---
description: Sign up for a Docker ID and log in
keywords: accounts, docker ID, billing, paid plans, support, Hub, Store, Forums, knowledge base, beta access, email, activation, verification
title: Docker ID accounts
redirect_from:
- /docker-cloud/dockerid/
- /docker-hub/accounts/
---

Your free Docker ID grants you access to Docker Hub repositories and some beta programs. All you need is an email address.

## Register for a Docker ID

Your Docker ID becomes your user namespace for hosted Docker services, and becomes your username on the [Docker forums](https://forums.docker.com/). To create a new Docker ID:

1. Go to the [Docker Hub signup page](https://hub.docker.com/signup/).

2. Enter a username that will become your Docker ID.

    Your Docker ID must be between 4 and 30 characters long, and can only contain numbers and lowercase letters. *Once you create your Docker ID you can't reuse it in the future if you deactivate this account*.

3. Enter a unique, valid email address.

4. Enter a password that's at least 9 characters.

5. Complete the Captcha verification and then select **Sign up**.

   Docker sends a verification email to the address you provided.

6. Verify your email address to complete the registration process.

> **Note**
>
> You have limited actions available until you verify your email address.

## Log in

Once you register and verify your Docker ID email address, you can sign in to [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com).

You can also sign in through the CLI using the `docker login` command. For more information, see [`docker login`](../engine/reference/commandline/login.md).

> **Warning**
>
> When you use the `docker login` command, your credentials are
stored in your home directory in `.docker/config.json`. The password is base64-encoded in this file.
>
> We recommend using one of the [Docker credential helpers](https://github.com/docker/docker-credential-helpers) for secure storage of passwords. For extra security, you can also use a [personal access token](../docker-hub/access-tokens.md) to log in instead, which is still encoded in this file (without a Docker credential helper) but doesn't allow admin actions (such as changing the password).
{:.warning}

## Troubleshooting

If you run into trouble with your Docker ID account, know that we are here to help! If you want to retrieve or reset your password, [enter your email address](https://id.docker.com/reset-password/){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"} for additional instructions.

You can use the [Docker forums](https://forums.docker.com/) to ask questions amongst other Docker community members, while our [hub-feedback GitHub repository](https://github.com/docker/hub-feedback) allows you to provide feedback on how we can better improve the experience with Docker Hub.

If you still need any help, [create a support ticket](https://hub.docker.com/support/contact/) and let us know how we can help you.