How to Cancel Your TV Licence
You can cancel your TV licence online, by phone or by post, and get money back for any full months you will not use. Write your letter, and we print it and post it for you by Royal Mail.
Cancelling by post? Send your letter to TV Licensing by Royal Mail Tracked 24, from £8.99, so you can prove the date it arrived.
From £2.49 including printing and postage
- No printer or Post Office trip
- See the finished letter before you pay
- Order by 2.30pm for same-day posting
Quick Answer
- Fee from 1 April 2026
- £180
- Refund for
- Full unused months
- Refunds aimed within
- 21 days
- Apply from
- 14 days before
- Phone
- 0300 790 0368
You need at least one complete month left on your licence to get a refund. Do not cancel your Direct Debit yourself first.
Where to Send It
TV Licensing takes letters at one address in Darlington. Use it to cancel your licence, ask for a refund or tell TV Licensing you do not need a licence.
TV Licensing
Cancelling your licence, asking for a refund, or telling TV Licensing you do not need a licence.
TV LicensingDarlingtonDL98 1TLYou can also cancel online, or by phone on 0300 790 0368 if you pay by Direct Debit or in one go, or 0300 555 0286 if you use a payment card. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6.30pm.
Write to this addressComplaints and other addresses
Complaints, payment card and savings card letters, and taking a complaint further.
TV LicensingDarlington, DL98 1TLEach kind of complaint has its own first line. Our TV Licensing address page lists them all.
See all TV Licensing addressesChecked against tvlicensing.co.uk and GOV.UK on 19 October 2026.
Why Send It With PostRight
Proof It Arrived
Choose Tracked 24 and you can see when your letter was delivered, with a photo on delivery. Useful when a deadline or reply time counts from the day it arrives.
No Printer, Envelope or Stamp
Type your letter or upload a PDF on any device. We print it, put it in the envelope and post it.
Posted Today
Order by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail.
The Address Done for You
Press Write to this address and we fill in the address exactly as it is shown on this page.
How It Works
- 1Write your letterPress Write Your Letter and we fill in the TV Licensing address. Add your licence number, the reason and the date you stop needing it.
- 2Add any proofIf you have proof, such as a moving date or a new tenancy, upload your letter and the copies together as one PDF.
- 3We print it and post itOrder by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail. Choose a tracked service for a record of when it arrived.
What to Put in Your Letter
TV Licensing does not publish a set format for a letter, so give it everything it needs to find your licence: your licence number, the name on the licence, the licensed address and postcode, why you no longer need it and the date you stop needing it. If you are moving, add your new address. Sign and date it, and keep a copy.
Who Can Get a Refund
You may get a refund if you are moving abroad, moving in with someone whose licence covers you, moving into a care home that has a licence, have two licences at one address, or no longer watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or use BBC iPlayer. Students can claim for unused months at the end of the academic year.
How Refunds Work
You need at least one complete month left on your licence that you will not use. Refunds are worked out in whole months, from one to 11. You can apply up to 14 days before you stop needing the licence, and up to two years after it expires.
TV Licensing aims to issue refunds within 21 days of getting your application, by cheque or bank transfer. If your refund is approved, your licence is cancelled automatically.
Your Direct Debit
Do not cancel your Direct Debit yourself if you want a refund. TV Licensing says cancelling your Direct Debit does not cancel your licence.
If the Licence Holder Has Died
Let TV Licensing know. You do not need to send a death certificate. The executor can cancel the licence or ask for a refund of any full unused months. If someone at the address still needs a licence, the household stays covered until it expires, and you can change the name on it by phone on 0300 790 6143.
Telling TV Licensing You Do Not Need a Licence
You need a licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or device, or to use BBC iPlayer. If you no longer do either, tell TV Licensing online, by phone on 0300 790 6114, or by writing to TV Licensing, Darlington, DL98 1TL. It may visit to check, and your confirmation will tell you how long it lasts.
The Licence Fee in 2026
A colour TV licence costs £180 from 1 April 2026, and a black and white licence costs £60.50. If you are blind, you can get 50% off. If you are 75 or over and you or your partner get Pension Credit, your licence is free.
More Ways to Send
Frequently Asked Questions
Online at tvlicensing.co.uk, by phone on 0300 790 0368, or by post to TV Licensing, Darlington, DL98 1TL.
Cancel your TV licence by post today.
Write or upload your letter, choose your service at checkout, and we print it and post it by Royal Mail.