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Armed forces administrators

In Ministry of Defence (MOD) accommodation, on or off base, anyone who watches or records television programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any device, must be covered by a TV Licence. This includes computers, laptops, TVs, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and DVD/VHS recorders.

Armed forces personnel are not usually covered by their home TV Licence while living on base. In service accommodation, they’re only covered by their home licence if they watch TV using a device that’s powered solely by its own internal batteries, and it is not plugged into the mains or an aerial.

If service personnel do not require a TV Licence, they need to let us know. If they already have one but no longer need it, they may be entitled to a refund. See the refunds page for more details.

The MOD fully supports us in administering TV Licensing legislation.

It costs £145.50 for colour & £49.00 for a black and white TV Licence.

Pay for your TV Licence
Your base’s TV Licence will cover

Your base’s TV Licence will cover
Working areas Cookhouse, guardroom, classrooms and communal areas in junior ranks accommodation blocks.
Your base’s TV Licence won’t cover

Your base’s TV Licence won’t cover
Other communal areas (e.g. messes, clubs or third party organisations)

You need a separate TV Licence to cover communal TV rooms within each mess or club premises. Responsibility for licensing communal areas within messes, accommodation blocks, clubs or third party (contractors) accommodation lies with the unit, mess or club manager or contractor.
Service family or single living accommodation These must be licensed separately.
Multi-occupancy rooms Only one TV Licence is needed to cover all TV-receiving devices in each room.
HM Ships The ship’s administrator must ensure they have a valid TV Licence while in UK territory, including ports and internal waters. This will cover the whole ship.
Armed forces personnel don’t need a TV Licence on base for

Armed forces personnel don’t need a TV Licence on base for
TV receiving devices that are only used for
  • Closed circuit monitoring
  • Playing DVDs or pre-recorded videos e.g. for training purposes
  • Watching ‘Catch-up’ TV (e.g. 4oD) or ‘video clips’ (e.g. YouTube). However, programmes watched online at the same time as they are shown on TV, like iPlayer live streaming, require a TV Licence.

 

 

General information about TV Licensing is available in the following languages:

© 2012 TV Licensing