diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 34f0ff72..7631bae6 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -44,6 +44,18 @@
             ],
             "console": "integratedTerminal",
         },
+        {
+            "type": "node",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "name": "Launch API Server (serve-dev)",
+            "skipFiles": ["<node_internals>/**"],
+            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/src/main.ts",
+            "preLaunchTask": "tsc: build - tsconfig.json",
+            "outFiles": ["${workspaceFolder}/build/**/*.js"],
+            "runtimeExecutable": "yarn",
+            "runtimeArgs": ["run", "serve-dev"],
+            "console": "integratedTerminal"
+          },
         {
             "name": "Debug Jest Tests",
             "type": "node",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a83b795f..4880fcee 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
     "build-release": "tsc  -p tsconfig.release.json",
     "clean": "tsc -b --clean && rm -rf build/*",
     "serve": "yarn build && node --experimental-json-modules build/main.js",
+    "serve-dev": "echo \"🚨 LOCAL_DEV_BYPASS_AUTH enabled 🚨\" && LOCAL_DEV_BYPASS_AUTH=true yarn serve",
     "refresh-db": "./refresh-db.sh",
     "seed-usa": "yarn build && node build/db/import/usa/USADay0Seed.js",
     "seed-db": "./seed-db.sh",
diff --git a/src/auth/local-dev/middleware.ts b/src/auth/local-dev/middleware.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..779066ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth/local-dev/middleware.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+* This file is a mod of src/auth/middleware.ts and is used when starting the server via `yarn serve-dev`
+* It bypasses the authentication for local development
+*/
+import muuid, { MUUID } from 'uuid-mongodb'
+import { AuthUserType } from '../../types.js'
+import { logger } from '../../logger.js'
+
+export const localDevBypassAuthMiddleware = (() => {
+  const testUUID: MUUID = muuid.v4()
+
+  return async ({ req }): Promise<any> => {
+    const user: AuthUserType = {
+      roles: ['user_admin', 'org_admin', 'editor'],
+      uuid: testUUID,
+      isBuilder: false
+    }
+    logger.info(`The user.roles for this session is: ${user.roles.toString()}`)
+    return { user }
+  }
+})()
diff --git a/src/auth/local-dev/permissions.ts b/src/auth/local-dev/permissions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac2ffd49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth/local-dev/permissions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+* This file is a mod of src/auth/permissions.ts and is used when starting the server via `yarn serve-dev`
+* It bypasses the authorization for local development and allows all queries and mutations
+*/
+import { shield, allow } from 'graphql-shield'
+
+const localDevBypassAuthPermissions = shield({
+  Query: {
+    '*': allow
+  },
+  Mutation: {
+    '*': allow
+  }
+}, {
+  allowExternalErrors: true,
+  fallbackRule: allow
+})
+
+export default localDevBypassAuthPermissions
diff --git a/src/server.ts b/src/server.ts
index b7c98621..7159ec8d 100644
--- a/src/server.ts
+++ b/src/server.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ import ChangeLogDataSource from './model/ChangeLogDataSource.js'
 import MutableMediaDataSource from './model/MutableMediaDataSource.js'
 import MutableClimbDataSource from './model/MutableClimbDataSource.js'
 import TickDataSource from './model/TickDataSource.js'
-import { createContext, permissions } from './auth/index.js'
+import { createContext } from './auth/middleware.js'
+import permissions from './auth/permissions.js'
+import { localDevBypassAuthMiddleware } from './auth/local-dev/middleware.js'
+import localDevBypassAuthPermissions from './auth/local-dev/permissions.js'
 import XMediaDataSource from './model/XMediaDataSource.js'
 import PostDataSource from './model/PostDataSource.js'
 import MutableOrgDS from './model/MutableOrganizationDataSource.js'
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@ import UserDataSource from './model/UserDataSource.js'
 export async function createServer (): Promise<ApolloServer> {
   const schema = applyMiddleware(
     graphqlSchema,
-    permissions.generate(graphqlSchema)
+    (process.env.LOCAL_DEV_BYPASS_AUTH === 'true' ? localDevBypassAuthPermissions : permissions).generate(graphqlSchema)
   )
   const dataSources: () => DataSources<Context> = () => ({
     climbs: MutableClimbDataSource.getInstance(),
@@ -36,10 +39,11 @@ export async function createServer (): Promise<ApolloServer> {
     xmedia: new XMediaDataSource(mongoose.connection.db.collection('xmedia')),
     post: new PostDataSource(mongoose.connection.db.collection('post'))
   })
+
   const server = new ApolloServer({
     introspection: true,
     schema,
-    context: createContext,
+    context: process.env.LOCAL_DEV_BYPASS_AUTH === 'true' ? localDevBypassAuthMiddleware : createContext,
     dataSources,
     cache: 'bounded'
   })