LiteSpeed's licensing daemon fails closed: when the signature stops matching the bound IP or the key expires, LSWS refuses to start and your sites serve a connection-refused. Three causes account for almost every ticket — a stale signature after a VPS migration, an IP-locked reseller key pointed at the wrong address, and a key that ran past its renewal date with no trial fallback configured.
This is the order to work through them, with the exact commands to confirm what you're looking at before you change anything.
Inspect the current licence state
Start with the version banner — it prints the licence type, the bound IP, and the expiry in one shot:
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -V
A healthy line looks like LiteSpeed/6.3.1 Enterprise (PRO) ... Valid License. If it reports Invalid License, License Expired, or IP Mismatch, the daemon will not start. Tail the error log in another pane to watch the licensing handshake as you retry:
tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log
The licence file itself lives at /usr/local/lsws/conf/serial.no (the serial) and /usr/local/lsws/conf/license.key (the signed payload). Never edit them by hand — the daemon re-signs them on fetch and a stale signature is the most common failure mode below.
Signature mismatch after a VPS migration
When you snapshot a LiteSpeed VPS and boot it on a new hypervisor or IP, the cached signature no longer matches what the LiteSpeed licence server expects for that serial. The error log shows License signature mismatch or [LICENSE] Failed to verify.
Force a re-fetch from the licence server, then bounce the daemon:
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/lsws_update_license
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl restart
lsws_update_license pulls a fresh signed key for the current public IP and rewrites license.key. If it fails with Cannot connect to license server, your firewall is blocking outbound 443 to license.litespeedtech.com — open it before retrying.
IP-locked reseller key pointed at the wrong address
Reseller LiteSpeed keys are bound to a single IPv4. Migrating to a new IP, switching from a floating to a permanent address, or having the wrong NIC set as default all break the binding. The version banner shows IP Mismatch: licensed=1.2.3.4 actual=5.6.7.8.
Fix it from the LiteSpeed Client Center (or your reseller portal — for licences bought from us, sign in and use Change IP on the licence row). Allow up to 60 seconds for the licence server to propagate, then:
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/lsws_update_license
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl restart
Confirm with lshttpd -V that the bound IP now matches ip addr show. See the LiteSpeed licence tier breakdown if you're moving between Site Owner, Site Pro, and Web Server Enterprise as part of the migration — the SKU determines whether IP changes are self-service or require a support ticket.
Expired key with no trial fallback
If the key expired overnight and renewal is stuck in billing, LSWS will not start. The fastest way back online is to start under the 15-day trial licence that ships with every install:
mv /usr/local/lsws/conf/serial.no /usr/local/lsws/conf/serial.no.expired
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl start
With no serial present, the daemon registers for a trial against the current IP and comes up immediately. Restore the original serial file once the renewal posts, then run lsws_update_license to pull the new signature. The trial only works once per IP per 90 days — don't burn it for a non-emergency.
If you need a faster route to a clean key, order a LiteSpeed licence directly or contact us for same-day reseller activation.
Why does LiteSpeed fail to start after I move to a new server?+
Where is the LiteSpeed serial number stored?+
How do I check what LiteSpeed licence is active?+
Can I run LiteSpeed Enterprise without a paid licence?+
What firewall rules does the LiteSpeed licence check need?+
Next steps
- Pick the right SKU before you renew with the LiteSpeed licence tier guide.
- Compare engines with LiteSpeed vs OpenLiteSpeed if expiry keeps biting.
- Need a same-day key? Order a LiteSpeed licence or contact sales.