tiangolo/fastapi · error · HTTPException

Inactive user

Error message

Inactive user

What it means

Disabled-account gate in the JWT tutorial (tutorial004). After get_current_user validates the JWT signature, decodes the 'sub' claim, and loads the user, get_current_active_user checks current_user.disabled and raises HTTP 400. Reaching this line means the token was fully valid and the user exists — only the disabled flag fails. The tutorial ships only johndoe (disabled=False), so the as-shipped code never reaches this line unless a disabled user is added.

Solutions

1. Set disabled=False for the user in fake_users_db and re-login to mint a fresh JWT.
2. Return 403 Forbidden for disabled-but-authenticated users instead of HTTP 400.
3. Use a distinct 'suspended' status rather than overloading 'disabled' for soft-deletion.

Example fix

// before
if current_user.disabled:
    raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Inactive user")

// after
if current_user.disabled:
    raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN, detail="Inactive user")

# JWT version: decode locally to inspect disabled state before calling
import jwt
def user_disabled_for_token(token: str, db: dict) -> bool:
    payload = jwt.decode(token, SECRET_KEY, algorithms=["HS256"])
    u = db.get(payload.get("sub"))
    return bool(u and u.get("disabled"))

from typing import TypeGuard
def is_active_user(u: dict) -> TypeGuard[dict]:
    return not u.get("disabled", False)

import httpx
try:
    r = httpx.get("/users/me/", headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"})
    r.raise_for_status()
except httpx.HTTPStatusError as e:
    if e.response.status_code in (400, 403) and "Inactive" in e.response.text:
        prompt_reactivation()

When it happens

Trigger: Add a user with disabled=True to fake_users_db, obtain a valid JWT for them via POST /token, then call GET /users/me/ — the token decodes and loads the user, then line 116 raises.

Common situations: Suspended/banned accounts in production; a second fixture user left disabled; soft-deleted accounts modelled via the disabled flag.

Related errors

• Inactive user
• Inactive user
• Inactive user
• Inactive user
• Inactive user

AI-assisted analysis of tiangolo/fastapi@3e8d1526d8 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3baadc72a93d71de. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at docs_src/security/tutorial004_an_py310.py:117

    try:
        payload = jwt.decode(token, SECRET_KEY, algorithms=[ALGORITHM])
        username = payload.get("sub")
        if username is None:
            raise credentials_exception
        token_data = TokenData(username=username)
    except InvalidTokenError:
        raise credentials_exception
    user = get_user(fake_users_db, username=token_data.username)
    if user is None:
        raise credentials_exception
    return user


async def get_current_active_user(
    current_user: Annotated[User, Depends(get_current_user)],
):
    if current_user.disabled:
        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Inactive user")
    return current_user


@app.post("/token")
async def login_for_access_token(
    form_data: Annotated[OAuth2PasswordRequestForm, Depends()],
) -> Token:
    user = authenticate_user(fake_users_db, form_data.username, form_data.password)
    if not user:
        raise HTTPException(
            status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
            detail="Incorrect username or password",
            headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
        )
    access_token_expires = timedelta(minutes=ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_MINUTES)
    access_token = create_access_token(
        data={"sub": user.username}, expires_delta=access_token_expires
    )

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