Table of Contents

Docker Permission Denied

Permission denied errors when running Docker commands.

Symptom

`docker compose` commands fail with permission errors. Cannot run Docker commands without sudo.

Cause

User is not in the docker group.

Fix

Add user to docker group.

Steps:

1. Add user to docker group: `sudo usermod -aG docker $USER`
2. Log out and log back in (or restart terminal)
3. Verify: `groups $USER` should show `docker`

Prevention

Add all users who need Docker access to the docker group during initial server setup.

See Also

Last updated: 2026-06-19