Troubleshooting AWS GovCloud (US) sign-in or account issues

Use the information here to help you troubleshoot sign-in and other AWS GovCloud (US) account issues. For step-by-step directions to sign in to an AWS account, see Sign in as the root user

If you are having trouble signing in to your associated standard AWS account, see Troubleshooting sign-in issues in the AWS Sign-In User Guide instead.

Note

For security purposes, AWS doesn't have access to view, provide, or change your credentials.

My AWS GovCloud (US) credentials aren't working

When you can't sign in to the AWS Management Console for AWS GovCloud (US), try to remember how you previously accessed AWS.

If you don't remember signing in using a password at all

You might have previously accessed AWS without using AWS credentials. This is common for enterprise single sign-on through IAM Identity Center. Accessing AWS this way means that you use your corporate credentials to access AWS accounts or applications without entering your credentials.

• AWS access portal – If an administrator allows you to use credentials from outside AWS to access AWS, you need the URL for your portal. Check your email, browser favorites, or browser history for a URL that includes awsapps.com/start or signin.aws/platform/login.

  For example, your custom URL might include an ID or a domain such as https://d-1234567890.awsapps.com/start. If you can't find your portal link, contact your administrator. AWS Support can't help you recover this information.

If you remember signing in using a password

You might be on the wrong page. Try signing in on a different page:

• Root user sign-in page – Signing in to the AWS Management Console for AWS GovCloud (US) as the root user is not supported. To learn more about the root user in AWS GovCloud (US), see AWS GovCloud (US) account root user in the AWS GovCloud (US) User Guide.

• IAM user sign-in page – If you or someone else created an IAM user within a single AWS GovCloud (US) account, you must know that account ID or alias. Enter your account ID or alias, user name, and password in to the AWS Management Console for AWS GovCloud (US). To learn how to access the IAM user sign-in page, see Sign in as the root user. If you forgot your IAM user password, see I lost or forgot my AWS GovCloud (US) IAM user name or password for information on resetting your IAM user password. If you forgot your account number, search your email, browser favorites, or browser history for a URL that includes signin.amazonaws-us-gov.com/. Your account ID or alias will precede this URL, such as account_alias_or_id.signin.amazonaws-us-gov.com. The account ID can also follow the account= or account%3D text in the URL. If you can’t find your account ID or alias, see I need my AWS GovCloud (US) account ID or account alias .

• AWS access portal – If an administrator set up an AWS IAM Identity Center identity source for AWS, you must sign in using your user name and password. In this case, you need the URL for your portal. Check your email, secure password storage, browser favorites, or browser history for a URL that includes start.us-gov-home.awsapps.com or s signin-fips.amazonaws-us-gov.com/platform/login. For example, your custom URL might include an ID or a domain such as https://start.us-gov-home.awsapps.com/directory/d-1234567890. If you can’t find your portal link, contact your administrator. AWS Support can’t help you recover this information.

For more assistance on troubleshooting your sign-in issues, see What do I do if I'm having trouble signing in to or accessing my AWS account?

I need my AWS GovCloud (US) account ID or account alias

If you are an IAM user and you are not signed in, you must ask your administrator for the AWS account ID or AWS account alias. You need this information, plus your IAM user name and password, to sign in to an AWS account. To learn more about where to find your account ID and alias, see Your AWS GovCloud (US) account ID and its alias in the AWS GovCloud (US) User Guide.

Note

AWS Support can’t help you recover this information.

I lost or forgot my AWS GovCloud (US) IAM user name or password

If you are an IAM user, your administrator provides your credentials. If you forget your password, you must ask your administrator to reset your password. To learn how an administrator can manage your password, see Managing passwords for IAM users.

If you are an administrator of the AWS GovCloud (US) account and have forgot your password to the AWS Management Console for AWS GovCloud (US), please contact another administrator in the account to assist with restoring your access. If there are no other users with administrative access to your account, you will need root credentials for your AWS GovCloud (US) account to restore console access. To learn how to restore administrative console access with the root user, see AWS GovCloud (US) account root user in the AWS GovCloud (US) User Guide.

I lost or forgot the access keys for my AWS GovCloud (US) IAM user name

If you are an IAM user and you forget your access keys, you will need new access keys. If you have permission to create your own access keys, you can find instructions for creating a new one at Managing access keys (console). If you do not have the required permissions, you must ask your administrator to create new access keys. If you are still using your old keys, ask your administrator not to delete the old keys. To learn how an administrator can manage your access keys, see Managing access keys for IAM users.

You should follow the AWS best practice of periodically changing your password and AWS access keys. In AWS, you change access keys by rotating them. This means that you create a new one, configure your applications to use the new key, and then delete the old one. You are allowed to have two access key pairs active at the same time for just this reason. For more information, see Rotating access keys.

I lost or forgot the access keys for my AWS GovCloud (US) root user

If you forget your AWS GovCloud (US) account root access keys, you can request new access keys, see AWS GovCloud (US) account root user in the AWS GovCloud (US) User Guide.

I forgot the root user password for my standard AWS account

If you are a root user and you have lost or forgot the password for your associated standard AWS account, you can reset your password. You must know the email address used to create the associated standard AWS account and you must have access to the email account. For more information, see Resetting lost or forgotten passwords or access keys for AWS.

I don't know the email for my standard AWS account or AWS GovCloud (US) account

Your AWS GovCloud (US) account email address is the same as email address configured in its assocated standard AWS account. Changing the standard AWS account email will result in a change to the AWS GovCloud (US)) account email.

If you are not sure of the email address associated with your AWS GovCloud (US) account, sign in to your AWS GovCloud (US) account. In the navigation bar, choose Support, and then Support Center. In the Support Center navigation pane, choose Your support cases and open the most recently created support case by choosing its Case ID or Subject. In the Case details, look for the email address listed in the Opened by field. If your account email address has not changed since opening the case, this will be your account email address.

Note

If you have never opened a support case or believe the email address has since changed, Create a support case for account and billing and resolve it immediately. Review this cases Open by field to see the associated account email.

If you can’t sign in to your AWS GovCloud (US) account to find your email address, see I don't have access to the email for my AWS account in the AWS Sign-In User Guide.

I don't have access to the email for my standard AWS account or AWS GovCloud (US) account

If you know the email address, but no longer have access to the email, see I don't have access to the email for my AWS account in the AWS Sign-In User Guide.

I need to change the credit card for my AWS GovCloud (US) account

To change the credit card for your AWS GovCloud (US) account, you must have access to its associated standard AWS account. See I need to change the credit card for my AWS account in the AWS Account Management Reference Guide.

I need to report fraudulent AWS GovCloud (US) account activity

If you suspect fraudulent activity using your AWS GovCloud (US) account and would like to make a report, see How do I report abuse of AWS resources.

I need to close my AWS GovCloud (US) account activity

See Closing an AWS GovCloud (US) account in the AWS GovCloud (US) User Guide.