Do I need a TV licence in Ireland?

If there is a television set at your address, you need a TV licence. It costs €160 a year, and it is required because of the equipment you have, not because of the service you watch on it.

This page sets out what An Post and the legislation say. It is general information, not legal advice.

Who needs a TV licence in Ireland?

Section 142 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 says a person shall not keep or have in their possession a television set anywhere in the State unless a television licence authorises it.

An Post issues TV licences and collects the fee. Its site puts the rule simply: it is your legal obligation to have a valid TV licence if you have a TV in your home. The same applies to a business premises, including a set used only for meetings or training.

One licence covers all the television sets at a single premises. You do not need one per set.

What counts as a television set?

The Act’s definition is wide. A television set is any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception, whether or not its use for that purpose depends on anything else being used with it.

Two points follow from that wording.

• It is about capability. A set that could show broadcast television needs a licence whether or not you use it that way.
• It does not matter what else is needed. A set with no aerial plugged in is still capable. An Post says an analogue television, with or without a set-top box, still requires a licence.

Do I need a TV licence if I only stream?

If you stream on a television, yes. The licence attaches to the set, not to RTÉ, Saorview, Netflix or anything else. Cancelling a subscription or unplugging the aerial does not change what the set is capable of.

There is an exemption for some other equipment. The Television Licence (Exemption of Classes of Television Set) Order 2009 takes two classes of set outside section 142:

• Portable sets. The Order defines portable as designed to be easily carried by hand, with a display of not more than 160 square centimetres.
• Non-portable sets that can show television distributed over the publicly available internet. The Order says this does not include any set capable of showing services carried on terrestrial, cable, satellite, microwave or internet protocol television networks.

On that wording, a phone is exempt, and so is a computer that can show television only through the public internet. A set that can also receive television in one of the listed ways is not exempt.

If your equipment does not fit neatly into one of those rows, ask An Post before relying on the exemption. An Post’s FAQs (official source, opens in a new tab)

Do I need a TV licence for Saorview or free satellite?

Yes. Saorview and the free satellite channels have no subscription, but both are received on a television set or a receiver box. That is exactly the equipment the licence covers.

The licence is the only recurring cost of a free-to-air setup. If you are not sure what your set can receive, see does my TV have Saorview?

What about second homes, rented and shared accommodation?

Holiday homes. An Post says you need a separate TV licence for a holiday home.

Apartments. An Post says each apartment in an apartment building needs its own licence.

Shared buildings. The Act defines premises to include a part of a building occupied as a separate dwelling, whether or not the occupier shares any portion of it with another person.

Tenants. Citizens Information says that if you are renting and there is a TV, you must have a TV licence, whether you or the landlord owns the set. If you rent, your local TV Licence Records Office can confirm the position for your own arrangement.

Moving house. A licence can be transferred to a new address. An Post’s online service has a change-of-details option, or you can write to your local TV Licence Records Office.

Who gets a free TV licence?

The free licence is part of the Household Benefits Package, which is run by the Department of Social Protection, not An Post. An Post directs applicants to the Department on 0818 200 400.

The Department’s own page sets out who qualifies. If you are aged 70 or over, you qualify for the package: it is not means tested and you do not need to be getting a qualifying payment. Some people under 70 qualify too, depending on the social welfare payment they get or a means test. Only one package is paid per household, and you must live in Ireland full time. Citizens Information says the free licence starts from your next licence renewal date and lasts for as long as you get the package. You apply on MyWelfare.ie or by form. the Department’s Household Benefits page (official source, opens in a new tab)

Two points from An Post’s own page:

• You must hold a valid licence for any period before a free licence is awarded.
• If you are paying by Direct Debit, the free licence does not take effect until the expiry date of the paid licence.

Eligibility is set by the Department, so ask it rather than An Post whether you qualify. An Post’s free licence page (official source, opens in a new tab)

What happens if I don’t have a TV licence?

Inspection. Under section 146 of the Act, an officer appointed by An Post may enter any premises at a reasonable time to check whether there is a television set there and whether a licence is in force for it. The officer must produce a certificate of appointment on request. If there is a set, or evidence of one, the officer may ask anyone present to produce the licence.

Prosecution. Under section 148, keeping, possessing or using a television set without a licence is an offence. On summary conviction the fine is:

• up to €1,000 for a first offence;
• up to €2,000 for a second or subsequent offence.

If you have no television set. If you receive a TV licence notice but have no set, An Post asks you to complete its Statutory Declaration form and return it to your local records office. An Post says the declaration will be verified by a TV licence inspector in due course.

How do I pay for a TV licence?

An Post lists these ways to pay:

• Online at tvlicence.ie, by card. A renewal needs the reference number and PIN from your reminder notice. A first-time licence is bought through the ‘First time Licence’ option.
• At any post office, by cash, cheque or debit card.
• By phone on 01 705 8800, by card.
• By post, with a crossed cheque payable to An Post, sent to your local TV Licence Records Office.
• TV licence stamps, sold at post offices.
• Direct Debit, with no extra charge: €160 once a year, €80 twice a year, €40 a quarter, or €13.33 a month.

After paying online, An Post says the licence arrives by post within 10 working days. The printed transaction summary can be shown to an inspector in the meantime.

Where does the money go?

An Post says the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport distributes the revenue. Seven per cent, after An Post’s commission, goes to Coimisiún na Meán for the Broadcasting Fund. The rest goes to RTÉ.

Is the TV licence being changed?

This page describes the law as it stands in the Law Reform Commission’s revised text of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and on An Post’s site on the date above. In July 2024 the Government decided to keep the TV licence, collected by An Post, and asked a working group to look at how collection and compliance could be improved. The Department’s 2026 progress report says the group’s report went to the Minister on 28 May 2026 and that he is considering the next steps. No change to the fee, or to who needs a licence, had been announced when we checked. If the fee or the rules change, An Post’s site will show the new fee. An Post’s TV licence site (official source, opens in a new tab)

What the licence does and does not cover

The licence lets you keep a television set. It does not include any service. What you watch on the set is a separate decision:

• Free channels: Saorview, the Saorview channel list and free satellite channels.
• Paid services, by the month: the finder works out the cheapest legal combination for what you watch, and the small print page compares the terms.
• Equipment: streaming sticks and TVs.