How to retrieve Laravel Passport access token expiration duration or datetime?
Stefan Bogdanescu
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
# How to Retrieve Laravel Passport Access Token Expiration Duration or Datetime
As developers building secure APIs with Laravel and Passport, managing token lifecycles is crucial. When configuring token expiration using methods like `Passport::tokensExpireIn()`, we set policy boundaries for when tokens should expire. However, once a token is issued, retrieving that specific expiration data dynamically within your application logic can be a common requirementâwhether for display purposes, custom rate limiting, or proactive renewal checks.
This post addresses how you can retrieve the exact expiration time or duration (in seconds) associated with a Laravel Passport access token, especially in the context of your existing setup using the First-Party App flow.
## Understanding Token Expiration in Passport
In a standard Laravel Passport implementation, when you use `createToken()`, Passport stores the relevant expiration information directly within the associated token model record in your database. This data is managed by Laravel's Eloquent ORM and Carbon date handling.
The configuration methods you used:
```php
Passport::tokensExpireIn(Carbon::now()->addDays(30));
Passport::refreshTokensExpireIn(Carbon::now()->addDays(60));
```
These methods set the *default* expiration rules for newly created tokens. When a token is generated, these defaults are used to calculate the actual `expires_at` timestamp stored on the token record.
To retrieve this information, you need to access the Eloquent model associated with the token rather than relying solely on the calculated duration placed in the response.
## Retrieving Expiration Data from the Token Model
The most reliable way to get the exact expiration time is by accessing the `expires_at` attribute directly from the token model instance retrieved after successful authentication or token validation.
When you retrieve a token via `$user->tokens()`, you gain access to the full Eloquent models containing all the necessary details, including the precise timestamp.
Here is how you can modify your controller action to dynamically calculate and return the expiration data:
### Example Implementation
In your `apiLogin` action, instead of hardcoding the `expires_in` value (which is a duration), you should retrieve the calculated expiration date from the token object itself.
```php
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
use App\Models\User; // Assuming your User model handles tokens, or use Passport's Token model if necessary
use Carbon\Carbon;
public function apiLogin(Request $request)
{
$credentials = $request->only('email', 'password');
if (Auth::attempt($credentials)) {
// Authentication passed...
$user = Auth::user();
// 1. Create the token
$token = $user->createToken('API Access')->accessToken;
// 2. Retrieve the actual expiration time from the created token model
$expirationTime = $token->expires_at;
// 3. Calculate the duration in seconds for explicit reporting (optional)
$expiresInSeconds = $expirationTime->diffInSeconds(Carbon::now());
return response()->json([
"token_type" => "Bearer",
"expires_in_seconds" => $expiresInSeconds, // The actual number of seconds remaining
"expires_at" => $expirationTime, // The exact datetime object
"access_token" => $token->plainTextToken // Use plainTextToken for API responses
]);
}
return response()->json(["error" => "invalid_credentials", "message" => "The user credentials were incorrect."], 401);
}
```
### Explanation of the Approach
1. **Accessing `expires_at`:** After calling `$user->createToken()`, the resulting token object (or the associated model) contains the `expires_at` timestamp, which is a Carbon instance. This timestamp is set based on your configuration in `AuthServiceProvider`.
2. **Calculating Duration (`diffInSeconds`):** To get the duration remaining, you use the powerful Carbon method `diffInSeconds()`, comparing the stored `expires_at` with the current time (`Carbon::now()`). This provides a dynamic, real-time calculation of the token's lifespan in seconds.
3. **Data Return:** By returning both the full `expires_at` datetime and the calculated `expires_in_seconds`, you provide the client application with all necessary information to manage its session effectively, adhering to best practices for API communication discussed in guides like those found on the official Laravel documentation.
## Conclusion
Retrieving token expiration details is not something that should be hardcoded but rather a dynamic calculation based on the stored data. By leveraging Eloquent models and Carbon's date manipulation capabilities within your controller logic, you ensure that your application always reflects the true state of the token lifecycle. This approach keeps your system flexible, accurate, and robust, aligning perfectly with the principles of clean data management advocated by Laravel.