Provided are an apparatus and method for restricting A/V listening and viewing using parental levels. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a parental level detected from a video signal is compared with a level set by a user, and previously buffered video and audio are repeatedly output if the detected parental level is higher than the level set by the user. The parental level is included and transmitted in a video line of a broadcast signal. Also, the repeatedly output video is a still image or a moving image, and the repeatedly output audio is audio between two audio mute periods finally detected. Accordingly, there is no case when a user waits for nothing while viewing a black screen in a mute state, while a parental lock operation is performed.