diff -u b/modules/customer/includes/commerce_customer_profile.forms.inc b/modules/customer/includes/commerce_customer_profile.forms.inc
--- b/modules/customer/includes/commerce_customer_profile.forms.inc
+++ b/modules/customer/includes/commerce_customer_profile.forms.inc
@@ -97,12 +97,19 @@
     $form['profile_status']['status']['#description'] .= '<br />' . t('This profile is of a type that is no longer available, so its status cannot be adjusted.');
   }
 
-  $form['force_override'] = array(
-    '#type' => 'checkbox',
-    '#title' => t('Force Override?'),
-    '#default_value' => FALSE,
-    '#weight' => 36,
-  );
+  // Check permission to edit ANY profile, and if so display force option.
+  if (user_access('edit any commerce_customer_profile entity')
+    && user_access('edit any commerce_order entity')
+  ) {
+    // Form element to allow forcing override.
+    $form['force_override'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'checkbox',
+      '#title' => t('Force Profile Update'),
+      '#description' => t('When you edit a user profile associated with an order, instead of updating all relevant orders and possibly causing issues, Drupal Commerce takes the updated profile and instead makes a new profile. Checking this box will prevent creating a new profile and update this profile directly along with all associated orders. This can have far reaching implications so be aware.'),
+      '#default_value' => FALSE,
+      '#weight' => 36,
+    );
+  }
 
   // We add the form's #submit array to this button along with the actual submit
   // handler to preserve any submit handlers added by a form callback_wrapper.
@@ -139,6 +146,11 @@
     form_set_error('name', t('The username %name does not exist.', array('%name' => $form_state['values']['name'])));
   }
 
+  // If we are forcing override, tell the entity that.
+  if (!empty($form_state['values']['force_override'])) {
+    $profile->force_override = TRUE;
+  }
+
   // Notify field widgets to validate their data.
   field_attach_form_validate('commerce_customer_profile', $profile, $form, $form_state);
 }
@@ -147,16 +159,13 @@
  * Submit callback for commerce_customer_profile_form().
  */
 function commerce_customer_customer_profile_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
+  global $user;
+
   $profile = &$form_state['customer_profile'];
 
   // Save default parameters back into the $profile object.
   $profile->status = $form_state['values']['status'];
 
-  // If we are forcing override, tell the entity that.
-  if (!empty($form_state['values']['force_override'])) {
-    $profile->force_override = TRUE;
-  }
-
   // Set the profile's owner uid based on the supplied name.
   if (!empty($form_state['values']['name']) && $account = user_load_by_name($form_state['values']['name'])) {
     $profile->uid = $account->uid;