[role="xpack"]
[testenv="basic"]
[[delete-license]]
=== Delete license API
++++
<titleabbrev>Delete license</titleabbrev>
++++

This API enables you to delete licensing information.

[discrete]
==== Request

`DELETE /_license`

[discrete]
==== Description

When your license expires, {xpack} operates in a degraded mode. For more
information, see
{kibana-ref}/managing-licenses.html#license-expiration[License expiration].

[[delete-license-api-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have the `manage`
<<privileges-list-cluster,cluster privilege>> to use this API.

* If the <<operator-privileges,{operator-feature}>> is enabled, only operator
users can use this API.

[discrete]
==== Examples

The following example queries the info API:

[source,console]
------------------------------------------------------------
DELETE /_license
------------------------------------------------------------
// TEST[skip:license testing issues]

When the license is successfully deleted, the API returns the following response:
[source,js]
------------------------------------------------------------
{
  "acknowledged": true
}
------------------------------------------------------------
// NOTCONSOLE