diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index d2351f6..b454f97 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -188,6 +188,32 @@ func GetTokenClaims(req *http.Request) (*TokenClaims, error) {
 	return claims, nil
 }
 
+func DecodeJWT(secret, token string) (*TokenClaims, error) {
+	secretfunc := func(*jwt.Token) (interface{}, error) {
+		return []byte(secret), nil
+	}
+
+	tok, err := jwt.ParseWithClaims(token, &TokenClaims{}, secretfunc)
+	if err != nil {
+		if validation, ok := err.(*jwt.ValidationError); ok {
+			// don't return error if token is expired
+			if !(validation.Errors&jwt.ValidationErrorExpired != 0) {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		} else {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// type assertion
+	claims, ok := tok.Claims.(*TokenClaims)
+	if !ok {
+		return &TokenClaims{}, errors.New("token is not valid")
+	}
+
+	return claims, nil
+}
+
 // randomSalt returns a string of 32 random characters.
 func randomSalt() (s string, err error) {
 	const saltSize = 32