diff --git a/auth/auth.go b/auth/auth.go
index 4e617c998..344055337 100644
--- a/auth/auth.go
+++ b/auth/auth.go
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@
 
 package auth
 
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+)
+
 type Auth struct {
 	// Enable AuthZ/AuthN for featurebase server
 	Enable bool `toml:"enable"`
@@ -35,4 +44,109 @@ type Auth struct {
 
 	// Scope URL
 	ScopeURL string `toml:"scope-url"`
+
+	// Permissions file for groups
+	PermissionsFile string `toml:"permissions"`
+}
+
+type GroupPermissions struct {
+	Permissions []Permissions `yaml:"group_permissions"`
+}
+
+type Permissions struct {
+	GroupId    string `yaml:"groupId"`
+	Index      string `yaml:"index"`
+	Permission string `yaml:"permission"`
+}
+
+func ReadPermissionsFile(filePath string) (yamlData []byte) {
+	filePathAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(filePath)
+	yamlData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filePathAbs)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return yamlData
+}
+
+func (p *GroupPermissions) CreatePermissionsStruct(data []byte) {
+	err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &p)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Error %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func GetPermissions(Auth *Auth, groups []map[string]string, index []string) (permission string, err error) {
+	// read yaml permissions file
+	yamlData := ReadPermissionsFile(Auth.PermissionsFile)
+
+	// get group permissions
+	var p GroupPermissions
+	p.CreatePermissionsStruct(yamlData)
+
+	// check permissions for all groups and index, and return most permissive
+	return p.ResolvePermissions(groups, index)
+}
+
+func (p *GroupPermissions) ResolvePermissions(groups []map[string]string, index []string) (permission string, err error) {
+
+	// get union of groups the user is part of obtained from identity provider and groups in permissions file
+	var groupMatch []Permissions
+	for _, group := range groups {
+		for i := range p.Permissions {
+			if group["id"] == p.Permissions[i].GroupId {
+				groupMatch = append(groupMatch, p.Permissions[i])
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(groupMatch) == 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("User is NOT allowed access to FeatureBase")
+	}
+
+	// check that user's groups have access to the index user want to access
+	var indexMatch []Permissions
+	indexCheck := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, g := range groupMatch {
+		for _, idx := range index {
+			if idx == g.Index {
+				indexMatch = append(indexMatch, g)
+				indexCheck[idx] = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// check that user has access to every index
+	indexCount := 0
+	for _, value := range indexCheck {
+		if value {
+			indexCount += 1
+		}
+	}
+
+	if indexCount != len(index) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("User is not allowed access to index: %s", index)
+	}
+
+	// check permissions for index user has access to
+	allPermissions := map[string]bool{
+		"admin": false,
+		"write": false,
+		"read":  false,
+	}
+
+	for _, g := range indexMatch {
+		if !allPermissions[g.Permission] {
+			allPermissions[g.Permission] = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if allPermissions["admin"] {
+		return "admin", error(nil)
+	} else if allPermissions["write"] {
+		return "write", error(nil)
+	} else if allPermissions["read"] {
+		return "read", error(nil)
+	} else {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("No permissions found")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/auth/auth_test.go b/auth/auth_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ddd081e80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/auth/auth_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+// Copyright 2017 Pilosa Corp.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+package auth_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v2/auth"
+)
+
+func createStruct(inputs [][]string) (permissions auth.GroupPermissions) {
+	var sliceStruct []auth.Permissions
+	for _, i := range inputs {
+		groupId := i[0]
+		index := i[1]
+		permission := i[2]
+		p := auth.Permissions{groupId, index, permission}
+		sliceStruct = append(sliceStruct, p)
+	}
+	permissions = auth.GroupPermissions{Permissions: sliceStruct}
+	return permissions
+}
+
+func TestAuth_CreatePermissionsStruct(t *testing.T) {
+	var singleInput = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "read"`)
+
+	var emptyInput = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: ""
+    index: ""
+    permission: ""`)
+
+	var multiInput = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "read"
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "admin"`)
+
+	var slice1 [][]string
+	var slice2 [][]string
+	var slice3 [][]string
+	var subslice1 []string
+	var subslice2 []string
+	var subslice3 []string
+	subslice1 = append(subslice1, "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b", "test", "read")
+	subslice2 = append(subslice2, "", "", "")
+	subslice3 = append(subslice3, "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900", "test", "admin")
+	slice1 = append(slice1, subslice1)
+	slice2 = append(slice2, subslice2)
+	slice3 = append(slice3, subslice1, subslice3)
+	singleStruct := createStruct(slice1)
+	emptyStruct := createStruct(slice2)
+	multiStruct := createStruct(slice3)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		input  []byte
+		output auth.GroupPermissions
+	}{
+		{singleInput, singleStruct},
+		{emptyInput, emptyStruct},
+		{multiInput, multiStruct},
+	}
+
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
+			var p auth.GroupPermissions
+			p.CreatePermissionsStruct(test.input)
+
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(p, test.output) {
+				t.Fatalf("Expected output %s, but got %s", test.output, p)
+			}
+		},
+		)
+	}
+}
+
+func createGroupMaps(groups []string) []map[string]string {
+
+	var group1 []map[string]string
+	for _, i := range groups {
+		map1 := map[string]string{}
+		map1["id"] = i
+		group1 = append(group1, map1)
+	}
+	return group1
+}
+
+func TestAuth_ResolvePermissions(t *testing.T) {
+	// initializes different example of permissions file in yaml
+	var permissions1 = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "read"`)
+
+	var permissions2 = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "read"
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "write"`)
+
+	var permissions3 = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "read"
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "admin"`)
+
+	var permissions4 = []byte(`group_permissions:
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: ""
+  - group:
+    groupId: "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"
+    index: "test"
+    permission: "admin"`)
+
+	// initializes groups that are returned from identity provider
+	groupsList1 := []string{}
+	groupsList2 := []string{"dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b"}
+	groupsList3 := []string{"dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee55906b", "dca35310-ecda-4f23-86cd-876aee559900"}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		permissions []byte
+		groups      []map[string]string
+		index       []string
+		userAccess  string
+		err         string
+	}{
+		{
+			permissions1,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList1),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"",
+			"User is NOT allowed access to FeatureBase",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions1,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList2),
+			[]string{"test1"},
+			"",
+			"User is not allowed access to index",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions1,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList2),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"read",
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions2,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList3),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"write",
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions3,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList3),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"admin",
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions2,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList3),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"write",
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			permissions4,
+			createGroupMaps(groupsList2),
+			[]string{"test"},
+			"",
+			"No permissions found",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
+
+			var p auth.GroupPermissions
+			p.CreatePermissionsStruct(test.permissions)
+
+			p1, err := p.ResolvePermissions(test.groups, test.index)
+
+			if p1 != test.userAccess {
+				t.Errorf("Expected permission to be %s, but got %s", test.userAccess, p1)
+			}
+
+			if err != nil {
+				if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), test.err) {
+					t.Errorf("Expected error to contain %s, but got %s", test.err, err.Error())
+				}
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ctl/server.go b/ctl/server.go
index c5d43a937..06f7d1bb2 100644
--- a/ctl/server.go
+++ b/ctl/server.go
@@ -130,5 +130,5 @@ func BuildServerFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, srv *server.Command) {
 	flags.StringVar(&srv.Config.Auth.TokenURL, "auth.token-url", srv.Config.Auth.TokenURL, "Identity Provider's Token URL.")
 	flags.StringVar(&srv.Config.Auth.GroupEndpointURL, "auth.group-endpoint-url", srv.Config.Auth.GroupEndpointURL, "Identity Provider's Group endpoint URL.")
 	flags.StringVar(&srv.Config.Auth.ScopeURL, "auth.scope-url", srv.Config.Auth.ScopeURL, "Identity Provider's Scope URL.")
-
+	flags.StringVar(&srv.Config.Auth.PermissionsFile, "auth.permissions", srv.Config.Auth.PermissionsFile, "Permissions' file with group authorization.")
 }
diff --git a/install/featurebase.conf b/install/featurebase.conf
index 540a410f4..5b1e73345 100644
--- a/install/featurebase.conf
+++ b/install/featurebase.conf
@@ -380,4 +380,5 @@ log-path = "/var/log/molecula/featurebase.log"
 #  authorize-url = ""
 #  token-url = ""
 #  group-endpoint-url = ""
-#  scope-url = ""
\ No newline at end of file
+#  scope-url = ""
+#  permissions = ""
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/config.go b/server/config.go
index 0c1989c7a..6f74d4f25 100644
--- a/server/config.go
+++ b/server/config.go
@@ -620,6 +620,7 @@ func (c *Config) ValidateAuth() ([]error, error) {
 		"TokenURL":         c.Auth.TokenURL,
 		"GroupEndpointURL": c.Auth.GroupEndpointURL,
 		"ScopeURL":         c.Auth.ScopeURL,
+		"PermissionsFile":  c.Auth.PermissionsFile,
 	}
 
 	errors := make([]error, 0)
@@ -636,6 +637,15 @@ func (c *Config) ValidateAuth() ([]error, error) {
 				continue
 			}
 		}
+
+		if strings.Contains(name, "File") {
+			yamlData := auth.ReadPermissionsFile(value)
+			var p auth.GroupPermissions
+			p.CreatePermissionsStruct(yamlData)
+			if len(p.Permissions) == 0 {
+				errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf("No group permissions found in permissions file: %s", value))
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	if len(errors) > 0 {
 		return errors, fmt.Errorf("there were errors validating config")