License for service_desk_user required or not ?

[MateoBilandzija]

I’m reviewing a custom requester-style role in ServiceNow called service_desk_user and looking for community input around licensing.

The intent of the role is lightweight access — submitting requests, viewing records, and interacting with the Service Desk — not ITSM fulfiller capabilities. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get clear guidance from a sales representative on whether this type of role requires a paid license.

I’d really appreciate any insight on whether a role like this would typically require licensing, what permissions most often trigger licensing unintentionally, and any best practices for designing requester or service desk roles safely.

Thank you in advance for any advice or recommendations you can share.

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @MateoBilandzija 

Fundamentally, if a user only needs to raise a request, access the knowledge base, or log an incident via the portal, no license is required. A license is only needed if the user must work on requests or incidents, update them, or change their state—in which case an ITIL license is required.

If there is still any doubt, ServiceNow’s licensing rules state that for any licensing discussion, please reach out to your ServiceNow account representative.