and means more money is invested in the BBC’s programmes and services.