What Is the Difference between "Licence" and "License"?
The Quick Answer
- If you're American, use "license."
- If you're British, use "licence" for the noun (i.e., papers, a permit) but "license" for the verb (i.e., to allow, to give permission).
UK Convention
In the UK, use "licence" when you mean "official papers," but use "license" when you mean "to allow."- I have a licence. I am licensed to drive.
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(In the UK, "licence" means "official papers," and "license" means "to allow." So, "licensed" means "allowed.")
US Convention
In the US, use "license" for "official papers" and "to allow."- I have a license. I am licensed to drive.
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(In the US, "license" means "official papers" and "to allow." So, "licensed" means "allowed." In other word, "licence" (with a c) does not exist in American English.)

More Examples with "Licence" and "License"
Example Sentence | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Do you have a license? | ![]() | ![]() |
Do you have a licence? | ![]() | ![]() |
I need to license this vehicle. | ![]() | ![]() |
This restaurant is licensed to sell alcohol. | ![]() | ![]() |
May I see your driving licence please? | ![]() | ![]() |
I am unable to give you a license because of your history. | ![]() | ![]() |
This is not worth losing your licence over. | ![]() | ![]() |
A Video Summary
Here is a short video summarizing the difference between "licence" and "license." video lessonNo confusion with "Licensing" or "Licensed"
There should be no confusion with "licensing" or "licensed." The endings "-ing" and "-ed" mean these are always from the verb; i.e., there are no such words as "licencing" or "licenced" in British English or American English."License" in America
If you're an American, use "license." (In American English, license is both noun and verb.)The Differences between British English and American English
Watch a video showing 10 big differences between British English (BrE) and American English (AmE). video lessonAre you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.
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