diff --git a/.changeset/auth-verify-issued-at.md b/.changeset/auth-verify-issued-at.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b10ef9ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/auth-verify-issued-at.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"github.com/livekit/protocol": patch
+"@livekit/protocol": patch
+---
+
+Validate the `iat` claim when verifying access tokens (`auth.APIKeyTokenVerifier.Verify`). Previously, a correctly-signed token that omitted `nbf` and carried a far-future `iat` would verify successfully immediately, regardless of how far in the future it claimed to have been issued.
diff --git a/auth/verifier.go b/auth/verifier.go
index 60a476d35..8e615712f 100644
--- a/auth/verifier.go
+++ b/auth/verifier.go
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@ func (v *APIKeyTokenVerifier) Verify(key interface{}) (*jwt.RegisteredClaims, *C
 		// or third-party minter that forgets it silently mints a permanent
 		// credential.
 		jwt.WithExpirationRequired(),
+		// Without this, iat is never validated. First-party SDKs always set
+		// nbf (see AccessToken.ToJWT), which the parser already validates by
+		// default when present, but a token that omits nbf entirely verifies
+		// immediately regardless of how far in the future it claims to have
+		// been issued unless iat is checked too. (A token omitting both iat
+		// and nbf is unaffected by this check either way.)
+		jwt.WithIssuedAt(),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
diff --git a/auth/verifier_test.go b/auth/verifier_test.go
index dd5d23c71..28414a0a9 100644
--- a/auth/verifier_test.go
+++ b/auth/verifier_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,31 @@ func TestVerifier(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Error(t, err)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("token issued in the future without nbf is rejected", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// hand-rolled JWT with iat 2h in the future and no nbf claim. The Go
+		// SDK always sets nbf (see AccessToken.ToJWT), so build this directly
+		// to model a third-party minter that omits it: without nbf, and
+		// without WithIssuedAt() on the parser, nothing stops a token from
+		// verifying immediately no matter how far in the future it claims to
+		// have been issued.
+		token := jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, jwt.MapClaims{
+			"iss": apiKey,
+			"iat": jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(2 * time.Hour)),
+			"exp": jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(3 * time.Hour)),
+			"video": map[string]interface{}{
+				"roomCreate": true,
+			},
+		})
+		authToken, err := token.SignedString([]byte(secret))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		v, err := auth.ParseAPIToken(authToken)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		_, _, err = v.Verify(secret)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("unexpired token is verified", func(t *testing.T) {
 		claim := auth.VideoGrant{RoomCreate: true}
 		at := auth.NewAccessToken(apiKey, secret).