Fix GitLab error: "you are not allowed to push code to protected branches on this project"?

I have a problem when I push my codes to git while I have developer access in my project, but everything is okay when I have master access. Where is the problem come from? And how to fix it?

Error message:

error: You are not allowed to push code to protected branches on this project.
...
error: failed to push some refs to ...

there's no problem - everything works as expected.

In GitLab some branches can be protected. By default only Maintainer/Owner users can commit to protected branches (see permissions docs). master branch is protected by default - it forces developers to issue merge requests to be validated by project maintainers before integrating them into main code.

You can turn on and off protection on selected branches in Project Settings (where exactly depends on GitLab version - see instructions below).

On the same settings page you can also allow developers to push into the protected branches. With this setting on, protection will be limited to rejecting operations requiring git push --force (rebase etc.)

Since GitLab 9.3

Go to project: "Settings" → "Repository" → "Expand" on "Protected branches"

I'm not really sure when this change was introduced, screenshots are from 10.3 version.

Now you can select who is allowed to merge or push into selected branches (for example: you can turn off pushes to master at all, forcing all changes to branch to be made via Merge Requests). Or you can click "Unprotect" to completely remove protection from branch.

Since GitLab 9.0

Similarly to GitLab 9.3, but no need to click "Expand" - everything is already expanded:

Go to project: "Settings" → "Repository" → scroll down to "Protected branches".

Pre GitLab 9.0

Project: "Settings" → "Protected branches" (if you are at least 'Master' of given project).

Then click on "Unprotect" or "Developers can push":

for the GitLab Enterprise Edition 9.3.0

By default, master branch is protected so unprotect :)

1-Select you "project"

2-Select "Repository"

3-Select "branches"

4-Select "Project Settings"

5-In "Protected Branches" click to "expand"

6-and after click in "unprotect" button

Alternative solution, with GitLab 13.11 (April 2021)

Force push option for protected branches

It’s best practice to prevent force push on Git repos, but exceptional cases may occasionally require it.

Temporarily removing branch protections in order to conduct a force push may not always be ideal as it requires maintainer access, and causes the settings for branch protection to be lost.

GitLab 13.11 introduces a new Allow force push setting for protected branches, which enables users in the Allowed to push list to force push.

See Documentation and Issue.

I was on Windows when this problem appeared.

The error is strange because it happens before I could enter my username and my password. What if there was a cache or something like this? I dig it online and found this answer on gitlab's support forum:

I open "Control Panel => User Accounts => Manage your credentials => Windows Credentials" I found two for https://@github.com and one was the wrong user. I deleted it and on the next "git push" I was reprompted and provided the correct credentials and it worked! Some other notes - this could have happened with any git remote.

In the Windows Credentials, I found two GitLab entries for an old account. I remove both and now it works!

The panel:

I have encountered this error on "an empty branch" on my local gitlab server. Some people mentioned that "you can not push for the first time on an empty branch". I tried to create a simple README file on the gitlab via my browser. Then everything fixed amazingly and the problem sorted out!! I mention that I was the master and the branch was not protected.