# teams-mcp Chat.* tools 403: the account needs a Teams license, not more scopes

**TL;DR:** Assign a Microsoft Teams license to the calling account; unlicensed service accounts get 403 on Chat.* endpoints. The error text talks about permissions, which misleads you into debugging scopes. Verify licensing before touching the OAuth scopes.

## The error

```
403 Forbidden on teams-mcp Chat.* tools (get_chat_messages, send_chat_message) with error text mentioning permissions
```

## Fix it

1. Check the account licenses (admin portal or az ad user show).
   Expected: No Teams license is assigned.
2. Assign a Teams license to the account.
   Expected: The license shows as active.
3. Wait a few minutes for provisioning, then retry the chat tool.
   Expected: It succeeds.

## When this applies

teams-mcp Chat.* tools 403 while user and team reads work, on an account without a Teams license.

## When this does NOT apply

If everything 403s, the token or scopes are wrong. If auth fails, fix login first.

## Tool compatibility

@floriscornel/teams-mcp, Microsoft Graph

## Also seen as

- teams MCP 403 chat
- Graph Chat endpoint forbidden license
- teams-mcp send_chat_message 403

## Why it happens

Microsoft Graph gates Chat.* endpoints on the Teams license, not just OAuth scopes. The 403 body mentions permissions, so it looks like a scope problem, but no scope fixes a missing license.

## Edge cases

- Service accounts are the usual victims; license them like users.
- Channel message endpoints have their own license checks.
- License changes can take up to 24h in rare cases.