drf-jwt

What it is and what it does

drf-jwt is a Django REST Framework authentication backend that implements JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication. It sits between your REST API and PyJWT, providing a Django-friendly interface to issue and validate bearer tokens without server-side session storage. You configure it in your DRF settings, and it handles token generation and validates incoming requests by checking the Authorization header.

The package is designed for stateless API authentication—clients exchange credentials once for a token, then include that token in subsequent requests. It depends on Django, Django REST Framework, and PyJWT to function. The library itself is marked as Production/Stable, but development has stalled since early 2022, meaning no new features or security patches are being released.

Use it for:

• Building a REST API where clients authenticate once and use a token for multiple requests without server-side session overhead.
• Creating a mobile or single-page app backend that issues JWT tokens at login and validates them on protected endpoints.
• Implementing stateless microservice authentication where each service validates tokens independently without a shared session store.
• Adding JWT support to an existing Django REST Framework project that currently lacks token-based authentication.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Adds JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication to Django REST Framework APIs, allowing stateless token-based access control for REST endpoints.

Yes, with caution. The package is stable and low-friction to install, but it has been dormant since early 2022 with no active maintenance. Use it if your project is on a stable Django/DRF version and you do not expect frequent framework upgrades. For new projects or those requiring ongoing security patches, consider whether a more actively maintained alternative better fits your risk tolerance.

Install

drf-jwt on PyPI

pip install drf-jwt

uv add drf-jwt

poetry add drf-jwt

Installing drf-jwt

Before you install

Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Maintenance is dormant: last commit was 2023-10-13 and no release since 2022-01-09, so expect no active bug fixes or security patches going forward.

License in practice

MIT license is permissive—you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart

pip install drf-jwt

from drf_jwt import views, authentication

# Configure in Django REST Framework settings with JSONWebTokenAuthentication

Requires Django 1.11+, Django REST Framework 3.7+, and PyJWT as runtime dependencies.

Verify before relying

• Whether the package remains compatible with modern Django and DRF versions released after 2022.
• Security implications of using an unmaintained JWT library in production systems.
• Whether PyJWT dependency updates are automatically picked up or if pinned versions create compatibility gaps.
• Specific configuration steps and available authentication classes in the current API.

Package facts

Evidence: drf_jwt-1.19.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: Styria CMS, JSON API

Tags

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