What causes "The PyJWT library is required for {self.__class__.__name__}." in redis/redis-py?

Install PyJWT: `pip install PyJWT` (or `pip install redis[jwt]`).

redis/redis-py · error · ImportError

The PyJWT library is required for

Error message

The PyJWT library is required for {self.__class__.__name__}.

What it means

Raised as ImportError inside JWToken.__init__ when `import jwt` fails, because the JWToken class decodes JWTs using the PyJWT library. PyJWT is an optional dependency (the jwt extra) and is not installed by default. The error names the class so you know which token implementation needs it.

Solutions

Install PyJWT: `pip install PyJWT` (or `pip install redis[jwt]`).
Add PyJWT (or the jwt extra) to your project's requirements/lockfile.
If you did not intend to use JWT tokens, switch to a Token implementation that does not require PyJWT.

Example fix

# before: ImportError when constructing JWToken
pip install redis
# after
pip install "redis[jwt]"

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

try:
    import jwt  # noqa: F401
except ImportError:
    raise SystemExit("PyJWT is required for JWT auth; pip install redis[jwt]")
token = JWToken(value)

Type guard

def jwt_available() -> bool:
    try:
        import jwt  # noqa: F401
        return True
    except ImportError:
        return False

Try / catch

try:
    token = JWToken(value)
except ImportError as e:
    if "PyJWT" in str(e):
        raise SystemExit("Install PyJWT: pip install redis[jwt]")
    raise

Prevention

Pin redis[jwt] (or PyJWT) in requirements when using JWT auth.
Check dependency presence at deploy time, not at first auth.

When it happens

Trigger: Constructing a JWToken(token_string) instance (used by the auth/token_manager EntraID/JWT flows) in an environment where PyJWT is not installed. This happens during credential-provider or token-based-auth initialization that uses JWToken.

Common situations: Installing redis-py without the [jwt] extra. Using EntraID/JWT auth features that depend on JWToken without adding PyJWT to requirements. A fresh virtualenv that only installed the base redis package.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of redis/redis-py@6a6b581b48 (2026-08-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ea811511ab5facac. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at redis/auth/token.py:85

    def get_value(self) -> str:
        return self.value

    def get_expires_at_ms(self) -> float:
        return self.expires_at

    def get_received_at_ms(self) -> float:
        return self.received_at


class JWToken(TokenInterface):
    REQUIRED_FIELDS = {"exp"}

    def __init__(self, token: str):
        try:
            import jwt
        except ImportError as ie:
            raise ImportError(
                f"The PyJWT library is required for {self.__class__.__name__}.",
            ) from ie
        self._value = token
        self._decoded = jwt.decode(
            self._value,
            options={"verify_signature": False},
            algorithms=[jwt.get_unverified_header(self._value).get("alg")],
        )
        self._validate_token()

    def is_expired(self) -> bool:
        exp = self._decoded["exp"]
        if exp == -1:
            return False

        return (
            self._decoded["exp"] * 1000 <= datetime.now(timezone.utc).timestamp() * 1000
        )

View on GitHub (pinned to 6a6b581b48)