Ownership transfer question - lapsed licenses

[sail81]

I have a 100F that lapsed on licenses over a year ago. It had been pulled from use so it wasn't part of our renewal back then. I know if we go to renew licenses now we're responsible for the lapsed period, though I've seen references that it's capped at 6 months and waived for 2+ year renewals. Those posts are over a year old, and several reference it not being official information. A non-profit I do some work for could really use the unit. I have the approval to donate it and transfer ownership, but just wanted clarification on the current handling of lapses.

Is the 6 month backdating and waiver for 2+ year renewals still something Fortinet does and/or would this even apply with an ownership transfer?

The cost difference of a 3 year license vs buying a new 100F w/3 year licenses isn't huge, but it's enough that I can get them a new Forti switch they also desperately need with that money.

[atakannatak]

Hi @sail81 ,

The "6-Month Cap" and "2+ Year Waiver" are unofficial, case-by-case incentives sometimes offered by Fortinet account managers or partners. The 6-month cap means that even if support has lapsed for more than six months, only six months of back-pay may be required when renewing for 1–2 years. Similarly, for devices with support expired over a year, Fortinet may waive the backdating entirely if a 2- or 3-year renewal is purchased. However, these are not guaranteed policies and are not documented publicly—they must be negotiated through an official Fortinet Partner or account manager.

To donate your FortiGate 100F to a non-profit organization, you'll need to transfer its ownership. Fortinet allows devices to be transferred between FortiCloud/FortiCare accounts up to three times within a twelve-month period. If more transfers are required within that period, you'll need to contact Fortinet Technical Support.

To transfer ownership of a Fortinet device, log in to the Fortinet Support portal and open a Customer Service ticket requesting the transfer, providing the device’s serial number and the recipient's Fortinet account email. Fortinet will then contact the current registered owner for confirmation. If the owner approves, the device will be transferred; if there is no response, Fortinet may request proof of ownership, such as a purchase invoice or a photo showing the device’s serial number from the GUI.

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortigate/7.6.2/administration-guide/388078/transfer-a-device-to-...

BR.

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