diff --git a/docs/8.0/ayanova/docs/form-adm-license.md b/docs/8.0/ayanova/docs/form-adm-license.md
index c6945674..eea573ed 100644
--- a/docs/8.0/ayanova/docs/form-adm-license.md
+++ b/docs/8.0/ayanova/docs/form-adm-license.md
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # ADM-LICENSE Placeholder
 
-This is a placeholder page for sections that are not written yet
+todo: document how downgrade license frees up techs based on oldest login first
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/UserBiz.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/UserBiz.cs
index 740dcdef..c97ae36a 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/UserBiz.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/UserBiz.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using AyaNova.Models;
 using System;
 using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 
 namespace AyaNova.Biz
 {
@@ -41,15 +42,24 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
         }
 
         //Called by license processor when use downgrades to lesser amount of techs
-        internal static async Task DeActivateExcessiveTechs(int KeepThisManyActiveTechs)
+        internal static async Task DeActivateExcessiveTechs(long KeepThisManyActiveTechs,  ILogger _log)
         {
+            var TotalActiveTechs = await ActiveCountAsync();
+            int CountOfTechsToSetInactive = (int)(TotalActiveTechs - KeepThisManyActiveTechs);
+            if (CountOfTechsToSetInactive < 1) return;
+            _log.LogInformation($"New license is a downgrade with fewer scheduleable resources, deactivating {CountOfTechsToSetInactive} scheduleable users with the oldest last login dates to make room for the new license");
+
             using (AyContext ct = ServiceProviderProvider.DBContext)
             {
-                var ActiveTechList = await ct.User.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Active == true && (
+                var ActiveTechList = await ct.User.Where(z => z.Active == true && (
                     z.UserType == UserType.Service ||
-                    z.UserType == UserType.ServiceContractor)).ToListAsync();
-                
-                
+                    z.UserType == UserType.ServiceContractor)).OrderBy(z => z.LastLogin).Take(CountOfTechsToSetInactive).ToListAsync();
+                foreach (User u in ActiveTechList)
+                {
+                    u.Active = false;
+                    _log.LogInformation($"User {u.Name} set to inactive");
+                }
+                await ct.SaveChangesAsync();
             }
 
         }
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/util/License.cs b/server/AyaNova/util/License.cs
index 2200a1f9..b08af55e 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/util/License.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/util/License.cs
@@ -704,19 +704,19 @@ namespace AyaNova.Core
                     throw new ApplicationException("E1020 - Can't install a trial key into a non empty AyaNova database.  Erase the database first.");
                 }
 
-                //TODO: TECHCOUNT - new license causes exceeding count?               
-                if (await AyaNova.Biz.UserBiz.ActiveCountAsync() > ParsedNewKey.GetLicenseFeature(SERVICE_TECHS_FEATURE_NAME).Count)
+                //TODO: TECHCOUNT - new license causes exceeding count?  
+                long NewTechCount = ParsedNewKey.GetLicenseFeature(SERVICE_TECHS_FEATURE_NAME).Count;
+                if (await AyaNova.Biz.UserBiz.ActiveCountAsync() > NewTechCount)
                 {
-                    //Ok, the easy thing to do here is just set all techs inactive, but 
-                    //a trickier but probably better thing to do is set just enough techs inactive and choose them based 
-                    //on the oldest last login datetime first
-                    throw new ApplicationException("E1020 - Can't install key, too many active techs and / or subcontractors in database. Deactivate enough to install key.");
+                    //attempt to set enough of the eldest last login techs to inactive
+                    await AyaNova.Biz.UserBiz.DeActivateExcessiveTechs(NewTechCount, log);
+
+                    if (await AyaNova.Biz.UserBiz.ActiveCountAsync() > NewTechCount)
+                        throw new ApplicationException("E1020 - Can't install key, too many active techs and / or subcontractors in database. Deactivate enough to install key.");
                 }
 
                 //Update current license               
                 CurrentInDbKeyRecord.Key = RawTextNewKey;
-                //LOOKAT: reason, resultcode etc
-                //There is similar block related to this in ayschema for db schema version 8
                 await ct.SaveChangesAsync();
             }
             catch (Exception ex)