diff --git a/litellm/proxy/hooks/parallel_request_limiter.py b/litellm/proxy/hooks/parallel_request_limiter.py
index 39cc73751..98ee231b6 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/hooks/parallel_request_limiter.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/hooks/parallel_request_limiter.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from litellm.integrations.custom_logger import CustomLogger
 from fastapi import HTTPException
 
 class MaxParallelRequestsHandler(CustomLogger): 
+    user_api_key_cache = None
     # Class variables or attributes
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 3e4e7f25d..0264ad2f9 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import sys, os, platform, time, copy, re, asyncio, inspect
 import threading, ast
 import shutil, random, traceback, requests
-from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from typing import Optional, List
 import secrets, subprocess
 import hashlib, uuid
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ async def user_api_key_auth(request: Request, api_key: str = fastapi.Security(ap
         if valid_token is None: 
             ## check db 
             print(f"api key: {api_key}")
-            valid_token = await prisma_client.get_data(token=api_key, expires=datetime.utcnow())
+            valid_token = await prisma_client.get_data(token=api_key, expires=datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc))
             print(f"valid token from prisma: {valid_token}")
             user_api_key_cache.set_cache(key=api_key, value=valid_token, ttl=60)
         elif valid_token is not None: 
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/utils.py b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
index 2dc62d664..980b518d0 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ from litellm.caching import DualCache
 from litellm.proxy.hooks.parallel_request_limiter import MaxParallelRequestsHandler
 from litellm.proxy.hooks.max_budget_limiter import MaxBudgetLimiter
 from litellm.integrations.custom_logger import CustomLogger
+from fastapi import HTTPException, status
+
 def print_verbose(print_statement):
     if litellm.set_verbose:
         print(f"LiteLLM Proxy: {print_statement}") # noqa
@@ -173,22 +175,25 @@ class PrismaClient:
                 hashed_token = token
                 if token.startswith("sk-"): 
                     hashed_token = self.hash_token(token=token)
-                if expires: 
-                    response = await self.db.litellm_verificationtoken.find_first(
-                            where={
-                                "token": hashed_token,
-                                "expires": {"gte": expires}  # Check if the token is not expired
-                            }
-                        )
-                else: 
-                    response = await self.db.litellm_verificationtoken.find_unique(
+                response = await self.db.litellm_verificationtoken.find_unique(
                         where={
                             "token": hashed_token
                         }
                     )
-                return response
+                if response:
+                    # Token exists, now check expiration.
+                    if response.expires is not None and expires is not None: 
+                        if response.expires >= expires:
+                            # Token exists and is not expired.
+                            return response
+                        else:
+                            # Token exists but is expired.
+                            raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN, detail="expired user key")
+                else:
+                    # Token does not exist.
+                    raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED, detail="invalid user key")
             elif user_id is not None: 
-                response = await self.db.litellm_usertable.find_first( # type: ignore
+                response = await self.db.litellm_usertable.find_unique( # type: ignore
                             where={
                                 "user_id": user_id,
                             }