diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 65caf7a..6ffc057 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ print_r($response);
 
 ---
 
-6. `DescopeSDK->getClaims($sessionToken)` - will return all of the claims from the JWT in an array format.
+6. `DescopeSDK->getClaims($sessionToken)` - will validate the JWT signature and return all of the verified claims in an array format.
 7. `DescopeSDK->getUserDetails($refreshToken)` - will return all of the user information (email, phone, verification status, etc.) using a provided refresh token.
 
 ### User Management Functions
diff --git a/src/SDK/Token/Extractor.php b/src/SDK/Token/Extractor.php
index 396bc4b..95ad0dc 100644
--- a/src/SDK/Token/Extractor.php
+++ b/src/SDK/Token/Extractor.php
@@ -23,22 +23,21 @@ public function __construct($config)
     }
 
     /**
-     * Return an array representing the Token's claims.
+     * Return an array representing the validated Token's claims.
      *
      * @return array<string,mixed>
      */
     public function getClaims(string $sessionToken): array
     {
-        $parts = $this->parseToken($sessionToken);
-        return $parts['payload'] ?? [];
+        return $this->validateJWT($sessionToken);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Parse and validate the JWT token.
+     * Parse the JWT token structure.
      *
      * @throws TokenException if validation fails.
      */
-    public function parseToken(string $sessionToken): array
+    private function parseToken(string $sessionToken): array
     {
         $parts = explode('.', $sessionToken);
         if (count($parts) !== 3) {
@@ -70,48 +69,50 @@ public function parseToken(string $sessionToken): array
      */
     public function validateJWT(string $sessionToken): array
     {
+        $jwt = $this->parseToken($sessionToken);
+
+        if (!isset($jwt['header']['kid'])) {
+            throw new TokenException('Missing key ID in JWT header');
+        }
+
         $useRefreshedKey = false;
         do {
-            try {
-                $jwkSet = $this->config->getJWKSets($useRefreshedKey);
-                $jwt = $this->parseToken($sessionToken);
-                
-                if (!isset($jwt['header']['kid'])) {
-                    throw new TokenException('Missing key ID in JWT header');
-                }
+            $jwkSet = $this->config->getJWKSets($useRefreshedKey);
 
-                $matchingKey = null;
-                foreach ($jwkSet['keys'] as $key) {
-                    if ($key['kid'] === $jwt['header']['kid']) {
-                        $matchingKey = $key;
-                        break;
-                    }
+            $matchingKey = null;
+            foreach ($jwkSet['keys'] as $key) {
+                if ($key['kid'] === $jwt['header']['kid']) {
+                    $matchingKey = $key;
+                    break;
                 }
+            }
 
-                if (!$matchingKey) {
-                    throw new TokenException('No matching key found in JWKS');
+            if (!$matchingKey) {
+                if ($useRefreshedKey) {
+                    throw new TokenException('JWT validation failed after retry: No matching key found in JWKS');
                 }
+                $useRefreshedKey = true;
+                continue;
+            }
 
-                $publicKeyPEM = $this->convertJWKToPEM($matchingKey);
-                $signatureValid = $this->verifySignature(
-                    $jwt['raw']['header'] . '.' . $jwt['raw']['payload'],
-                    $jwt['signature'],
-                    $publicKeyPEM
-                );
-
-                if (!$signatureValid) {
-                    throw new TokenException('Invalid signature');
-                }
+            $publicKeyPEM = $this->convertJWKToPEM($matchingKey);
+            $signatureValid = $this->verifySignature(
+                $jwt['raw']['header'] . '.' . $jwt['raw']['payload'],
+                $jwt['signature'],
+                $publicKeyPEM
+            );
 
-                $this->assertIssuerMatchesProject($jwt['payload']);
+            if (!$signatureValid) {
+                throw new TokenException('Invalid signature');
+            }
 
-                return $jwt['payload'];
-            } catch (TokenException $e) {
-                if ($useRefreshedKey) {
-                    throw new TokenException('JWT validation failed after retry: ' . $e->getMessage());
-                }
-                $useRefreshedKey = true;
+            if (isset($jwt['payload']['exp']) && time() > $jwt['payload']['exp']) {
+                throw new TokenException('Token has expired');
             }
+
+            $this->assertIssuerMatchesProject($jwt['payload']);
+
+            return $jwt['payload'];
         } while ($useRefreshedKey);
 
         throw new TokenException('JWT validation failed');
diff --git a/src/tests/DescopeSDKTest.php b/src/tests/DescopeSDKTest.php
index aa5b290..5b5cd96 100644
--- a/src/tests/DescopeSDKTest.php
+++ b/src/tests/DescopeSDKTest.php
@@ -8,9 +8,13 @@
 use Descope\SDK\Auth\Password;
 use Descope\SDK\Auth\SSO;
 use Descope\SDK\Management\Management;
+use Descope\SDK\Cache\CacheInterface;
+use Descope\SDK\Configuration\SDKConfig;
+use Descope\SDK\Exception\TokenException;
 use Descope\SDK\Exception\ValidationException;
 use Descope\SDK\EndpointsV1;
 use Descope\SDK\EndpointsV2;
+use Descope\SDK\Token\Extractor;
 use Descope\SDK\Management\MgmtV1;
 
 final class DescopeSDKTest extends TestCase
@@ -40,6 +44,33 @@ public function testVerifyThrowsExceptionWithoutToken()
         $this->sdk->verify(null);
     }
 
+    public function testGetClaimsRejectsForgedTokenClaims()
+    {
+        $extractor = $this->extractorWithTestKey($this->privateKey());
+        $token = $this->jwt(
+            ['alg' => 'RS256', 'typ' => 'JWT', 'kid' => 'legit-key'],
+            ['iss' => 'test_project_id', 'sub' => 'attacker', 'roles' => ['admin'], 'exp' => time() + 3600],
+            'not_a_real_rsa_signature'
+        );
+
+        $this->expectException(TokenException::class);
+        $extractor->getClaims($token);
+    }
+
+    public function testGetClaimsRejectsExpiredTokenClaims()
+    {
+        $privateKey = $this->privateKey();
+        $extractor = $this->extractorWithTestKey($privateKey);
+        $token = $this->signedJwt(
+            ['alg' => 'RS256', 'typ' => 'JWT', 'kid' => 'legit-key'],
+            ['iss' => 'test_project_id', 'sub' => 'user', 'roles' => ['admin'], 'exp' => time() - 1],
+            $privateKey
+        );
+
+        $this->expectException(TokenException::class);
+        $extractor->getClaims($token);
+    }
+
     public function testRefreshSessionThrowsExceptionWithoutToken()
     {
         $this->expectException(ValidationException::class);
@@ -132,4 +163,73 @@ public function testNullableParameterTypesForMultipleMethods()
             }
         }
     }
+
+    private function jwt(array $header, array $payload, string $signature): string
+    {
+        return $this->base64UrlEncode(json_encode($header)) . '.' .
+            $this->base64UrlEncode(json_encode($payload)) . '.' .
+            $this->base64UrlEncode($signature);
+    }
+
+    private function signedJwt(array $header, array $payload, $privateKey): string
+    {
+        $signedData = $this->base64UrlEncode(json_encode($header)) . '.' .
+            $this->base64UrlEncode(json_encode($payload));
+        openssl_sign($signedData, $signature, $privateKey, OPENSSL_ALGO_SHA256);
+        return $signedData . '.' . $this->base64UrlEncode($signature);
+    }
+
+    private function extractorWithTestKey($privateKey): Extractor
+    {
+        $key = $this->jwkFromPrivateKey($privateKey);
+        $cache = new class($key) implements CacheInterface {
+            private $key;
+
+            public function __construct(array $key)
+            {
+                $this->key = $key;
+            }
+
+            public function get(string $key)
+            {
+                return ['keys' => [$this->key]];
+            }
+
+            public function set(string $key, $value, int $ttl = 3600): bool
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            public function delete(string $key): bool
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+        };
+
+        return new Extractor(new SDKConfig(['projectId' => 'test_project_id'], $cache));
+    }
+
+    private function privateKey()
+    {
+        return openssl_pkey_new([
+            'private_key_bits' => 1024,
+            'private_key_type' => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    private function jwkFromPrivateKey($privateKey): array
+    {
+        $details = openssl_pkey_get_details($privateKey);
+        return [
+            'kid' => 'legit-key',
+            'kty' => 'RSA',
+            'n' => $this->base64UrlEncode($details['rsa']['n']),
+            'e' => $this->base64UrlEncode($details['rsa']['e'])
+        ];
+    }
+
+    private function base64UrlEncode(string $value): string
+    {
+        return rtrim(strtr(base64_encode($value), '+/', '-_'), '=');
+    }
 }