diff --git a/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.Designer.cs b/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.Designer.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93205eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.Designer.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,339 @@
+// <auto-generated />
+using System;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Migrations;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Storage.ValueConversion;
+using Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL.Metadata;
+
+#nullable disable
+
+namespace agologum_api.Migrations
+{
+    [DbContext(typeof(AppDbContext))]
+    [Migration("20260423010900_ugh")]
+    partial class ugh
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void BuildTargetModel(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+        {
+#pragma warning disable 612, 618
+            modelBuilder
+                .HasAnnotation("ProductVersion", "10.0.5")
+                .HasAnnotation("Relational:MaxIdentifierLength", 63);
+
+            NpgsqlModelBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumns(modelBuilder);
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("Id")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ConcurrencyStamp")
+                        .IsConcurrencyToken()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedName")
+                        .IsUnique()
+                        .HasDatabaseName("RoleNameIndex");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetRoles", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRoleClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimType")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimValue")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("RoleId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("RoleId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetRoleClaims", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimType")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ClaimValue")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("UserId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserClaims", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserLogin<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("LoginProvider")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ProviderKey")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ProviderDisplayName")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("LoginProvider", "ProviderKey");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("UserId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserLogins", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserRole<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("RoleId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("UserId", "RoleId");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("RoleId");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserRoles", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserToken<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("LoginProvider")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Value")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("UserId", "LoginProvider", "Name");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUserTokens", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("RefreshToken", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("ExpiresAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("IsRevoked")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Token")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserId")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.ToTable("RefreshTokens");
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("agologumApi.Models.Item", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<int>("Id")
+                        .ValueGeneratedOnAdd()
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    NpgsqlPropertyBuilderExtensions.UseIdentityByDefaultColumn(b.Property<int>("Id"));
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Description")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("LastEditedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Name")
+                        .IsRequired()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.ToTable("Items");
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("agologumApi.Models.User", b =>
+                {
+                    b.Property<string>("Id")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<int>("AccessFailedCount")
+                        .HasColumnType("integer");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("ConcurrencyStamp")
+                        .IsConcurrencyToken()
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTime>("CreatedAt")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("Email")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("EmailConfirmed")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("LockoutEnabled")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<DateTimeOffset?>("LockoutEnd")
+                        .HasColumnType("timestamp with time zone");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedEmail")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("NormalizedUserName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("PasswordHash")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.PrimitiveCollection<string>("Permissions")
+                        .HasColumnType("jsonb");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("PhoneNumber")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("PhoneNumberConfirmed")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("SecurityStamp")
+                        .HasColumnType("text");
+
+                    b.Property<bool>("TwoFactorEnabled")
+                        .HasColumnType("boolean");
+
+                    b.Property<string>("UserName")
+                        .HasMaxLength(256)
+                        .HasColumnType("character varying(256)");
+
+                    b.HasKey("Id");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedEmail")
+                        .HasDatabaseName("EmailIndex");
+
+                    b.HasIndex("NormalizedUserName")
+                        .IsUnique()
+                        .HasDatabaseName("UserNameIndex");
+
+                    b.ToTable("AspNetUsers", (string)null);
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRoleClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("RoleId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserClaim<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserLogin<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserRole<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityRole", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("RoleId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+
+            modelBuilder.Entity("Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.IdentityUserToken<string>", b =>
+                {
+                    b.HasOne("agologumApi.Models.User", null)
+                        .WithMany()
+                        .HasForeignKey("UserId")
+                        .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
+                        .IsRequired();
+                });
+#pragma warning restore 612, 618
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.cs b/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6c9033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/Migrations/20260423010900_ugh.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Migrations;
+
+#nullable disable
+
+namespace agologum_api.Migrations
+{
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public partial class ugh : Migration
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void Up(MigrationBuilder migrationBuilder)
+        {
+            migrationBuilder.AlterColumn<string>(
+                name: "Permissions",
+                table: "AspNetUsers",
+                type: "jsonb",
+                nullable: true,
+                oldClrType: typeof(List<string>),
+                oldType: "text[]",
+                oldNullable: true);
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        protected override void Down(MigrationBuilder migrationBuilder)
+        {
+            migrationBuilder.AlterColumn<List<string>>(
+                name: "Permissions",
+                table: "AspNetUsers",
+                type: "text[]",
+                nullable: true,
+                oldClrType: typeof(string),
+                oldType: "jsonb",
+                oldNullable: true);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/api/Migrations/AppDbContextModelSnapshot.cs b/api/Migrations/AppDbContextModelSnapshot.cs
index 26fd533..0a94956 100644
--- a/api/Migrations/AppDbContextModelSnapshot.cs
+++ b/api/Migrations/AppDbContextModelSnapshot.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // <auto-generated />
 using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Storage.ValueConversion;
@@ -250,8 +249,8 @@ namespace agologum_api.Migrations
                     b.Property<string>("PasswordHash")
                         .HasColumnType("text");
 
-                    b.PrimitiveCollection<List<string>>("Permissions")
-                        .HasColumnType("text[]");
+                    b.PrimitiveCollection<string>("Permissions")
+                        .HasColumnType("jsonb");
 
                     b.Property<string>("PhoneNumber")
                         .HasColumnType("text");
diff --git a/api/src/Data/AppDbContext.cs b/api/src/Data/AppDbContext.cs
index fbbb596..cd6b14f 100644
--- a/api/src/Data/AppDbContext.cs
+++ b/api/src/Data/AppDbContext.cs
@@ -14,4 +14,12 @@ public class AppDbContext : IdentityDbContext<User> {
     public DbSet<Item> Items { get; set; }
     public DbSet<RefreshToken> RefreshTokens { get; set; }
 
+    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder builder) {
+        
+        base.OnModelCreating(builder);
+
+        builder.Entity<User>().Property(u => u.Permissions).HasColumnType("jsonb");
+        
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/src/Models/User.cs b/api/src/Models/User.cs
index 5b95f47..28b4953 100644
--- a/api/src/Models/User.cs
+++ b/api/src/Models/User.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ public class User : IdentityUser {
 
     public DateTime CreatedAt { get; set; }
 
-    public List<string>? Permissions { get; set; }
+    // TODO: make this a list of UserPermissions
+    // where a userpermission has an Id, Permission (string), and userId string
+    // then we can do something like: get all users with this permission
+    public List<string>? Permissions { get; set; } = new();
 
     // properties inherited from IdentityUser:
     /*