Cancelling a TV Licence is one of many practical tasks that falls to families and executors in the days after a death. Unlike many subscriptions, TV Licensing does not require a death certificate to process a cancellation – and if there are full months remaining on the licence, you can claim a refund for those unused months. The process can be done by phone or online.
This guide explains how to notify TV Licensing, what information you will need, how refunds work, and what happens in more complex situations: Direct Debit payments, households where others are still watching TV, and the over-75 free licence.
How to notify TV Licensing
TV Licensing can be reached by phone or via an online form on their website.
By phone
Call 0300 790 6143. This number is for transferring or cancelling a standard paid licence. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6:30pm, and Saturday 8:30am to 5pm. Calls are charged at standard national rates and are included in most mobile and landline call packages.
If the deceased held a free TV Licence (for being over 75 and receiving Pension Credit), call 0300 790 6117 instead – this is the dedicated free licence line.
When you call, have the following to hand:
- The TV Licence number (printed on the licence itself, or on any payment reminder or renewal letter)
- The full name and address of the licence holder
- The date of death
- Your name and relationship to the deceased (executor, next of kin, or family member)
- Bank details if you want any refund paid by BACS transfer rather than cheque
You do not need to provide a death certificate. TV Licensing will take your word for the death and process the cancellation or transfer accordingly. (Source: TV Licensing – what to do if the licence holder dies, verified April 2026)
Online
You can apply for a refund and cancellation online at tvlicensing.co.uk. The online cancellation and refund form is available in English and Welsh.
What documents you will need
TV Licensing keeps the documentation requirement deliberately light for bereavement cases.
| Item | Details | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| TV Licence number | Printed on the licence or any correspondence from TV Licensing | Helpful but not essential – they can search by name and address |
| Date of death | The key fact they need to calculate any refund | Yes |
| Death certificate | TV Licensing does not request this | Not required |
| Bank details (for refund) | Sort code and account number for the estate account, if claiming by BACS | Optional – refund can be sent by cheque instead |
If you cannot find the licence number, TV Licensing can locate the account using the name and address of the licence holder.
Will you get a refund?
If the licence was paid for in full (either as an annual payment or quarterly), a refund is available for any complete months remaining on the licence from the date of death. Partial months are not refunded – the month in which the death occurred counts as used.
Example: A licence paid annually on 1 January expires on 31 December. If the holder dies on 15 April, the April month is counted as used. The refund covers the remaining complete months: May through December – eight months. At the 2025/26 annual rate of £174.50, that would be approximately £116.33 (8 ÷ 12 × £174.50).
Refunds are paid by cheque or BACS bank transfer and arrive within approximately 21 days. If TV Licensing needs additional information, this timeline may be longer. (Source: TV Licensing – cancellations and refunds, verified April 2026)
What happens to Direct Debit payments?
If the deceased was paying by Direct Debit, do not cancel it yourself through the bank – at least not before contacting TV Licensing. TV Licensing’s published guidance is clear: “We will cancel your Direct Debit for you” when you request a cancellation or refund. Cancelling the Direct Debit manually through the bank stops the payments but does not cancel the licence itself, which can create administrative complications.
Contact TV Licensing first to cancel the licence. They will then cancel the Direct Debit. If any payments were taken after the date of death, those will be included in the refund calculation.
For more on Direct Debits and what happens to them after a death, see our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies.
What if the deceased lived alone?
A TV Licence covers the address where it is held – it follows the property, not the person. If the deceased lived alone and the property is now empty, the licence should be cancelled from the date of death.
To cancel the licence on an empty property, call 0300 790 6143 or use the online form. Tell TV Licensing that the property is now empty and unoccupied. No one will be watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer there. TV Licensing will cancel the licence and process any refund for full unused months.
If the property remains empty for more than six months, you may receive letters from TV Licensing asking you to confirm it is still unlicensed. This is normal – you can respond online or by post to confirm the property does not need a licence while empty.
What if someone else will continue watching TV at the address?
If other household members were living with the deceased and will continue watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer, the address still needs a TV Licence. The existing licence already covers them – a TV Licence covers everyone living at the address, not just the named account holder.
However, you should still notify TV Licensing to update the name on the account. Call 0300 790 6143 and ask to transfer the licence into another person’s name. This ensures correspondence goes to the right person and avoids any confusion about whether the address is covered.
The transfer process is straightforward: no new payment is required, and the expiry date does not change. The licence continues until its original renewal date, at which point the new named holder will receive a renewal notice.
The over-75 free TV Licence
Households where the oldest occupant is aged 75 or over and receives Pension Credit are entitled to a free TV Licence, administered by TV Licensing on behalf of the BBC. This arrangement creates a few specific scenarios when the free licence holder dies.
If the deceased was the qualifying person (75+ on Pension Credit) and lived alone: Contact TV Licensing on 0300 790 6117 to cancel the free licence. No refund is available – the licence was free of charge. If the property is empty, TV Licensing will mark the address as vacant and pause correspondence for up to six months.
If the deceased was the qualifying person and other household members remain: The existing free licence continues to cover those residents until it expires. Surviving household members need to contact TV Licensing on 0300 790 6117 to identify a new named account holder. If no one in the remaining household is aged 75 or over on Pension Credit, they will need to take out a paid licence when the free one expires.
If another household member is aged 74 or over and receives Pension Credit: They may be eligible to apply for their own free TV Licence. Call 0300 790 6117 to find out whether they qualify and to arrange this.
All other households – where no one in the property is 75 or over on Pension Credit – pay the standard annual licence fee. The 2025/26 rate is £174.50 per year.
(Source: TV Licensing – what to do if a free licence holder dies, verified April 2026)
Common questions
How long does a TV Licence refund take?
Approximately 21 days from the date TV Licensing receives and processes your cancellation request. This applies to both cheque and BACS bank transfer. If TV Licensing needs to request additional information, the timeline may extend. If you have not received your refund after four weeks, call 0300 790 6143 to follow up. (Source: TV Licensing – cancellations and refunds)
Do I need to cancel if someone else will continue watching TV at the address?
The address still needs a licence if anyone there watches live TV or uses BBC iPlayer. The existing licence already covers them. You do not need to cancel – but you should transfer the account into the new named holder’s name by calling 0300 790 6143. This avoids correspondence going to the deceased and prevents the account from lapsing without renewal notices reaching the right person.
What if I don’t know the licence number?
TV Licensing can find the account using just the name and address of the deceased. The licence number speeds things up but is not essential. If you want to find it yourself before calling, check any letters, renewal reminders, or payment receipts from TV Licensing – the licence number is printed on all official correspondence.
Quick reference
| Task | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel a paid licence and claim a refund | 0300 790 6143 or online | Refund for full unused months only; approximately 21 days |
| Transfer licence to a new name | 0300 790 6143 | No new payment required; expiry date unchanged |
| Cancel a free (over-75) licence | 0300 790 6117 | No refund available – licence was free |
| Apply for a free licence after bereavement | 0300 790 6117 | Must be 75+ and receiving Pension Credit |
| Direct Debit cancellation | 0300 790 6143 – do not cancel at the bank first | TV Licensing cancels the Direct Debit when you cancel the licence |
| Declare a property empty | 0300 790 6143 or online | Licence cancelled; refund for unused full months |
Phone lines: Monday to Friday 8:30am–6:30pm, Saturday 8:30am–5pm. Calls at standard national rates, included in most call packages.
What else needs doing after a death
Cancelling the TV Licence is one item on a longer list. For a complete guide to the notifications and cancellations that need to happen after a death, see our what to do after a death hub.
TV Licensing sits alongside a range of other ongoing subscriptions and services that need cancelling or transferring. Our guide to what happens to subscriptions when someone dies covers the wider picture – streaming services, software, and other digital accounts. For the Direct Debit question in more detail, see what happens to direct debits when someone dies. If the deceased played the National Lottery by direct debit or held a player account with winnings in it, see our guide to notifying the National Lottery when someone dies.
If you are managing an estate that includes a property where the licence will continue to be needed, that sits alongside other property-related tasks – council tax, utilities, and building insurance. For council tax, see our guide to notifying your council when someone dies.