How to Renew a FortiGate Licence: Step by Step
Renewing a FortiGate is straightforward once you know where the serial number and expiry dates live. Here is the process from start to finish.
1. Find the serial number and expiry dates
Sign in to the FortiGate and open the System Information widget on the dashboard, or go to System, then FortiGuard. The serial number begins with FG or FW and is also printed on a label under the unit. The FortiGuard page lists each service with its expiry date.
2. Decide what to renew
- FortiCare support: firmware updates, technical support and hardware replacement
- FortiGuard security services: intrusion prevention, antivirus, web filtering and more, usually bought as a bundle
- The term: one, three or five years
3. Order the renewal
Send us the model, serial number and the bundle and term you want, and we will quote the renewal. Once it is ordered, Fortinet issues a registration code, sometimes called a contract code, for that serial number.
4. Apply it in FortiCloud
Sign in to FortiCloud with the account the FortiGate is registered to, open Asset Management, choose the unit and register the contract code against it. Within a short time the FortiGate picks up the new expiry dates on its FortiGuard page.
If the unit is not registered
Older units are sometimes registered to a previous supplier's account, or not at all. The unit has to be registered to an account you control before the renewal can be applied. Fortinet support can help move a unit to the right account.
Common questions
What happens if a FortiGate licence expires?
The firewall keeps passing traffic, but signatures stop updating, web filtering may stop classifying sites, and you lose firmware updates and hardware replacement.
Can I renew a FortiGate bought from another supplier?
Yes. Renewals are tied to the serial number, not to where the unit was bought.
Is it worth renewing an old FortiGate?
Check first whether the model is near the end of Fortinet's support life. If it is, compare the renewal cost with a current model and a new bundle before committing to a long term.