diff --git a/Api.SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/UpliftAdminApprovalTests.cs b/Api.SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/UpliftAdminApprovalTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbfc971
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Api.SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/UpliftAdminApprovalTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+using Data.SeaHavenIndustries;
+using FluentAssertions;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using SeaHaven.DataServices.Implementation;
+using SeaHaven.Services.Configuration;
+using SeaHaven.Services.DTOs;
+using SeaHaven.Services.Implementation;
+using SeaHaven.Services.Interfaces;
+using System.Security.Claims;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Api.SeaHavenIndustries.Tests;
+
+// SH-327: Admin passes every permission check regardless of stored configuration.
+// Uplift approval authority is otherwise driven by Approvals:Tier1Roles/Tier2Roles,
+// which may be empty in a deployed environment; Admin must still be able to decide.
+public sealed class UpliftAdminApprovalTests
+{
+    private static ApplicationDbContext NewContext()
+    {
+        var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<ApplicationDbContext>()
+            .UseInMemoryDatabase(Guid.NewGuid().ToString())
+            .Options;
+        return new ApplicationDbContext(options);
+    }
+
+    private static ClaimsPrincipal UserWithRoles(params string[] roles)
+    {
+        var claims = new List<Claim> { new(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "user-42") };
+        claims.AddRange(roles.Select(r => new Claim(ClaimTypes.Role, r)));
+        return new ClaimsPrincipal(new ClaimsIdentity(claims, "Test"));
+    }
+
+    private static UpliftService NewService(ApplicationDbContext context, ApprovalsOptions? options = null) =>
+        new(new UpliftDataService(context),
+            new DispatchDataService(context),
+            new NoopDocumentStorage(),
+            TimeProvider.System,
+            Microsoft.Extensions.Options.Options.Create(options ?? new ApprovalsOptions()));
+
+    private static async Task<Dispatch> SeedPendingAsync(ApplicationDbContext context, int requiredTier)
+    {
+        var vendor = new Vendor { CompanyName = "Gateway", IsActive = true };
+        var workOrder = new WorkOrder { WorkerOrderTitle = "Repair" };
+        context.AddRange(vendor, workOrder);
+        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        var dispatch = new Dispatch
+        {
+            VendorId = vendor.Id,
+            WorkOrderId = workOrder.Id,
+            Status = "Completed",
+            NTEAmount = 1000m,
+            DispatchNumber = "DIS-1"
+        };
+        context.Dispatches.Add(dispatch);
+        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        context.DispatchUpliftRequests.Add(new DispatchUpliftRequest
+        {
+            DispatchId = dispatch.Id,
+            CurrentNTE = 1000m,
+            RequestedNTE = 1800m,
+            VendorReason = "reason",
+            Status = UpliftStatus.Pending,
+            RequiredTier = requiredTier,
+            CreatedDate = DateTime.UtcNow
+        });
+        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        return dispatch;
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(1)]
+    [InlineData(2)]
+    public void CanApprove_Admin_WithEmptyTierConfig_IsTrue(int tier)
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        var service = NewService(context);
+
+        service.CanApprove(UserWithRoles("Admin"), tier).Should().BeTrue();
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(1)]
+    [InlineData(2)]
+    public async Task List_Admin_WithEmptyTierConfig_CanDecidePendingRows(int tier)
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        var dispatch = await SeedPendingAsync(context, tier);
+        var service = NewService(context);
+
+        var queue = await service.ListAsync(UserWithRoles("Admin"), UpliftStatus.Pending, null, 1, 25, CancellationToken.None);
+        var forDispatch = await service.ListForDispatchAsync(UserWithRoles("Admin"), dispatch.Id, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        queue.Items.Should().ContainSingle().Which.CanDecide.Should().BeTrue();
+        forDispatch.Should().ContainSingle().Which.CanDecide.Should().BeTrue();
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(1)]
+    [InlineData(2)]
+    public async Task Approve_Admin_WithEmptyTierConfig_Succeeds(int tier)
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        await SeedPendingAsync(context, tier);
+        var service = NewService(context);
+
+        var result = await service.ApproveAsync(UserWithRoles("Admin"), 1, "ok", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.Status.Should().Be(UpliftStatus.Approved);
+        context.Dispatches.Single().NTEAmount.Should().Be(1800m);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Reject_Admin_WithEmptyTierConfig_Succeeds()
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        await SeedPendingAsync(context, 2);
+        var service = NewService(context);
+
+        var result = await service.RejectAsync(UserWithRoles("Admin"), 1, "no", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.Status.Should().Be(UpliftStatus.Rejected);
+        context.Dispatches.Single().NTEAmount.Should().Be(1000m);
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("Dispatcher")]
+    [InlineData("Scheduler")]
+    public async Task NonAdminRole_WithEmptyTierConfig_IsStillDenied(string role)
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        await SeedPendingAsync(context, 1);
+        var service = NewService(context);
+        var user = UserWithRoles(role);
+
+        service.CanApprove(user, 1).Should().BeFalse();
+        service.CanApprove(user, 2).Should().BeFalse();
+        var queue = await service.ListAsync(user, UpliftStatus.Pending, null, 1, 25, CancellationToken.None);
+        queue.Items.Should().ContainSingle().Which.CanDecide.Should().BeFalse();
+
+        var act = () => service.ApproveAsync(user, 1, "ok", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        await act.Should().ThrowAsync<UpliftForbiddenException>();
+        context.Dispatches.Single().NTEAmount.Should().Be(1000m);
+        context.DispatchUpliftRequests.Single().Status.Should().Be(UpliftStatus.Pending);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Tier1OnlyRole_ApprovesTier1_ButNotTier2()
+    {
+        using var context = NewContext();
+        var service = NewService(context, new ApprovalsOptions { Tier1Roles = new[] { "Approver" } });
+        var user = UserWithRoles("Approver");
+
+        service.CanApprove(user, 1).Should().BeTrue();
+        service.CanApprove(user, 2).Should().BeFalse();
+    }
+
+    private sealed class NoopDocumentStorage : IVendorDocumentStoragePort
+    {
+        public Task SaveAsync(int vendorId, int dispatchId, string storedFileName, Stream content, CancellationToken cancellationToken) => Task.CompletedTask;
+        public Stream OpenRead(int vendorId, int dispatchId, string storedFileName) => new MemoryStream();
+        public void Delete(int vendorId, int dispatchId, string storedFileName) { }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/UpliftService.cs b/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/UpliftService.cs
index 5459c36..801139e 100644
--- a/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/UpliftService.cs
+++ b/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/UpliftService.cs
@@ -335,8 +335,12 @@ namespace SeaHaven.Services.Implementation
             return UpliftEvidenceDownloadResultDTO.Ok(content, evidence.ContentType ?? "application/octet-stream", evidence.OriginalFileName ?? "evidence");
         }
 
+        // SH-327: Admin passes every permission check regardless of stored configuration,
+        // so the tier-role lists only govern non-Admin approvers.
         private bool UserCanApprove(ClaimsPrincipal user, int requiredTier)
         {
+            if (user.IsInRole("Admin")) return true;
+
             var roles = RolesForTier(requiredTier);
             foreach (var r in roles)
             {