FME for Windows looks for licenses in the following three places:

• C:\\ProgramData\\Safe Software\\FME\\Licenses [This is the default location.]
• <fme-install-folder>/licenses
• C:\\users\\<user>\\Documents\\FME\\Licenses

If licensing FME for the first time, this may require a user with Admin privileges to run the Licensing Assistant.

If you manually place the license files in any of the locations (placing in the <fme-install-folder> will require admin privileges), then you should not have to run the FME Desktop Licensing Assistant.

If you place the license files in either the first or second location, then a user without Admin privileges should not have to run the FME Desktop Licensing Assistant.

-----

FME for Linux (Ubuntu 14.04) places the files in /home/<USER>/.fme/Licenses

Note: License files can also be stored in <fme-install-folder>/licenses

----

FME for macOS stores the licenses in /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/FME/Licenses/

>Edited 2021-March-11 to add some clarification regarding the current default location and running the Licensing Assistant. The original text has been left for reference with strikethrough.]