Legal Deposit for Self-Published Books: What UK Authors Must Send to the British Library

Here's a legal duty most self-published authors never hear about until someone from a library writes to them. If you publish a book in the UK, you're required to send a copy to the British Library, free, and on a deadline. Miss it and you're technically breaking the law, though the real problem is usually that nobody told you. The rules are simple once you know them. This guide shows you what to send, where to send it, how soon, and what the other five legal deposit libraries can ask of you.

Key takeaways#

• Legal deposit is a law, not an option. Anyone who publishes a book in the UK must send the British Library one copy within one month of the day of publication.
• It's free, but you cover the copy and the postage. Your book doesn't need an ISBN to be covered.
• Send your print copy to: Legal Deposit Office, The British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7BY.
• The other five libraries only get a copy if they ask in writing, usually through the Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries. They have 12 months from publication to ask.
• Legal deposit isn't copyright registration or Public Lending Right. They're separate, and each needs its own step.

What is legal deposit?#

Legal deposit means publishers must give a copy of what they publish to the national libraries, so the country's printed record is kept for good. It's been part of English law since 1662, and today it's set out in the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003.

The British Library says that if you publish anything in the UK and Ireland, you need to give it one copy, whatever the content, format or language. The Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries (ALDL), which looks after the other five libraries, adds that this covers works made available to the public whether you sell them or give them away, and that it applies whether or not the work has an ISBN.

So yes, that includes your self-published paperback.

Does legal deposit apply to self-published books?#

Yes. The Act talks about "a person who publishes", and publishing means issuing copies of a work to the public. If you've put your book on sale through KDP, IngramSpark or your own website, and you're the one issuing it, then you're the publisher in the eyes of the law. It doesn't matter that you've never called yourself one.

Don't assume anyone else will do it for you. The duty sits with whoever publishes the book. If you're not sure who counts as the publisher on your title, ask the British Library's Legal Deposit Office at legal-deposit-books@bl.uk before the deadline, not after.

How soon do you have to send it?#

The Act says the British Library's copy must be delivered within one month beginning with the day of publication. For a self-published book, "publication" is the day you first make copies available to the public. Note it down when you press publish.

The copy also has to be of the same quality as the best copies produced for publication in the UK. In practice, send the finished edition, the same book a customer would get, not a draft or a faulty proof.

Where to send your book#

The British Library's page gives this address for print publications:

• Legal Deposit Office
• The British Library
• Boston Spa
• Wetherby
• West Yorkshire
• LS23 7BY

You'll sometimes see this called the British Library legal deposit address or the Wetherby address. You can also email legal-deposit-books@bl.uk with questions about books.

Two practical notes:

1. 1Don't wait for a claims letter. The British Library says it can't currently send claims automatically, and asks publishers not to wait for one.
2. 2Keep proof of posting. The library's page says it isn't currently able to issue receipts. Use a tracked or recorded service and keep the slip. That's our suggestion, not a library rule.

One more thing worth knowing. The library's legal deposit service has been disrupted since a cyber-attack in October 2023. As of 9 October 2026, the page asks publishers to keep sending print copies and says new items will be stored securely until systems are restored. Check bl.uk/services/legal-deposit for the latest before you post.

What about the other five legal deposit libraries?#

There are six legal deposit libraries in the UK system:

1. 1The British Library
2. 2The National Library of Scotland
3. 3The National Library of Wales
4. 4The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
5. 5Cambridge University Library
6. 6The Library of Trinity College Dublin

The British Library is the only one you must send to automatically. The other five can ask for a copy, but only if they request it in writing, and not later than 12 months after the day of publication. If they ask, you must deliver within one month of the request, or of publication if that comes later.

Those requests usually come through the Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries, which acts for the other five. It asks for five copies sent to: Agency for the Legal Deposit Libraries, Unit 21 Marnin Way, Edinburgh, EH12 9GD. Sending the British Library its copy doesn't cancel a request from the others.

If you get a letter from the ALDL and you're unsure what to do, you can contact them at 0131 334 2833. Their FAQs are at legaldeposit.org/faqs.

What do you actually have to send?#

A few things trip self-publishers up:

• Print books. Unless you've agreed otherwise with a library, the rule is to deposit a print copy. If you've published through print on demand, order a copy of your own finished book from the printer or retailer and post it on.
• New editions. The ALDL lists new editions, which may contain amendments or additional content, as something that can need depositing.
• Different formats. If you've also brought out a hardcover or a large-print edition and you're unsure whether each needs its own copy, ask the Legal Deposit Office.
• Ebooks. The libraries say you only need to deposit electronically if the work exists only in electronic form. If your book is ebook-only, contact the British Library's electronic team at LDO-Electronic@bl.uk to find out how, because their usual electronic routes have also been disrupted.

None of this is legal advice. If you're a publisher with several titles or a complex setup, the ALDL and British Library staff are the people to ask.

What legal deposit isn't#

It's easy to mix this up with two other things authors hear about.

Copyright. Copyright in the UK is automatic. You don't register it, and sending a copy to the British Library doesn't create or prove it. Our guides on how to copyright a book and the book copyright page explain what you should do.

Public Lending Right (PLR). This is a separate scheme that pays eligible authors when their books are borrowed from UK public libraries. You register through the British Library's PLR service, and it needs a valid ISBN, because ASINs aren't eligible. The library also says Kindle editions aren't eligible. UK PLR runs from 1 July to 30 June, and you need to register by 30 June to count for that year. Eligibility depends on where you live, so read the rules at bl.uk/services/plr. We can't promise any income from it.

If you need an ISBN first, see how to buy an ISBN in the UK.

Legal deposit checklist for self-published authors#

1. 1Write down your publication date, the day your book first became available to the public.
2. 2Order a finished copy of the printed book.
3. 3Post one copy to the Legal Deposit Office at the Boston Spa address within one month of that date.
4. 4Use a tracked service and keep proof of posting.
5. 5Watch for a request from the Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries in the 12 months after publication, and reply within a month.
6. 6Do the same for any new edition with changes.
7. 7If your book is ebook-only, email the British Library's electronic deposit team to ask how to deposit.
8. 8Register for PLR separately if you're eligible and your book has an ISBN.

It's one of the last jobs on the list, but it's quickest to do while you're still holding the launch-day paperwork. If you want the whole route in order, from manuscript to published book, our guide to how to self-publish a book in the UK takes you through every step.