Did you know: In the UK, you cannot legally watch television if you live on a boat?

Question

In the UK, you must have a TV licence in order to legally watch television; that goes back to a law passed in 1923, originally for radio use and later extended to televisions. The licence costs about £159 annually; it's how the BBC (which has no commercial/adverts) gets its funding. The interesting thing, though, is that you must have an address in order to get a licence, and if you live on a moving vehicle (like a canal boat) that has no fixed address, you cannot get a licence, which means you cannot legally watch TV on your canal boat. Yet, we know lots of people do that. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article about UK TV licences: "People living exclusively in a mobile dwelling such as a touring caravan or a constantly cruising canal boat, who do not have a static address, are not legally able to watch a television as they cannot purchase a licence without one." What do you think about this? It would be especially interesting to hear comments from people who live in the UK.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

You still need one on a boat. However if you watch TV through other means like and on demand/catch up you don't need a licence. However they'll still constantly harass you. Tv licence logic is if there's a building then there's a TV inside and we'll keep sending you reminders.

Red-Blaze · Accepted Answer

I was aware of that law, not that many really care its one of the laws that just did not age too well for the time and no one will enfource

exitseven · Accepted Answer

That is pretty interesting. I would like to see some kind of regulation of television in the US. The FCC used to have certain requirements and if a broadcaster failed to meet certain standards they may not get their license renewed.

DonkeyDan · Accepted Answer

To be fair, you'd have a forwarding address anyway as you need to get your mail somewhere, so just use that address. Personally I'm not a fan of the license or the BBC for that matter.

Guy13 · Answer

Overreaction to the sinking of Titanic ship around 1915.

Spikey_uwu · Answer

Is this what the brits mean by living life dangerously?

Likes2drive · Answer

How about satellite tv? I guess I would be watching dvds

NamerOfStars · Answer

And in *99 YEARS*, no one thought of adding a provision for PO boxes, or whatever the UK equivalent is? Geez, I may owe Congress an apology.

Staximus · Answer

They can just buy a TV and watch it, who's going to stop them?

Did you know: In the UK, you cannot legally watch television if you live on a boat?

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