Remove PDF Restrictions

How to remove restrictions from a PDF

Have you ever opened a PDF that you can read perfectly well, but the moment you try to print it, copy a line of text, or fill in a field, everything is greyed out? That document has an owner-password (permissions) restriction. Unlike an open password, it doesn't stop you from viewing the file, it only limits what you can do with it. This tool removes those limits in one click.

Drop the PDF above and click Remove restrictions. Because the file opens without a password, no password is needed, the tool produces a fully usable copy you can print, copy from, and edit. It all happens inside your browser; the document is never uploaded.

Owner password vs. open password

PDFs support two kinds of protection. An open password (user password) is required just to view the file, if you don't have it, you can't open the document at all; for those, use our Unlock PDF tool. An owner password (permissions password) leaves the document readable but restricts printing, copying or editing. This page handles the second case, where the file already opens for you.

Use it responsibly

Removing restrictions is genuinely useful for your own documents, printing a bank statement, copying text from a report you authored, or filling a form that was locked by mistake. Please only remove restrictions from files you own or are allowed to modify, and always respect copyright and the wishes of the original author.

Private by design

Like all our tools, this runs entirely in your browser using a WebAssembly build of the open-source qpdf engine. There is no upload, your PDF never leaves your device. Need to add protection instead? See Lock PDF. Want to finalise a filled form so it can't be edited? Try Flatten PDF.