You get to explore galaxies and adventure through the mysteries of space in Starfield with your ship. Recently, some players have come across an error message reading You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship in Starfield. If you’re facing the same problem and need to fix it, I’ve got you covered.
Ships are the ultimate vessel in Starfield, so you need to know how to dock it properly and maneuver it to get where you need to go. So even though there might be some fun modifications, like the Thomas the Tank Engine Ship Mod in Starfield, the priority is to pilot ships.
So, why are you getting the “You are not authorized to pilot this ship” message in Starfield? Read on to find the causes and solutions in this article. Once you fix the issue, you’ll be authorized to pilot the ship and continue!
In This Article
Starfield: You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship Error: Causes & Criteria

When I was exploring space, I came across the ecliptic stiletto and couldn’t pilot it because I kept getting an error message reading ‘You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship.‘ So, I got to work to find out the reason it happened and how I could fix it.
You need to meet some requirements if you want to pilot a Starfield ship. So, if you’re getting the ‘You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship’ error if you don’t meet either of them.
The Criteria to Pilot a Ship in Starfield
You have to meet both of the following two criteria if you want to be authorized to take over or pilot a ship:
- Piloting skill rank: You must have the appropriate piloting skill rank in Starfield to pilot a ship. For instance, rank 3 allows Class B, and rank 4 allows class C.
- Eliminate all crew: You have to eliminate all crew on the ship you want to pilot. (More on this later in the article)
You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship Error Causes
Here are the causes of the Starfield You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship’ error:
- You Don’t Have the Credentials: Some ships in Starfield, like the UC Narcissus, need special licenses and training to pilot. So if you’re missing the training, that’s probably why you got the error message.
- You Don’t Have the Piloting Skills: Piloting Skills are also an essential aspect of piloting ships in Starfield. You need to invest in skill points to get these skills (in the pilot tab) or hire a crew member with high piloting skills.
- You Don’t Have the Ownership: The last reason why you’re unauthorized to access a ship is that you simply do have its ownership.
Now that we know the reasons for the reauthorization error, let’s find the fixes for the You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship error in Starfield.
How to Fix Starfield You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship?

So, how do you fix the error and get authorized to pilot a ship in Starfield? Luckily, there are a few ways to get around the error or find other ships to pilot. Here are some things you can try to fix You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship error:
1. Take Out the Existing Crew
One criterion I mentioned to get authorization was eliminating the crew inside the ship you want to pilot. So you need to get rid of the crew in the ship you want to take over. Remember that making the crew flee is not enough because they will come back inside to find you. So take them out, and then you can sit in the chair and pilot the ship.
2. Find a Trainer
You can’t pilot a ship because you simply don’t have the Piloting Skills necessary to pilot that specific ship. Since some ships require particular pilot training, you’ll need to find a trainer to get the skills.
2. Only Steal the Ships That Land
One way to make sure you don’t get the ‘You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship’ error is to steal or try to pilot only the ships that have landed. I’ve noticed that most of the times I’ve gotten this error message is for ships that are free-floating in space. So stick to the landed ships, and you’ll be good to go.
Wrapping Up
You might get the Starfield You Are Not Authorized to Pilot This Ship error because of the present crew or limited credentials, skills, and ownership. Luckily, you can get over this slump with the easy fixes and solutions I’ve mentioned. All you need to do is find a trainer, stick to landed ships, and take out the crew in the ship. Comment to let me know if you got to pilot the ship with my fixes!
Happy Gaming!