When you encounter the "You don't have permissions to edit bucket policy" message while logged in as the AWS root account holder, it can be particularly confusing. The root user should theoretically have unrestricted access to all AWS resources, but S3 bucket policies operate under some subtle permission hierarchies.

The problem typically stems from one of these scenarios:

• The bucket was created by an IAM user or service with restrictive permissions
• There's an explicit deny in the bucket policy or SCP (Service Control Policy)
• The bucket has object ownership settings that override root permissions

First, check your effective permissions using the IAM policy simulator:

aws iam simulate-principal-policy \
  --policy-source-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:root \
  --action-names s3:PutBucketPolicy \
  --resource-arns arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name

Here are three proven solutions:

1. Force Ownership Through AWS CLI

Sometimes the web console shows false permission errors. Try updating via CLI:

aws s3api put-bucket-policy \
  --bucket your-bucket-name \
  --policy file://policy.json \
  --region your-region

2. Check for Bucket Ownership Controls

Modern S3 buckets have strict ownership controls. Run:

aws s3api get-bucket-ownership-controls \
  --bucket your-bucket-name

If this shows ObjectOwnership: BucketOwnerEnforced, you'll need to either:

• Disable this setting temporarily (not recommended for production)
• Use proper IAM policies instead of bucket policies

3. The Nuclear Option: Bucket Takeover

As root, you can always delete and recreate the bucket (if data isn't critical):

aws s3 rb s3://your-bucket-name --force
aws s3 mb s3://your-bucket-name

Here's a comprehensive policy you can attach to your IAM user/role:

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "s3:PutBucketPolicy",
                "s3:GetBucketPolicy",
                "s3:DeleteBucketPolicy",
                "s3:ListBucket",
                "s3:PutObject",
                "s3:GetObject"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name",
                "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
            ]
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": "s3:ListAllMyBuckets",
            "Resource": "*"
        }
    ]
}

If you still can't modify the bucket policy and you're absolutely certain you're logged in as root:

1. Check for Organization SCPs that might be restricting root
2. Verify there are no permission boundaries set on your account
3. Contact AWS Support with your root account credentials

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When working with AWS S3 bucket policies, many developers encounter a puzzling scenario: even when logged in as the root account holder (the creator of the AWS account), they receive "You don't have permissions to edit bucket policy" errors. This seems counterintuitive since root users typically have full administrative privileges.

To modify S3 bucket policies, your IAM user or role needs explicit permissions for:

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": "s3:PutBucketPolicy",
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name"
        }
    ]
}

1. Bucket Ownership: Verify the bucket wasn't created by another AWS account or service
2. Explicit Denies: Check for any SCPs (Service Control Policies) that might override permissions
3. Resource ARN Format: Ensure your policy uses correct ARN syntax

Test your permissions programmatically:

aws s3api put-bucket-policy --bucket your-bucket-name --policy file://policy.json \
    --debug 2>&1 | grep "Effective"

For Django media buckets, consider this comprehensive policy:

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "s3:PutBucketPolicy",
                "s3:GetBucketPolicy",
                "s3:ListBucket"
            ],
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-media-bucket"
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "s3:PutObject",
                "s3:GetObject",
                "s3:DeleteObject"
            ],
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-media-bucket/*"
        }
    ]
}

If configuring public read access, you must also manage these settings:

• S3 Block Public Access settings at account/bucket level
• Object ownership controls (BucketOwnerEnforced/Preferred)
• CORS configuration (which you mentioned successfully set)

For better security, implement conditions in your policy:

{
    "Condition": {
        "IpAddress": {"aws:SourceIp": ["192.0.2.0/24"]},
        "StringEquals": {"aws:RequestedRegion": "us-east-1"}
    }
}

If immediate resolution isn't possible, use AWS CLI with root credentials:

aws s3api put-bucket-policy --bucket your-bucket \
    --policy file://policy.json \
    --profile root-user-profile