How to fix Docker daemon permission denied, docker.sock access denied in Kubernetes

KubernetesBEGINNERCRITICAL

Container runtime socket access denied. Fix by adding kubelet user to docker group, fixing socket permissions, or using rootless Docker.

What this error means

The kubelet (or container runtime) can't access the Docker daemon socket due to insufficient permissions. This prevents pod creation.

1Add kubelet user to docker group

bash

sudo usermod -aG docker kubelet

2Restart kubelet

bash

sudo systemctl restart kubelet

3Check socket permissions

bash

ls -la /var/run/docker.sock

4Verify node is Ready

bash

kubectl get nodes

Never change socket permissions directly. Always use group membership.