diff --git a/packages/server/server/controllers/auth.js b/packages/server/server/controllers/auth.js
index 6017abd..eeee50c 100644
--- a/packages/server/server/controllers/auth.js
+++ b/packages/server/server/controllers/auth.js
@@ -2,12 +2,21 @@ const knex = require('../data/db')
 
 const { hashPassword, compareHash } = require('../services/bcrypt');
 const signToken = require('../services/signToken');
-const { validateSignup, validateLogin } = require('../services/userValidate');
+
+const { validationResult } = require('express-validator');
+
+const checkValidationErrors = (req, res) => {
+  const errors = validationResult(req);
+  if (!errors.isEmpty()) {
+    return res.status(422).json({ errors: errors.array() });
+  }
+}
 
 const signup = async (req, res, next) => {
   
+  checkValidationErrors(req, res);
+  
   const user = req.body;
-  if (!validateSignup(user)) return;
   
   try {
     
@@ -15,6 +24,7 @@ const signup = async (req, res, next) => {
     const secureUser = { ...user, password: hashedPassword }
     
     knex('user')
+    .returning(['username', 'email'])
     .insert(secureUser)
     .then(queryResults => {
       const newUser = queryResults[0];
@@ -28,9 +38,10 @@ const signup = async (req, res, next) => {
 }
 
 const login = async (req, res, next) => {
-  
+
+  checkValidationErrors(req, res);
+
   const user = req.body;
-  if (!validateLogin(user)) return;
 
   try {
 
diff --git a/packages/server/server/middleware/userValidator.js b/packages/server/server/middleware/userValidator.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d816404
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/server/middleware/userValidator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+const {check, sanitize, validationResult} = require('express-validator');
+
+const signupValidationRules = () => {
+  return [
+    check('email', 'invalid email').normalizeEmail().isEmail(),
+    check('username', 'invalid username').isString(),
+    check('password', 'invalid password').isString().isLength({min: 8}),
+    sanitize('username').escape()
+  ]
+}
+
+const loginValidationRules = () => {
+  return [
+    check('username', 'bad credentials').isString(),
+    check('password', 'bad credentials').isString()
+  ]
+}
+
+const validate = (req, res, next) => {
+  const errors = validationResult(req)
+  if (errors.isEmpty()) {
+    return next()
+  }
+  const extractedErrors = []
+  errors.array().map(err => extractedErrors.push({ [err.param]: err.msg }))
+  
+  return res.status(422).json({
+    errors: extractedErrors,
+  })
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  signupValidationRules,
+  loginValidationRules,
+  validate
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/package-lock.json b/packages/server/server/package-lock.json
index 3d4a99f..7714583 100644
--- a/packages/server/server/package-lock.json
+++ b/packages/server/server/package-lock.json
@@ -1043,6 +1043,15 @@
         "vary": "~1.1.2"
       }
     },
+    "express-validator": {
+      "version": "6.3.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/express-validator/-/express-validator-6.3.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-YQHQKP/zlUTN6d38uWwXgK3At5phK6R24pOB/ImWisMUz/U/1AC3ZXMgiZYhtH4ViYJ6UAiV0/nj8s1Qs3kmvw==",
+      "requires": {
+        "lodash": "^4.17.15",
+        "validator": "^11.1.0"
+      }
+    },
     "extend": {
       "version": "3.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/extend/-/extend-3.0.2.tgz",
@@ -3461,6 +3470,11 @@
         "homedir-polyfill": "^1.0.1"
       }
     },
+    "validator": {
+      "version": "11.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/validator/-/validator-11.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-qiQ5ktdO7CD6C/5/mYV4jku/7qnqzjrxb3C/Q5wR3vGGinHTgJZN/TdFT3ZX4vXhX2R1PXx42fB1cn5W+uJ4lg=="
+    },
     "vary": {
       "version": "1.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/vary/-/vary-1.1.2.tgz",
diff --git a/packages/server/server/package.json b/packages/server/server/package.json
index f332bd1..1281016 100644
--- a/packages/server/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/server/package.json
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     "debug": "~2.6.9",
     "dotenv": "^8.2.0",
     "express": "~4.16.1",
+    "express-validator": "^6.3.1",
     "http-errors": "~1.6.3",
     "jsonwebtoken": "^8.5.1",
     "knex": "^0.20.7",
diff --git a/packages/server/server/routes/auth.js b/packages/server/server/routes/auth.js
index b521ecc..dfa96f9 100644
--- a/packages/server/server/routes/auth.js
+++ b/packages/server/server/routes/auth.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 const express = require('express');
 const router = express.Router();
-
+const app = require('../server');
 const authController = require('../controllers/auth');
+const { signupValidationRules, loginValidationRules, validate } = require('../middleware/userValidator');
 
-router.post('/signup', authController.signup);
-router.post('/login', authController.login);
+router.post('/signup', signupValidationRules(), validate, authController.signup);
+router.post('/login', loginValidationRules(), validate, authController.login);
 
 module.exports = router;
diff --git a/packages/server/server/services/userValidate.js b/packages/server/server/services/userValidate.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 19dda00..0000000
--- a/packages/server/server/services/userValidate.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-const validateSignup = (user) => {
-  if (!user.username) throw('no username');
-  if (!user.email) throw('no email');
-  if (!user.password) throw('no password');
-  return true
-}
-
-const validateLogin = (user) => {
-  if (!user.username) throw('no username');
-  if (!user.password) throw('no password');
-  return true;
-}
-
-module.exports = { validateLogin, validateSignup };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/services/verifyToken.js b/packages/server/server/services/verifyToken.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13444e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/server/services/verifyToken.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+require('dotenv').config();
+
+const verifyToken = (token) => {
+  const secret = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test' ? process.env.TEST_SECRET : process.env.JWT_SECRET;
+  const decoded = jwt.verify(token, secret, (err, decoded) => {
+    if (err) return err;
+    return decoded;
+  });
+  return decoded;
+}
+
+module.exports = verifyToken;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/test/auth.login.spec.js b/packages/server/server/test/auth.login.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78ebcf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/server/test/auth.login.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+const authSignupSpec = (chai, knex, server) => {
+  const newUserFormData = {
+    'username':'newUser',
+    'password':'password',
+    'email':'user@example.com'
+  }
+  const loginFormData = {
+    'username':'newUser',
+    'password':'password'
+  }
+
+    
+  it('post to /login with non-registered user should return status 401 with bad creds err', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/login')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      res.should.status(401);
+      res.body.err.should.equal('bad credentials');
+      done();
+    });
+  })
+  
+  it('post to /login with non-registered user should return status 401 with bad creds err', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/login')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      res.should.status(401);
+      res.body.err.should.equal('bad credentials');
+      done();
+    })
+  })
+  
+  it('post to /login with registered user should return cookie', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+
+      chai.request(server)
+      .post('/auth/login')
+      .type('form')
+      .send(loginFormData)
+      .end((err, res) => {
+        if(err) done(err);
+        res.should.status(200);
+        res.should.cookie('token');
+        done();
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+
+
+}
+module.exports = authSignupSpec;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/test/auth.signup.spec.js b/packages/server/server/test/auth.signup.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..218a98f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/server/test/auth.signup.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+const verifyToken = require('../services/verifyToken');
+
+const authSignupSpec = (chai, knex, server) => {
+  const newUserFormData = {
+    'username':'newUser',
+    'password':'password',
+    'email':'user@example.com'
+  }
+  const invalidEmailFormData = {
+    'username':'newUser',
+    'email': 'useremail',
+    'password':'password'
+  }
+  const scriptInjectionFormData = {
+    'username': '<script> alert("hello, there");</script>',
+    'password':'password',
+    'email':'user@example.com'
+  }
+  const sqlInjectionFormData = {
+    'username': '; DROP TABLE user;',
+    'password':'password',
+    'email':'user@example.com'
+  }
+
+  it('post to /signup should return 200 status', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      res.should.status(200);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+    
+  it('post to /signup should return token', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      res.should.cookie('token');
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+    
+  it('post to /signup should add user to db', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      knex('user').where({'username': newUserFormData.username}).then(results => {
+        const newUser = results[0];
+        if (newUser.username === newUserFormData.username) done();
+      })
+    });
+  })
+    
+  it('post to /signup should add user to db with password', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      knex('user').where({'username': newUserFormData.username}).then(results => {
+        const newUser = results[0];
+        if (newUser.password !== newUserFormData.password) done();
+      })
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('post to /signup with invalid email should return 422', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(invalidEmailFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      res.should.status(422);
+      done();
+    });
+  })
+  
+  it('post to /signup should return cookie with jwt for user', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(newUserFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      const cookie = res.headers['set-cookie'][0];
+      const token = cookie.split(';')[0].split('token=')[1]
+      const verifiedToken = verifyToken(token);
+      const userAssertion = verifiedToken.should.have.property('user');
+      userAssertion.with.property('username');
+      userAssertion.with.property('email');
+      userAssertion.not.with.property('password');
+      done()
+    })
+  })
+  
+  it('post to /signup should sanitize inputs for script injection', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(scriptInjectionFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      const cookie = res.headers['set-cookie'][0];
+      const token = cookie.split(';')[0].split('token=')[1]
+      const verifiedToken = verifyToken(token);
+      verifiedToken.should.have.property('user')
+      .with.property('username')
+      .to.not.equal('<script> alert("hello, there");</script>')
+      done()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('post to /signup should sanitize inputs for sql injection', done => {
+    chai.request(server)
+    .post('/auth/signup')
+    .type('form')
+    .send(sqlInjectionFormData)
+    .end((err, res) => {
+      if (err) done(err);
+      knex('user')
+      .where('id', 1)
+      .select('id','username','email')
+      .then(results => {
+        const newUser = results[0];
+        if (newUser) done();
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+
+
+}
+module.exports = authSignupSpec;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/test/auth.spec.js b/packages/server/server/test/auth.spec.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 383d04b..0000000
--- a/packages/server/server/test/auth.spec.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,114 +0,0 @@
-const authSpec = (chai, knex, server) => {
-  const newUserFormData = {
-    'username':'newUser',
-    'password':'password',
-    'email':'user@example.com'
-  }
-  const loginFormData = {
-    'username':'newUser',
-    'password':'password'
-  }
-
-  it('post to sign up should return 200 status', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/signup')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      res.should.status(200);
-      done();
-    });
-    });
-    
-  it('post to sign up should return token', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/signup')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      res.should.cookie('token');
-      done();
-    });
-  });
-    
-  it('post to sign up should add user to db', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/signup')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      knex('user').where({'username': newUserFormData.username}).then(results => {
-        const newUser = results[0];
-        if (newUser.username === newUserFormData.username) done();
-      })
-    });
-  })
-    
-  it('post to sign up should add user to db with password', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/signup')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      knex('user').where({'username': newUserFormData.username}).then(results => {
-        const newUser = results[0];
-        if (newUser.password !== newUserFormData.password) done();
-      })
-    });
-  });
-    
-  it('post to login with non-registered user should return status 401 with bad creds err', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/login')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      res.should.status(401);
-      res.body.err.should.equal('bad credentials');
-      done();
-    });
-  })
-  
-  it('post to login with non-registered user should return status 401 with bad creds err', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/login')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-      res.should.status(401);
-      res.body.err.should.equal('bad credentials');
-      done();
-    })
-  })
-  
-  it('post to login with registered user should return cookie', done => {
-    chai.request(server)
-    .post('/auth/signup')
-    .type('form')
-    .send(newUserFormData)
-    .end((err, res) => {
-      if (err) done(err);
-
-      chai.request(server)
-      .post('/auth/login')
-      .type('form')
-      .send(loginFormData)
-      .end((err, res) => {
-        if(err) done(err);
-        res.should.status(200);
-        res.should.cookie('token');
-        done();
-      })
-    })
-  })
-
-
-
-}
-module.exports = authSpec;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/server/test/spec.js b/packages/server/server/test/spec.js
index a304447..2f0ec61 100644
--- a/packages/server/server/test/spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/server/test/spec.js
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ const server = require('../server');
 
 const should = chai.should();
 
-const authSpec = require('./auth.spec');
+const authSignupSpec = require('./auth.signup.spec');
+const authLoginSpec = require('./auth.login.spec');
 
 chai.use(chaiHttp);
 // ! to run tests from other testing modules
@@ -29,8 +30,8 @@ const setupDb = () => {
 describe('Auth Routes', function() {
   setupDb();
   
-  authSpec(chai, knex, server)
-  
+  authSignupSpec(chai, knex, server);
+  authLoginSpec(chai, knex, server);
 });
 
 describe('API Routes', function() {