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TV licence fee non-payment: should it be decriminalised?

Under the BBC’s Royal Charter (PDF), the BBC is funded through a licence fee. The current charter began on 1 January 2017 and runs to 31 December 2027.

In December 2025, the government said that the number of households requiring a licence but not holding one had risen to over 12% from around 6% in 2015.

The use of a television receiver without a valid licence can lead to prosecution, a court appearance and a fine of up to £1,000. Cases are usually heard in the magistrates’ courts. If a fine isn’t paid, the court that issued it may impose a custodial sentence. The sentence is for non-payment of the court fine, not for non-payment of the licence fee.

Concerns have been raised about the impact of licence fee enforcement action on vulnerable people and the gender disparity in prosecutions for TV licence evasion.

The government launched a review of the BBC's charter on 16 December 2025. The intention is to use the review to “futureproof” the BBC so that it can thrive in a “rapidly changing media landscape”. One of the review’s objectives, as set out in the terms of reference, is for a BBC “that is sustainably funded for decades to come to support its vital public service role”.

A green paper (PDF), also published on 16 December 2025, sets out a range of options for the future funding of the BBC. These include reforming the licence fee model and exploring exploring options for the fairer collection and enforcement of licence fee payment.

A public consultation on the green paper's proposals closed on 10 March 2026. The government is considering the responses and has said that it plans to set out policy decisions for the next royal charter in a white paper, expected to be published later this year.

Related Library briefings:

• The future of the BBC licence fee
• TV licence fee statistics