How to Make a Linux User Password Never Expire: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

Password expiry policies are important for security, but sometimes you need to keep certain Linux user accounts active without enforcing password changes. For instance, in administrative or automation accounts like user1, frequent password expiration can disrupt services. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make a Linux user password never expire.

Step 1: Check the Current Password Expiry

Use the chage command to see when a user’s password will expire:

sudo chage -l user1

Example output:

Last password change                                    : Jul 03, 2025
Password expires                                        : Sep 01, 2025
Password inactive                                       : never
Account expires                                         : never
Minimum number of days between password change          : 1
Maximum number of days between password change          : 60
Number of days of warning before password expires       : 7


Here, the password is set to expire every 60 days.

Step 2: Make the Password Never Expire
Option 1: Using chage
sudo chage -M 99999 user1


-M 99999 sets the maximum days between password changes to effectively never expire.


Verify the change:
sudo chage -l user1

You should now see:
Password expires : never

Option 2: Using passwd
sudo passwd -x 99999 user1


Step 3: Verify the Configuration
Check again with:
sudo chage -l user1

Ensure:

Password expires: never

Account expires: never


This ensures the account will not require periodic password changes.

Step 4: Best Practices


Only disable password expiry for accounts that require uninterrupted access 
Keep strong passwords or use SSH keys where possible.

Monitor accounts regularly to maintain security.

Conclusion
Preventing password expiration in Linux is simple using chage or passwd. By setting 
odiuser or any critical account to never expire, you can avoid service disruptions 
while maintaining control over other security policies.