How to Install `ctypes` in Python

v1.0.2 General Purpose MIT License

create and manipulate C data types in Python, call functions in shared libraries

Install pip install ctypes

What is ctypes?

create and manipulate C data types in Python, call functions in shared libraries

ctypes is a Python package to create and manipulate C data types in Python, and to call functions in dynamic link libraries/shared dlls. It allows wrapping these libraries in pure Python.

Documentation → PyPI page → Author: Thomas Heller

Quick Start

Minimal example to get started with ctypes:

import ctypes

print(ctypes.__version__)

Installation

pip (standard)

pip install ctypes

Virtual environment (recommended)

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install ctypes

pip3

pip3 install ctypes

conda

conda install -c conda-forge ctypes

Poetry

poetry add ctypes

Verify the Installation

After installing, confirm the package is available:

python -c "import ctypes; print(ctypes.__version__)"

If this prints a version number, installation succeeded. If you see a ModuleNotFoundError, see the errors section below.

Installation Errors

Common errors when installing ctypes with pip.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ctypes'

Cause: The package is not installed in the current Python environment.

Fix: Run pip install ctypes. If using a virtual environment, ensure it is activated first.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ctypes' (installed but still failing)

Cause: pip installed the package into a different Python than the one running your script.

Fix: Use python -m pip install ctypes to install into the interpreter you are running.

ImportError: cannot import name 'X' from 'ctypes'

Cause: The function or class does not exist in the installed version.

Fix: Check the version with pip show ctypes and upgrade with pip install --upgrade ctypes.

pip: command not found

Cause: pip is not in PATH or Python was not added to PATH during installation.

Fix: Try python -m pip install ctypes. On macOS/Linux try pip3.

PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied

Cause: No write access to the system Python package directory.

Fix: Use a virtual environment, or add --user: pip install --user ctypes

SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED

Cause: pip cannot verify PyPI's SSL certificate — common behind corporate proxies.

Fix: Try: pip install --trusted-host pypi.org --trusted-host files.pythonhosted.org ctypes

Manage ctypes

Upgrade to latest version

pip install --upgrade ctypes

Install a specific version

pip install ctypes==1.0.2

Uninstall

pip uninstall ctypes

Check what is installed

pip show ctypes

Last updated: 2026-04-11 • Data from PyPI

How to Install ctypes in Python