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How to Fix PS5 Game License and Ownership Errors

A PS5 padlock does not necessarily mean a purchase is gone. Check the account or subscription that grants access, restore licenses, and troubleshoot sharing, network, downloads, and error codes in order.
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If a PS5 game shows a padlock, will not start, or cannot confirm its license, first check which account or subscription grants access. Then restore the license at Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses. Sony says restoring licenses does not affect your data. If that does not work, check Console Sharing and Offline Play, PSN and your network, and the error code before moving on to Safe Mode troubleshooting.

What a PS5 padlock or license error means

A padlock does not, on its own, prove that a purchase has disappeared. The PS5 may be signed in to an account that does not own the game, a subscription that provided access may have expired, or the console may be unable to confirm the license. A download or game-start problem can also look like an ownership issue even when the account entitlement is valid.

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Start by identifying where access comes from: a purchase on your account, an active PlayStation Plus membership or catalog, or another account’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting. Then match the error to where it occurs: confirming access, downloading or installing, or starting a game. This keeps you from treating a network or installation failure as a missing purchase.

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Think of these as separate checks rather than one universal “license fix.” A purchase is tied to the account that made it. A subscription provides access only under its current eligibility conditions. Sharing lets other users on a particular PS5 use eligible content from the account that enabled it; it does not change who purchased the game. Finally, the console must be able to retrieve or use the relevant license information. A failure at any of these points can prevent a game from opening.

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How do I fix PS5 game license and ownership errors? Start with the access source

Before changing console settings, identify the specific account and access type involved. If the game was purchased, check the purchaser’s account and transaction history. If it came through PlayStation Plus, check membership status and catalog availability where applicable. If someone else on the console owns it, check sharing on that owner’s account. These checks establish whether there is still an entitlement to restore.

For a purchased game

  1. Sign in to the PlayStation account that purchased the game.
  2. Check that account’s transaction history and confirm the purchase completed successfully.
  3. Try opening the game again. If the game belongs to another account on the console, follow the Console Sharing and Offline Play checks below.

Ownership stays with the account that made the purchase. Enabling sharing on a PS5 lets other users on that console access eligible content; it does not transfer the purchase to their accounts.

If the title does not appear in transaction history, confirm that you are checking the account used for the purchase rather than another account on the PS5. If the transaction is present, note which account owns it and use that account for the license restore and any sharing setup. Restoring licenses is useful for reconciling access to content the account is entitled to; it cannot turn an incomplete transaction into a completed purchase.

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For a game accessed through PlayStation Plus

  1. Check that the account used to access the game has an active membership.
  2. If access came through a game catalog, check whether the title is still available in that catalog.
  3. If the account or catalog no longer provides access, restoring a license cannot create a purchase or extend subscription access.

Subscription access and a purchased copy are different entitlements. Confirm which one applies before repeating console troubleshooting. A license restore may help when eligible content is not being recognized, but it cannot make a membership active or return a catalog title that is no longer available.

If another user on the PS5 owns it

Use the purchaser’s account to check its sharing setting. The fact that the game is installed or appears in another user’s library does not establish that this second account bought it. The owning account must make eligible purchases available through Console Sharing and Offline Play on the PS5 where the other user wants to play.

Restore the game license

Sony recommends restoring licenses for issues such as a padlock, a missing game or add-on, or a game that crashes. This refreshes license information associated with the signed-in account; it does not delete saved data. Sony Interactive Entertainment / PlayStation Support states in How to restore licenses on PlayStation consoles: “Please note, restoring licenses won’t affect your data.”

  1. On the PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses.
  2. Select the relevant licenses and choose Restore.
  3. When the process finishes, return to the game and try to start it.

You can also highlight the game on the home screen or in your library, press the Options button, and select Restore License. If the menu option is not available for the item, use the Settings path.

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Restore licenses after confirming the account that has the entitlement. If you restore while signed in to an account that did not buy the game and has no applicable subscription or shared access, that does not make the game belong to that account. For an add-on that is missing, select the relevant license where available and then check the title again. For a game that crashes, the restore is an early, low-risk check; if it still crashes, continue with the game-start steps rather than repeating the restore indefinitely.

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A useful way to evaluate the result is to retry the same action that failed: open the locked game, view the missing add-on, or start the affected title. If access returns, no reinstall is needed merely because the license was restored. If the same error remains, record its code or message and move to the next check that matches the failure.

Check Console Sharing and Offline Play if another user owns the game

If a different account on the PS5 purchased the game, that account’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting determines whether other users on this console can access its eligible purchases. The setting is not a way to move a game between accounts.

  1. Sign in to the account that owns the game.
  2. Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play.
  3. Check whether sharing is enabled on this PS5. If appropriate for this console, select Enable.
  4. Try the game from the other user’s account.

Sony says the first PS5 used to sign in is automatically allowed, and Console Sharing and Offline Play can be enabled on only one PS5 at a time. If the owning account has sharing enabled on another PS5, disable it there before enabling it on the console you want to use. The account making its purchases available must be the content purchaser.

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That one-console limit matters when a household uses more than one PS5. If the setting is active on a different console, the target PS5 may not be able to use the owner’s shared content as expected. Check the current console before concluding that the purchaser’s game is missing. If you intentionally move sharing to another PS5, disable it on the previously enabled console first, then enable it on the desired one with the purchaser’s account.

Keep the two account roles distinct: the owner signs in to manage sharing, while another user can then try the eligible shared game from their own account. Sharing provides access on the enabled console; it does not copy the purchase to the second user, alter transaction history, or allow sharing to be enabled on multiple PS5 consoles at once.

Check PSN, the network, and system software

License confirmation can fail when the console cannot reach the required service, so check PlayStation Network status before treating the problem as a local license fault. If the service is available, restart the PS5 and make sure its system software is up to date. Then retry the action that produced the error.

For error CE-109258-5, Sony says the server connection may have failed and the content license was not confirmed. Its recommended sequence is:

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  1. Check PlayStation Network status.
  2. Restart the PS5.
  3. Turn off the router and modem and leave them powered off for at least five minutes.
  4. Turn the network equipment back on and wait for the connection to return.
  5. Restore licenses, then try again. If the issue appears temporary, retry after a while.

Powering off the router and modem is a network troubleshooting step, not a change to game ownership. If other online services are also unavailable, resolving the connection or waiting for service availability is more relevant than repeatedly checking the purchase.

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Use this sequence specifically when the error points to a failed connection or license confirmation. Checking status first helps distinguish a wider service interruption from a problem affecting only one game. Restarting the console and network equipment addresses the connection path; the five-minute power-off interval is Sony’s specified instruction for this code. After the connection is back, restore licenses and retry rather than assuming that the purchase itself changed.

Use the procedure for the specific error code

If an error code appears, use its matching troubleshooting path rather than assuming every code indicates the same license problem. Where you see it is also a clue: a code during license confirmation differs from one during a download or install. Follow the relevant Sony steps in order and retry the action that initially failed.

Error code What Sony says it concerns Recommended response
CE-109245-1 Content license information cannot be confirmed. Restart the PS5, sign in to the account that owns the content, and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play as appropriate. See Sony’s PS5 Error Code CE-109245-1 guidance.
CE-109258-5 The server connection may have failed, preventing license confirmation. Check PSN status; restart the PS5 and network equipment, leaving the router and modem off for at least five minutes; restore licenses; and retry later if needed. See Sony’s PS5 Error Code CE-109258-5 guidance.
CE-106487-6 A download or installation issue. Update system software, restore licenses, delete and retry the failed download, then use Safe Mode to clear the cache and rebuild the database. See Sony’s PS5 Error Code CE-106487-6 guidance.

These codes point to different failure points. In particular, CE-106487-6 concerns downloading or installing; a failed download is not by itself evidence that the game was never purchased. For that code, work through the download-specific steps: update the system software, restore licenses, delete the failed download and try again, and then use Safe Mode if it still fails.

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For CE-109245-1, focus first on the purchaser’s account and sharing setting. For CE-109258-5, include PSN and network availability in the diagnosis, as well as the license restore. The codes do not all call for the same fix, so avoid applying the five-minute router-and-modem step to a download code unless the connection itself is also in question.

Run a quick diagnosis before repeating steps

If you are unsure which branch applies, use the symptom and the access source together:

  • Padlock on a game you bought: sign in to the purchasing account, confirm the transaction in its history, and restore licenses.
  • Padlock on a subscription game: check the membership and, for a catalog title, whether it remains available. Restore only after confirming the access is still eligible.
  • Game owned by another person on this PS5: check Console Sharing and Offline Play while signed in to the purchaser’s account, including whether sharing is enabled on another PS5.
  • License-confirmation error: use its code-specific steps; check network and PSN status where the code points to a server connection.
  • Download or install error: treat the download as the failure point, update software, restore licenses, retry the failed download, and use Safe Mode if the Sony procedure calls for it.
  • Game still will not start: after entitlement and service checks, follow Sony’s game-start troubleshooting, including Safe Mode and, later, deleting and redownloading if appropriate.

This order helps prevent unnecessary deletion or reinstalling. A valid purchase with a temporary connection problem calls for a different response from a game that is no longer available through a subscription catalog. Likewise, an installation error is not proof of an ownership error. If the symptom changes—for example, the download completes but the game then fails to start—follow the steps for the new failure point.

Try Safe Mode if account and service checks do not fix it

If ownership, subscription eligibility, sharing, network availability, and the license restore have been checked, Sony’s game-start and download guidance includes clearing the console cache and rebuilding the database in Safe Mode. These are later console troubleshooting steps: they can address local system or database problems, but they do not create an entitlement if the account does not have access.

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Use Sony’s current PS5 Safe Mode instructions for entering Safe Mode and choosing the cache-clearing and database-rebuilding options. Follow the on-screen prompts. If the issue began during a download or installation, also follow the applicable error-code instructions to remove and retry the failed download.

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Safe Mode is not the first test for a padlock. Check who owns or grants access to the game, verify sharing if another account owns it, and restore licenses before moving to local console troubleshooting. If those checks are sound and a game still fails to start or a download still will not complete, cache clearing and database rebuilding are among Sony’s later steps. Do not assume either option will correct an account, subscription, or catalog eligibility problem.

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Delete and reinstall only when the game-start steps call for it

Sony’s game-start troubleshooting also lists deleting and redownloading a game when it still will not start. This is a later step than checking the account, restoring licenses, and trying Safe Mode. Confirm that the account or subscription still grants access before redownloading so that a reinstall is not mistaken for a fix to an expired or unavailable entitlement.

For a failed download or installation, follow the matching error guidance to delete and retry that failed download. This is different from treating every locked game as a reason to remove and reinstall it. Start with the error code and the point at which the problem occurs; use the game-start redownload step when the game itself still will not launch after earlier checks.

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Sony lists reinstalling system software as a further option for persistent game-start problems. Back up your data before taking that step, and follow Sony’s instructions carefully. Do not treat system software reinstallation as a guaranteed fix for account ownership or license confirmation.

Contact PlayStation Support with useful details

If the game remains unavailable after the relevant checks, contact PlayStation Support. Include the information needed to distinguish an entitlement issue from a service, download, or console failure:

  • The exact error code or message.
  • What happens and the steps that reproduce the problem.
  • The date and time of an attempt.
  • A screenshot or video, if possible.

For a purchase that does not appear in transaction history, or access that depends on a membership or catalog, explain which account and access type you checked. Do not share account passwords or other sensitive sign-in details in a support request.

It can also help to state which steps you already tried and what happened after each one: whether the transaction appears, whether sharing was enabled on the target PS5, whether PlayStation Network was available, whether a license restore completed, and whether the issue is at download or launch. This gives support a clearer starting point than reporting only that “the game is locked.” Include the attempt time and the precise code or wording, not just a general description, and attach a screenshot or video if possible.

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Use PlayStation Support for persistent entitlement or console problems. The supported troubleshooting path is account, subscription, sharing, service, license and system-state checks; buying an accessory or replacing hardware is not a fix for a digital ownership state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my PS5 game locked if I bought it?

A padlock alone does not mean the purchase disappeared. Sign in to the account that bought the game, check its transaction history to confirm the purchase completed, and restore licenses. If the game belongs to another account on the PS5, check that account’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting.

How do I restore licenses on PS5?

Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, select the relevant licenses, and restore them. You can also highlight the game on the home screen or in your library, press Options, and choose Restore License. Sony says restoring licenses does not affect your data.

Can restoring licenses recover a game from an expired PlayStation Plus membership?

No. Check that the membership is active and, for a catalog title, that the game is still available. Restoring licenses cannot create a purchase, extend a membership, or return a title that is no longer available through the catalog.

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Can I share a purchased PS5 game with another user?

Eligible purchases can be shared with other users on the PS5 where the purchasing account has Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled. The purchaser must enable the setting, which can be active on only one PS5 at a time. Sharing does not transfer ownership to the other user.

What should I do for PS5 error CE-109258-5?

Check PlayStation Network status, restart the PS5, turn off the router and modem for at least five minutes, then turn them back on. Restore licenses and retry; if the problem appears temporary, try again later.

Does CE-106487-6 mean I do not own the game?

Not necessarily. Sony identifies CE-106487-6 as a download or installation issue. Update system software, restore licenses, delete and retry the failed download, and then use Safe Mode to clear cache and rebuild the database if needed.

When should I delete and reinstall a PS5 game?

Treat it as a later step. First confirm the account or subscription grants access, restore licenses, and try the applicable Safe Mode steps. Sony’s game-start guidance lists deleting and redownloading when a title still will not start; for a failed download, follow the specific download error instructions.

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The Bottom Line

For a PS5 padlock, first confirm which account, subscription, or shared-console setting grants access. Restore licenses at Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, then follow the error-specific steps for sharing, PSN and network access, downloads, or game launch. Move to Safe Mode and redownloading only after the account and service checks; back up data before any system software reinstallation.

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