diff --git a/ocflib/api/__init__.py b/ocflib/api/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/ocflib/api/keys.py b/ocflib/api/keys.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..996affc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ocflib/api/keys.py
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+from binascii import hexlify
+from os import urandom
+
+import pymsql
+
+
+"""Constants
+Changes here should be reflected in the corresponding keys.sql file if
+necessary
+"""
+KEY_LENGTH = 32
+
+
+def _generate_key(length=KEY_LENGTH):
+    """Return a random `length` string to be used as a key
+    """
+    return hexlify(urandom(length)).decode()
+
+
+def get_key(cursor, user):
+    """Get the key corresponding to the user in the db
+
+    Args:
+        cursor (pymysql.cursors.Cursor): database cursor
+        user (str): user to get the key for
+
+    Returns:
+        (str) the user's key, or None if there is no matching row
+    """
+    cursor.execute(
+        'SELECT `key`'
+        'FROM `keys`'
+        'WHERE `user` LIKE %s',
+        (user,),
+    )
+    query_result = cursor.fetchone()
+
+    try:
+        return query_result['key']
+    except (KeyError, TypeError):
+        # No matching row
+        return None
+
+def get_user(cursor, key):
+    """Get the user corresponding to the key in the db
+
+    Args:
+        cursor (pymysql.cursors.Cursor): database cursor
+        key (str): key that corresponds to the user
+
+    Returns:
+        (str) user that owns the key or None if there is no matching row
+    """
+    cursor.execute(
+        'SELECT `user`'
+        'FROM `keys`'
+        'WHERE `key` LIKE %s',
+        (key,),
+    )
+    query_result = cursor.fetchone()
+
+
+    try:
+        return query_result['user']
+    except (KeyError, TypeError):
+        # No matching row
+        return None
+
+def key_exists(cursor, key):
+    """Checks if the key currently exists in the db
+
+    Args:
+        cursor (pymysql.cursors.Cursor): database cursor
+        key (str): key to check for
+
+    Returns:
+        (bool) whether or not the key exists
+    """
+    cursor.execute(
+        'SELECT 1'
+        'FROM `keys`'
+        'WHERE `key` LIKE %s',
+        (key,),
+    )
+    query_result = cursor.fetchone()
+
+    return query_result is not None
+
+
+def add_key(cursor, user):
+    """Add a key for a user into the database
+
+    Args:
+        cursor (pymysql.cursors.Cursor): database cursor
+        user (str): user to add the key for
+
+    Returns:
+        None
+    """
+    key = _generate_key()
+
+    # Re-generate key in case of collision
+    while key_exists(key):
+        key = _generate_key()
+
+    cursor.execute(
+        'INSERT INTO `keys`'
+        '(`key`, `user`)'
+        'VALUES (%s, %s, %s)',
+        (key, user)
+    )
+
+
+def get_connection(user, password, db='keys', **kwargs):
+    """Return a connection to MySQL."""
+    return pymysql.connect(
+        user=user,
+        password=password,
+        db=db,
+        host='mysql.ocf.berkeley.edu',
+        cursorclass=pymysql.cursors.DictCursor,
+        charset='utf8mb4',
+        **dict({'autocommit': True}, **kwargs)
+    )
diff --git a/ocflib/api/keys.sql b/ocflib/api/keys.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a62a2407
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ocflib/api/keys.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+-- length of key defined by KEY_LENGTH in keys.py
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `keys` (
+  `key` varchar(32) NOT NULL,
+  `user` varchar(255) NOT NULL
+  PRIMARY KEY(`key`)
+)