diff --git a/server/internal/api/channels.go b/server/internal/api/channels.go
index 6b0114c..d33ec21 100644
--- a/server/internal/api/channels.go
+++ b/server/internal/api/channels.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ func createChannel(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 	created, err := services.CreateChannel(auth.InstanceID(c), &ch)
 	if err != nil {
+		if limitStatus(c, err) {
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/server/internal/api/handlers.go b/server/internal/api/handlers.go
index 9157947..c5bb154 100644
--- a/server/internal/api/handlers.go
+++ b/server/internal/api/handlers.go
@@ -37,7 +37,14 @@ func RegisterRoutes(r *gin.Engine) {
 
 	apiGroup := r.Group("/api")
 	apiGroup.Use(auth.Middleware())
+	// Deny by default: every non-GET route under /api is gated unless it is on
+	// the exemption list in licence.go. A route added later is covered because
+	// of where it is mounted, not because someone remembered.
+	apiGroup.Use(RequireActiveLicense())
 	{
+		apiGroup.GET("/license", getLicence)
+		apiGroup.POST("/license", auth.RequireRole("owner"), postLicence)
+
 		apiGroup.GET("/servers", listServers)
 		apiGroup.POST("/servers", createServer)
 		apiGroup.GET("/servers/new", newServer)
@@ -76,8 +83,8 @@ func RegisterRoutes(r *gin.Engine) {
 		apiGroup.POST("/keys/:id/assign", assignKey)
 		apiGroup.DELETE("/keys/:id/assign/:serverId", revokeAssignment)
 
-		apiGroup.POST("/console/connect", consoleConnect)
-		apiGroup.GET("/console/tunnel", consoleTunnel)
+		apiGroup.POST("/console/connect", RequireFeature("console"), consoleConnect)
+		apiGroup.GET("/console/tunnel", RequireFeature("console"), consoleTunnel)
 
 		registerWorkflowRoutes(apiGroup)
 		registerMonitorRoutes(apiGroup)
@@ -90,8 +97,8 @@ func RegisterRoutes(r *gin.Engine) {
 			instance.POST("/users", createInstanceUser)
 			instance.PUT("/users/:id/role", updateInstanceUserRole)
 			instance.DELETE("/users/:id", deleteInstanceUser)
-			instance.GET("/oidc", getInstanceOIDC)
-			instance.PUT("/oidc", putInstanceOIDC)
+			instance.GET("/oidc", RequireFeature("oidc"), getInstanceOIDC)
+			instance.PUT("/oidc", RequireFeature("oidc"), putInstanceOIDC)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -108,6 +115,9 @@ func listServers(c *gin.Context) {
 func createServer(c *gin.Context) {
 	s, token, err := services.CreateServer(auth.InstanceID(c))
 	if err != nil {
+		if limitStatus(c, err) {
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
@@ -121,6 +131,9 @@ func createServer(c *gin.Context) {
 func newServer(c *gin.Context) {
 	s, token, err := services.CreateServer(auth.InstanceID(c))
 	if err != nil {
+		if limitStatus(c, err) {
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/server/internal/api/licence.go b/server/internal/api/licence.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4386e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/internal/api/licence.go
@@ -0,0 +1,227 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/server/internal/auth"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/server/internal/services"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/shared/license"
+)
+
+// licenceExemptPaths are routes that must work while a licence is expired or
+// missing, because they are how a customer recovers or stays safe.
+//
+//	/api/license          pasting a valid licence is the way out of degraded mode
+//	apply-updates         security patching is never paywalled
+//
+// All DELETE requests are exempt separately (see RequireActiveLicense): a
+// customer downgraded below their current usage must be able to delete their
+// way back under the cap.
+var licenceExemptPaths = map[string]bool{
+	"/api/license": true,
+}
+
+// mutatingGETs are routes that change state despite their method. GET is
+// otherwise always allowed through, so these have to be named explicitly:
+// GET /api/servers/new mints a pre-registration token, which is a creation.
+var mutatingGETs = map[string]bool{
+	"/api/servers/new": true,
+}
+
+func licenceExempt(c *gin.Context) bool {
+	if c.Request.Method == http.MethodDelete {
+		return true
+	}
+	if licenceExemptPaths[c.FullPath()] {
+		return true
+	}
+	if c.FullPath() == "/api/servers/:id/apply-updates" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// RequireActiveLicense blocks mutating requests when the licence is not valid.
+//
+// Mounted on the /api group, so a route added tomorrow is gated because of where
+// it lives rather than because someone remembered. GET and HEAD always pass —
+// reading is never blocked.
+func RequireActiveLicense() gin.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		if (c.Request.Method == http.MethodGet || c.Request.Method == http.MethodHead) &&
+			!mutatingGETs[c.FullPath()] {
+			c.Next()
+			return
+		}
+		if licenceExempt(c) {
+			c.Next()
+			return
+		}
+
+		st := services.GetLicenseState(auth.InstanceID(c))
+		if st.Active() {
+			c.Next()
+			return
+		}
+
+		c.AbortWithStatusJSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{
+			"error":  "license_required",
+			"state":  st.Status,
+			"reason": st.Reason,
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// RequireFeature blocks a route when the licence does not grant a feature.
+func RequireFeature(name string) gin.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		st := services.GetLicenseState(auth.InstanceID(c))
+		if st.Feature(name) {
+			c.Next()
+			return
+		}
+		c.AbortWithStatusJSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{
+			"error":   "feature_unavailable",
+			"feature": name,
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+type licenceResponse struct {
+	InstanceID    string               `json:"instance_id"`
+	State         license.State        `json:"state"`
+	Reason        string               `json:"reason,omitempty"`
+	Tier          string               `json:"tier,omitempty"`
+	ExpiresAt     *time.Time           `json:"expires_at,omitempty"`
+	DaysRemaining *int                 `json:"days_remaining,omitempty"`
+	Limits        license.Limits       `json:"limits"`
+	Features      map[string]bool      `json:"features"`
+	Usage         licenceUsageResponse `json:"usage"`
+	Source        string               `json:"source"`
+}
+
+type licenceUsageResponse struct {
+	Servers      int `json:"servers"`
+	SecretGroups int `json:"secret_groups"`
+	Channels     int `json:"channels"`
+}
+
+func getLicence(c *gin.Context) {
+	instanceID := auth.InstanceID(c)
+	st := services.GetLicenseState(instanceID)
+	servers, groups, channels := services.LicenseUsage(instanceID)
+
+	resp := licenceResponse{
+		InstanceID: instanceID,
+		State:      st.Status,
+		Reason:     st.Reason,
+		Tier:       st.Tier,
+		ExpiresAt:  st.ExpiresAt,
+		Limits:     st.Limits,
+		Features:   st.Features,
+		Usage:      licenceUsageResponse{Servers: servers, SecretGroups: groups, Channels: channels},
+		Source:     st.Source,
+	}
+	if st.ExpiresAt != nil {
+		d := int(time.Until(*st.ExpiresAt).Hours() / 24)
+		resp.DaysRemaining = &d
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)
+}
+
+var (
+	licencePostMu     sync.Mutex
+	licencePostCounts = map[string][]time.Time{}
+)
+
+const licencePostLimit = 10
+
+// licencePostAllowed permits 10 attempts per instance per hour.
+func licencePostAllowed(instanceID string) bool {
+	cutoff := time.Now().Add(-time.Hour)
+
+	licencePostMu.Lock()
+	defer licencePostMu.Unlock()
+
+	kept := licencePostCounts[instanceID][:0]
+	for _, t := range licencePostCounts[instanceID] {
+		if t.After(cutoff) {
+			kept = append(kept, t)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(kept) >= licencePostLimit {
+		licencePostCounts[instanceID] = kept
+		return false
+	}
+	licencePostCounts[instanceID] = append(kept, time.Now())
+	return true
+}
+
+func postLicence(c *gin.Context) {
+	instanceID := auth.InstanceID(c)
+	if !licencePostAllowed(instanceID) {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusTooManyRequests, gin.H{
+			"error": "Too many licence attempts. Try again later.",
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
+	var body struct {
+		Blob string `json:"blob"`
+	}
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&body); err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "a licence key is required"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	st, err := services.StoreLicense(instanceID, body.Blob)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{
+			"error":  licenceRejectionMessage(err.Error(), instanceID),
+			"reason": err.Error(),
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
+	services.LogEvent(instanceID, "license.updated", actorFromCtx(c), "", "",
+		"licence accepted (tier "+st.Tier+")")
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"state": st.Status, "tier": st.Tier, "expires_at": st.ExpiresAt})
+}
+
+// licenceRejectionMessage turns a machine reason into something a person can act
+// on. The instance ID is included in the mismatch case because that is the one
+// piece of information the customer needs and cannot guess.
+func licenceRejectionMessage(reason, instanceID string) string {
+	switch reason {
+	case license.ReasonBadSignature:
+		return "This licence key is not valid. Check it was copied in full."
+	case license.ReasonDeploymentMismatch:
+		return "This licence is for Vantage Cloud and cannot be used on a self-hosted install."
+	case license.ReasonInstanceMismatch:
+		return "This licence was issued for a different instance. Your instance ID is " + instanceID + "."
+	case license.ReasonNoLicense:
+		return "No licence key was provided."
+	default:
+		return "This licence could not be accepted."
+	}
+}
+
+// limitStatus maps a LimitError to a 403 body. Handlers that create countable
+// resources call this so the UI gets a machine-readable limit name.
+func limitStatus(c *gin.Context, err error) bool {
+	var le *services.LimitError
+	if !errors.As(err, &le) {
+		return false
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{
+		"error":   "limit_exceeded",
+		"limit":   le.Limit,
+		"current": le.Current,
+		"max":     le.Max,
+	})
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/server/internal/api/secrets.go b/server/internal/api/secrets.go
index e65dc69..08ded7b 100644
--- a/server/internal/api/secrets.go
+++ b/server/internal/api/secrets.go
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ func createSecretGroup(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 	if err := services.UpsertSecrets(auth.InstanceID(c), body.Group, body.Values); err != nil {
+		if limitStatus(c, err) {
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
@@ -134,6 +137,9 @@ func putSecretGroup(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 	if err := services.UpsertSecrets(auth.InstanceID(c), group, values); err != nil {
+		if limitStatus(c, err) {
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/server/internal/auth/oidc.go b/server/internal/auth/oidc.go
index de8c3ea..c1c470c 100644
--- a/server/internal/auth/oidc.go
+++ b/server/internal/auth/oidc.go
@@ -63,7 +63,13 @@ func providerForInstance(ctx context.Context, c *gin.Context, instanceID string)
 func HandleOIDCStart(c *gin.Context) {
 	inst, ok := InstanceFromHost(c)
 	if !ok {
-		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "unknown organization host"})
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "unknown instance host"})
+		return
+	}
+	// Losing the feature stops new SSO logins. It deliberately does not touch
+	// session validation, so nobody is evicted mid-session.
+	if !services.GetLicenseState(inst.InstanceID).Feature("oidc") {
+		c.Redirect(http.StatusFound, "/login?error=oidc_unavailable")
 		return
 	}
 	ctx := c.Request.Context()