diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.html b/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.html
index 77e60fe11..3d20423c3 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.html
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.html
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ <h2 class="mb-2">{{ 'shared.license.title' | translate }}</h2>
   </p>
   <osf-license
     [licenses]="licenses()"
-    [selectedLicenseId]="createdPreprint()?.licenseId"
+    [selectedLicenseId]="createdPreprint()?.licenseId || defaultLicense()"
     [selectedLicenseOptions]="createdPreprint()?.licenseOptions"
     [fullWidthSelect]="true"
     (createLicense)="createLicense($event)"
diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.ts b/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.ts
index 716bcdfa9..3d55f43ad 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/components/stepper/preprints-metadata-step/preprints-metadata-step.component.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { InputText } from 'primeng/inputtext';
 import { Message } from 'primeng/message';
 import { Tooltip } from 'primeng/tooltip';
 
-import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, inject, input, OnInit, output } from '@angular/core';
+import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, effect, inject, input, OnInit, output, signal } from '@angular/core';
 import { FormControl, FormGroup, ReactiveFormsModule, Validators } from '@angular/forms';
 
 import { formInputLimits } from '@osf/features/preprints/constants';
@@ -81,6 +81,24 @@ export class PreprintsMetadataStepComponent implements OnInit {
   provider = input.required<PreprintProviderDetails | undefined>();
   nextClicked = output<void>();
   backClicked = output<void>();
+  defaultLicense = signal<string | undefined>(undefined);
+
+  constructor() {
+    effect(() => {
+      const licenses = this.licenses();
+      const preprint = this.createdPreprint();
+
+      if (licenses.length && preprint && !preprint.licenseId && preprint.defaultLicenseId) {
+        const defaultLicense = licenses.find((license) => license.id === preprint?.defaultLicenseId);
+        if (defaultLicense) {
+          this.defaultLicense.set(defaultLicense.id);
+          if (!defaultLicense.requiredFields.length) {
+            this.actions.saveLicense(defaultLicense.id);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+  }
 
   ngOnInit() {
     this.actions.fetchLicenses();
diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/mappers/preprints.mapper.ts b/src/app/features/preprints/mappers/preprints.mapper.ts
index 51ead14da..feee05b82 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/mappers/preprints.mapper.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/mappers/preprints.mapper.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ export class PreprintsMapper {
       articleDoiLink: response.links.doi,
       embeddedLicense: null,
       providerId: response.relationships?.provider?.data?.id,
+      defaultLicenseId: response.attributes.default_license_id,
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint-json-api.models.ts b/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint-json-api.models.ts
index 9761ef0fa..3fa417f48 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint-json-api.models.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint-json-api.models.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export interface PreprintAttributesJsonApi {
   why_no_prereg: StringOrNull;
   prereg_links: string[];
   prereg_link_info: PreregLinkInfo | null;
+  default_license_id: string;
 }
 
 export interface PreprintRelationshipsJsonApi {
diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint.models.ts b/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint.models.ts
index f4ad604b4..5a0c9a3a0 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint.models.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/models/preprint.models.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export interface PreprintModel {
   articleDoiLink?: string;
   identifiers?: IdentifierModel[];
   providerId: string;
+  defaultLicenseId?: string;
 }
 
 export interface PreprintFilesLinks {
diff --git a/src/app/features/preprints/store/preprint-stepper/preprint-stepper.state.ts b/src/app/features/preprints/store/preprint-stepper/preprint-stepper.state.ts
index bd43281ba..aac8b9157 100644
--- a/src/app/features/preprints/store/preprint-stepper/preprint-stepper.state.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/preprints/store/preprint-stepper/preprint-stepper.state.ts
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ export class PreprintStepperState {
         if (action.payload.isPublished) {
           ctx.setState(patch({ hasBeenSubmitted: true }));
         }
-
         ctx.setState(patch({ preprint: patch({ isSubmitting: false, data: preprint }) }));
       }),
       catchError((error) => handleSectionError(ctx, 'preprint', error))
diff --git a/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.html b/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.html
index da782b1e3..0366f69b3 100644
--- a/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.html
+++ b/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.html
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ <h2 class="mb-2">{{ 'shared.license.title' | translate }}</h2>
   <osf-license
     [licenses]="licenses()"
     [fullWidthSelect]="true"
-    [selectedLicenseId]="selectedLicense()?.id"
+    [selectedLicenseId]="selectedLicense()?.id || control().get('id')?.value"
     [selectedLicenseOptions]="selectedLicense()?.options"
     (createLicense)="createLicense($event)"
     (selectLicense)="selectLicense($event)"
diff --git a/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.ts b/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.ts
index fdfaac181..a33da20e0 100644
--- a/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/registries/components/registries-metadata-step/registries-license/registries-license.component.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { TranslatePipe } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { Card } from 'primeng/card';
 import { Message } from 'primeng/message';
 
-import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, effect, inject, input, untracked } from '@angular/core';
+import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, effect, inject, input } from '@angular/core';
 import { FormGroup, FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
 import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router';
 
@@ -64,18 +64,29 @@ export class RegistriesLicenseComponent {
 
     effect(() => {
       const licenses = this.licenses();
-      const selectedLicense = untracked(() => this.selectedLicense());
+      const selectedLicense = this.selectedLicense();
+      const defaultLicenseId = this.draftRegistration()?.defaultLicenseId;
 
-      if (!licenses.length || !selectedLicense) {
+      if (!licenses.length) {
         return;
       }
 
-      if (!licenses.find((license) => license.id === selectedLicense.id)) {
-        this.control().patchValue({
-          id: null,
-        });
-        this.control().markAsTouched();
-        this.control().updateValueAndValidity();
+      if (
+        defaultLicenseId &&
+        (!selectedLicense?.id || !licenses.find((license) => license.id === selectedLicense?.id))
+      ) {
+        const defaultLicense = licenses.find((license) => license.id === defaultLicenseId);
+        if (defaultLicense) {
+          this.control().patchValue({
+            id: defaultLicense.id,
+          });
+          this.control().markAsTouched();
+          this.control().updateValueAndValidity();
+
+          if (!defaultLicense.requiredFields.length) {
+            this.actions.saveLicense(this.draftId, defaultLicense.id);
+          }
+        }
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/mappers/registration/registration.mapper.ts b/src/app/shared/mappers/registration/registration.mapper.ts
index 43040ec85..41fbe6ef4 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/mappers/registration/registration.mapper.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/mappers/registration/registration.mapper.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export class RegistrationMapper {
           },
       providerId: response.relationships.provider?.data?.id || '',
       hasProject: !!response.attributes.has_project,
+      defaultLicenseId: response.attributes?.default_license_id,
       components: [],
       currentUserPermissions: response.attributes.current_user_permissions,
     };
diff --git a/src/app/shared/models/registration/draft-registration.model.ts b/src/app/shared/models/registration/draft-registration.model.ts
index 4d0230e0d..4a18222ac 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/models/registration/draft-registration.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/models/registration/draft-registration.model.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export interface DraftRegistrationModel {
   branchedFrom?: Partial<ProjectModel>;
   providerId: string;
   hasProject: boolean;
+  defaultLicenseId?: string;
   components: Partial<ProjectModel>[];
   currentUserPermissions: UserPermissions[];
 }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/models/registration/registration-json-api.model.ts b/src/app/shared/models/registration/registration-json-api.model.ts
index 1a6d64e12..1e38892af 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/models/registration/registration-json-api.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/models/registration/registration-json-api.model.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ export interface DraftRegistrationAttributesJsonApi {
   datetime_updated: string;
   description: string;
   has_project: boolean;
+  default_license_id?: string;
   node_license: LicenseRecordJsonApi;
   registration_metadata: Record<string, unknown>;
   registration_responses: Record<string, unknown>;