# \[ERROR\] Unable to retrieve license information
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-unable-to-retrieve-license-information/165609
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [January 24, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-unable-to-retrieve-license-information/165609 "2019-01-24T13:11:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bigdamhero](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/bigdamhero)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-unable-to-retrieve-license-information/165609/1 "2019-01-24T13:11:39Z")
I'm hoping for some insights on where to look for the error. I think if logstash could talk to my elastic cluster it would get the licence information. I'm not sure why that matters as Logstash is supposed to be free to use. Is there something more cryptic this message means?
`[2019-01-24T07:06:55,330][ERROR][logstash.licensechecker.licensereader] Unable to retrieve license information from license server {:message=>"undefined method`toCharArray' for nil:NilClass"}`
Thanks for any help.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-unable-to-retrieve-license-information/165609/2 "2019-02-21T13:13:47Z")
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