diff --git a/cli/tools/registry/diagnostics.rs b/cli/tools/registry/diagnostics.rs
index 54b2811941..e1c6e4e655 100644
--- a/cli/tools/registry/diagnostics.rs
+++ b/cli/tools/registry/diagnostics.rs
@@ -172,8 +172,7 @@ impl Diagnostic for PublishDiagnostic {
       MissingConstraint { .. } => DiagnosticLevel::Error,
       BannedTripleSlashDirectives { .. } => DiagnosticLevel::Error,
       SyntaxError { .. } => DiagnosticLevel::Error,
-      // todo(#24676): make this an error in Deno 1.46
-      MissingLicense { .. } => DiagnosticLevel::Warning,
+      MissingLicense { .. } => DiagnosticLevel::Error,
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/publish_tests.rs b/tests/integration/publish_tests.rs
index 013bf39732..b97479e78e 100644
--- a/tests/integration/publish_tests.rs
+++ b/tests/integration/publish_tests.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ fn publish_non_exported_files_using_import_map() {
       "@denotest/add": "jsr:@denotest/add@1"
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
   // file not in the graph
   let other_ts = temp_dir.join("_other.ts");
   other_ts
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ fn publish_warning_not_in_graph() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./mod.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
   // file not in the graph that uses a non-analyzable dynamic import (cause a diagnostic)
   let other_ts = temp_dir.join("_other.ts");
   other_ts
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ fn ignores_gitignore() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts"
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("import './sub_dir/b.ts';");
 
@@ -151,6 +154,7 @@ fn ignores_directories() {
   sub_dir.join("sub_included.ts").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main_included.ts").write("");
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   let output = context
     .new_command()
@@ -185,6 +189,7 @@ fn not_include_gitignored_file_unless_exact_match_in_include() {
       ]
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir
     .join(".gitignore")
@@ -217,7 +222,7 @@ fn not_include_gitignored_file_unless_exact_match_in_include() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn gitignore_everything_exlcuded_override() {
+fn gitignore_everything_excluded_override() {
   let context = publish_context_builder().build();
   let temp_dir = context.temp_dir().path();
 
@@ -232,6 +237,7 @@ fn gitignore_everything_exlcuded_override() {
       "exclude": ["!**"]
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("root_main.ts").write("");
   let sub_dir = temp_dir.join("sub");
@@ -257,6 +263,7 @@ fn includes_directories_with_gitignore_when_unexcluded() {
       "exclude": [ "!ignored.ts" ]
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join(".gitignore").write("ignored.ts");
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
@@ -284,6 +291,7 @@ fn includes_unexcluded_sub_dir() {
       ]
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("included1.ts").write("");
   temp_dir.join("ignored/unexcluded").create_dir_all();
@@ -310,6 +318,7 @@ fn includes_directories() {
       "include": [ "deno.json", "main.ts" ]
     }
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
   temp_dir.join("ignored.ts").write("");
@@ -335,6 +344,7 @@ fn not_includes_gitignored_dotenv() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
   temp_dir.join(".env").write("FOO=BAR");
@@ -356,6 +366,7 @@ fn not_includes_vendor_dir_only_when_vendor_true() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
   let vendor_folder = temp_dir.join("vendor");
@@ -396,9 +407,9 @@ fn allow_dirty() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
-  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   let cmd = Command::new("git")
     .arg("init")
@@ -447,6 +458,7 @@ fn allow_dirty_not_in_repo() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
   // At this point there are untracked files, but we're not in Git repo,
@@ -472,6 +484,7 @@ fn allow_dirty_dry_run() {
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "exports": "./main.ts",
   }));
+  temp_dir.join("LICENSE").write("");
 
   temp_dir.join("main.ts").write("");
 
diff --git a/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/__test__.jsonc b/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/__test__.jsonc
index 774d5a534e..1b96278a08 100644
--- a/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/__test__.jsonc
+++ b/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/__test__.jsonc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
   "args": "publish --token 'sadfasdf'",
-  "output": "mod.out"
+  "output": "mod.out",
+  "exitCode": 1
 }
diff --git a/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/mod.out b/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/mod.out
index 721fefd9c6..d3e183662a 100644
--- a/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/mod.out
+++ b/tests/specs/publish/missing_license/mod.out
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 Check file:///[WILDLINE]/missing_license/mod.ts
 Checking for slow types in the public API...
 Check file:///[WILDLINE]/missing_license/mod.ts
-warning[missing-license]: missing license file
+error[missing-license]: missing license file
  --> [WILDLINE]LICENSE
   = hint: add a LICENSE file to the package and ensure it is not ignored from being published
 
   docs: https://jsr.io/go/missing-license
 
-Publishing @scope/pkg@1.0.0 ...
-Successfully published @scope/pkg@1.0.0
-Visit http://127.0.0.1:4250/@scope/pkg@1.0.0 for details
+error: Found 1 problem