Frequently Asked Questions
This article lists the answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about working with the Telerik Report Server license key.
Does the license key expire?
Yes, the license key expires at the end of your support subscription:
- For trial users, this is at the end of your 30-day trial.
- For commercial license holders, this is when your subscription term expires.
You must download a new license each time you start a trial, buy a license, renew a license, upgrade a license.
An expired perpetual license key is valid for all Telerik Report Server versions installed before its expiration date.
Will the product function with an expired license key?
This depends on the Telerik Report Server license type (perpetual, subscription, or trial):
- Perpetual licenses function normally with an expired license key, as long as the application is using a Telerik Report Server version that was released before the expiration date of the license.
- Subscription licenses function normally in already deployed applications, but you cannot rebuild and republish the app.
- Trial licenses function normally only within the 30-day trial period.
If none of the above conditions are met, the following behaviors occur:
- A watermark appears on each report document page.
- A warning message is logged in the trace log after attaching a Trace Listener to the Report Server Manager and Report Server Agent.
I updated the Telerik Report Server and the invalid license errors have appeared. What is the cause of this behavior?
The most likely cause is that the new Telerik Report Server version was released after the expiration date of your current license or license key. To fix this issue:
- Download a new license key.
- Activate the new license key in your project.
Do I need an Internet connection to activate the license?
No, the license activation and validation are performed entirely offline.
What happens if both the environment variable and the license key file are present?
If both the TELERIK_LICENSE environment variable and the telerik-license.txt file are present, then the environment variable will be used.
To enforce the use of the license key file, unset the environment variable.
Are earlier versions of Telerik Report Server affected?
No, versions released before January 2025 do not require a license key.