diff --git a/api/src/exam-environment/routes/exam-environment.test.ts b/api/src/exam-environment/routes/exam-environment.test.ts
index 3e6698cd6e6..d8f853e090c 100644
--- a/api/src/exam-environment/routes/exam-environment.test.ts
+++ b/api/src/exam-environment/routes/exam-environment.test.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ jest.mock('../../utils/env', () => {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
   return {
     ...jest.requireActual('../../utils/env'),
-    FCC_ENABLE_EXAM_ENVIRONMENT: 'true'
+    FCC_ENABLE_EXAM_ENVIRONMENT: 'true',
+    DEPLOYMENT_ENV: 'production'
   };
 });
 
diff --git a/api/src/routes/protected/user.test.ts b/api/src/routes/protected/user.test.ts
index d69127a81ae..0ac38b9ddc4 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/protected/user.test.ts
+++ b/api/src/routes/protected/user.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,19 @@ import { getMsTranscriptApiUrl } from './user';
 const mockedFetch = jest.fn();
 jest.spyOn(globalThis, 'fetch').mockImplementation(mockedFetch);
 
+let mockDeploymentEnv = 'staging';
+jest.mock('../../utils/env', () => {
+  const actualEnv = jest.requireActual('../../utils/env');
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
+  return {
+    ...actualEnv,
+    get DEPLOYMENT_ENV() {
+      return mockDeploymentEnv;
+    },
+    JWT_SECRET: actualEnv.JWT_SECRET
+  };
+});
+
 // This is used to build a test user.
 const testUserData: Prisma.userCreateInput = {
   ...createUserInput(defaultUserEmail),
@@ -1273,6 +1286,14 @@ Thanks and regards,
     });
 
     describe('/user/exam-environment/token', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        mockDeploymentEnv = 'production';
+      });
+
+      afterAll(() => {
+        mockDeploymentEnv = 'staging';
+      });
+
       afterEach(async () => {
         await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken.deleteMany(
           {
@@ -1335,6 +1356,44 @@ Thanks and regards,
           );
         expect(tokens).toHaveLength(1);
       });
+
+      test('POST does not generate a new token in non-production environments for non-staff', async () => {
+        // Override deployment environment for this test
+        mockDeploymentEnv = 'development';
+        const response = await superPost('/user/exam-environment/token');
+        expect(response.status).toBe(403);
+      });
+
+      test('POST does generate a new token in non-production environments for staff', async () => {
+        // Override deployment environment for this test
+        mockDeploymentEnv = 'staging';
+        await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.update({
+          where: {
+            id: defaultUserId
+          },
+          data: { email: 'camperbot@freecodecamp.org' }
+        });
+
+        const response = await superPost('/user/exam-environment/token');
+        const { examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken } = response.body;
+
+        const decodedToken = jwt.decode(examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken);
+
+        expect(decodedToken).toStrictEqual({
+          examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken:
+            expect.stringMatching(/^[a-z0-9]{24}$/),
+          iat: expect.any(Number)
+        });
+
+        expect(() =>
+          jwt.verify(examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken, 'wrong-secret')
+        ).toThrow();
+        expect(() =>
+          jwt.verify(examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken, JWT_SECRET)
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        expect(response.status).toBe(201);
+      });
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/api/src/routes/protected/user.ts b/api/src/routes/protected/user.ts
index 8541c70c97a..a1b80ab50e7 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/protected/user.ts
+++ b/api/src/routes/protected/user.ts
@@ -27,11 +27,12 @@ import {
   getPoints,
   ProgressTimestamp
 } from '../../utils/progress';
-import { JWT_SECRET } from '../../utils/env';
+import { DEPLOYMENT_ENV, JWT_SECRET } from '../../utils/env';
 import {
   getExamAttemptHandler,
   getExamAttemptsHandler
 } from '../../exam-environment/routes/exam-environment';
+import { ERRORS } from '../../exam-environment/utils/errors';
 
 /**
  * Helper function to get the api url from the shared transcript link.
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ export const userRoutes: FastifyPluginCallbackTypebox = (
   done();
 };
 
-// eslint-disable-next-line jsdoc/require-param
+// eslint-disable-next-line jsdoc/require-param, jsdoc/require-returns
 /**
  * Generate a new authorization token for the given user, and invalidates any existing tokens.
  *
@@ -515,6 +516,24 @@ async function examEnvironmentTokenHandler(
   if (!userId) {
     throw new Error('Unreachable. User should be authenticated.');
   }
+
+  // In non-production environments, only staff are allowed to generate a token
+  if (
+    DEPLOYMENT_ENV !== 'production' &&
+    (!req.user?.email?.endsWith('@freecodecamp.org') ||
+      !req.user?.emailVerified)
+  ) {
+    logger.info(
+      `User not allowed to generate authorization token on ${DEPLOYMENT_ENV}.`
+    );
+    void reply.code(403);
+    return reply.send(
+      ERRORS.FCC_ERR_EXAM_ENVIRONMENT(
+        `User not allowed to generate authorization token in ${DEPLOYMENT_ENV} environment.`
+      )
+    );
+  }
+
   // Delete (invalidate) any existing tokens for the user.
   await this.prisma.examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken.deleteMany({
     where: {
diff --git a/api/src/schemas/user/exam-environment-token.ts b/api/src/schemas/user/exam-environment-token.ts
index 2135c3086ef..907f67f0053 100644
--- a/api/src/schemas/user/exam-environment-token.ts
+++ b/api/src/schemas/user/exam-environment-token.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 import { Type } from '@fastify/type-provider-typebox';
+import { STANDARD_ERROR } from '../../exam-environment/utils/errors';
 
 export const userExamEnvironmentToken = {
   response: {
-    200: Type.Object({
+    201: Type.Object({
       examEnvironmentAuthorizationToken: Type.String()
-    })
+    }),
+    403: STANDARD_ERROR
+    // default: STANDARD_ERROR
   }
 };
diff --git a/api/src/utils/env.ts b/api/src/utils/env.ts
index 6e20bc8afdb..736e59fd843 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/env.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/env.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ If so, ensure that the environment variable JEST_WORKER_ID is set.`
 
 assert.ok(process.env.HOME_LOCATION);
 assert.ok(isAllowedEnv(_FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV));
+assert.ok(process.env.DEPLOYMENT_ENV);
 assert.ok(isAllowedProvider(_EMAIL_PROVIDER));
 assert.ok(process.env.AUTH0_CLIENT_ID);
 assert.ok(process.env.AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET);
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ export const FCC_ENABLE_SENTRY_ROUTES = undefinedOrBool(
   process.env.FCC_ENABLE_SENTRY_ROUTES
 );
 export const FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV = _FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV;
+export const DEPLOYMENT_ENV = process.env.DEPLOYMENT_ENV;
 export const SENTRY_DSN =
   process.env.SENTRY_DSN === 'dsn_from_sentry_dashboard'
     ? ''