Using BBFC Classifications for Retailers of Physical Products and Cinema Tickets
Displaying content advice on posters
Download our guidance on displaying content advice on posters and advertisements.
BBFC age ratings for DVD, Blu-ray and VHS
Any age rating issued by the BBFC for content on DVD, Blu-ray or VHS can be used when the identical content is released on any Digital Service that has been licensed to use BBFC age ratings.
Some Digital Video Services are not licensed to display our age ratings, however these services may still request proof of your BBFC age rating when you submit your title to them.
Online DVD/BD retailers
Online retailers of packaged media products such as DVD and Blu-ray are entitled to use BBFC age ratings - in text or as symbols - free of charge, with reference to our General Free Licence which can be found below.
Exceptions
If you make digital video assets available alongside your packaged media retail service, you must become a Licensed BBFC Digital Service to use BBFC age ratings.
We can supply rich metadata in a number of formats, and provide BBFC symbols that are more suitable for small resolution screens.
If you would like to use our age ratings and symbols on your online retail service please contact us for more information.
Please get in touch with our Central Services team to request a password to download a zip file with symbols for theatrical use, and for use on video on demand platforms.
Please note the 12A symbol may only be used for theatrical releases. The 12 symbol may only be used for packaged media and VoD.
Theatrical
We encourage the use of our symbols on print and digital media and on publicity materials for individual films and for cinemas, in foyers, on-screen, on websites and on apps. Please note that the 12A symbol is for theatrical use only and that you must not use the 12 symbol for theatrical.
Displaying the symbols on printed materials
We recommend that on all printed materials the symbols be displayed at a minimum of 14.8mm (meaning that the lettering or numbering in the symbol will be a minimum of 4mm) with an exclusion area of ⅓ of their height - please make sure that all the symbols you use in your printed material are the same size.
Displaying the symbols online
Our symbols are scalable for use online and can be displayed at a variety of sizes without loss of clarity or readability - we recommend that the symbols be displayed at 30px height (minimum of 24px), that they be easy to find and that they always be shown before the final call to action (e.g. purchasing tickets online).
