diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index 7901ce003f..cbf483abef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ jobs:
         run: bun scripts/format/sort-package-json.ts --check
       - name: Custom lint rules (typeof guards, raw regex, process.env)
         run: bun lint:custom
+      - name: Check for unauthenticated routes
+        run: bun scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts
       - name: Check unsafe type casts
         run: bun check:casts:strict
       - name: Check types
diff --git a/lefthook.yml b/lefthook.yml
index 821ba9eadc..97c1d3aa56 100644
--- a/lefthook.yml
+++ b/lefthook.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pre-push:
         bun scripts/lint/no-circular-deps.ts &&
         bun scripts/lint/no-duplicate-deps.ts &&
         bun scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts &&
+        bun scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts &&
         bun scripts/format/sort-package-json.ts --check &&
         bun check:casts:strict
       fail_text: "Pre-push checks failed! Run `bun check:all` for the full picture."
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ff3c96f1b3..1d449b88e8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     "ios": "cd apps/expo && bun ios",
     "lefthook": "lefthook install",
     "lint": "biome check --write",
-    "lint:custom": "bun run scripts/lint/no-raw-typeof.ts && bun run scripts/lint/no-raw-regex.ts && bun run packages/env/scripts/no-raw-process-env.ts && bun run scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts",
+    "lint:custom": "bun run scripts/lint/no-raw-typeof.ts && bun run scripts/lint/no-raw-regex.ts && bun run packages/env/scripts/no-raw-process-env.ts && bun run scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts && bun run scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts",
     "lint:strict": "biome check && bun run lint:custom",
     "lint-unsafe": "biome check --write --unsafe",
     "mcp": "bun run --cwd packages/mcp dev",
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routes/alltrails.ts b/packages/api/src/routes/alltrails.ts
index 8fe7e4537f..fde8640f5a 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routes/alltrails.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routes/alltrails.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ function extractOgTag(html: string, property: string): string | null {
   return match?.[1] ?? null;
 }
 
+// public-route: link-preview proxy; fetches OG metadata from AllTrails, no user data involved
 export const alltrailsRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/alltrails' }).post(
   '/preview',
   async ({ body }) => {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routes/auth/index.ts b/packages/api/src/routes/auth/index.ts
index 6b03a6b41f..8154129aa1 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routes/auth/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routes/auth/index.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const { passwordHash: _pw, ...userWithoutPassword } = getTableColumns(users);
 export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
   .use(authPlugin)
 
-  // Login
+  // public-route: credentials are the auth mechanism
   .post(
     '/login',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Register
+  // public-route: pre-authentication account creation
   .post(
     '/register',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Verify email
+  // public-route: OTP code is the credential; no prior session needed
   .post(
     '/verify-email',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Resend verification
+  // public-route: pre-authentication email flow
   .post(
     '/resend-verification',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Forgot password
+  // public-route: pre-authentication email flow
   .post(
     '/forgot-password',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Reset password
+  // public-route: OTP code is the credential; no prior session needed
   .post(
     '/reset-password',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Refresh token
+  // public-route: refresh token is the credential
   .post(
     '/refresh',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Logout
+  // public-route: refresh token is the credential; no JWT required
   .post(
     '/logout',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Apple sign-in
+  // public-route: Apple identity token is the credential
   .post(
     '/apple',
     async ({ body }) => {
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ export const authRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: '/auth' })
     },
   )
 
-  // Google sign-in
+  // public-route: Google ID token is the credential
   .post(
     '/google',
     async ({ body }) => {
diff --git a/scripts/check-all.ts b/scripts/check-all.ts
index 6829f1a093..8bba7e6e46 100644
--- a/scripts/check-all.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-all.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 //   - scripts/lint/no-circular-deps.ts
 //   - scripts/lint/no-duplicate-deps.ts  (skipped if file doesn't exist)
 //   - scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts
+//   - scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts
 //   - packages/checks/src/check-magic-strings.ts
 //   - packages/checks/src/check-type-casts.ts --strict
 //   - scripts/lint/check-react-doctor.ts
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ const ALL_CHECKS: CheckDef[] = [
     name: 'no-duplicate-guards',
     script: join(ROOT, 'scripts', 'lint', 'no-duplicate-guards.ts'),
   },
+  {
+    name: 'no-unauth-routes',
+    script: join(ROOT, 'scripts', 'lint', 'no-unauth-routes.ts'),
+  },
   {
     name: 'check-type-casts',
     script: join(ROOT, 'packages', 'checks', 'src', 'check-type-casts.ts'),
diff --git a/scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts b/scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts
index 3c9f365d48..6bd250c505 100644
--- a/scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts
+++ b/scripts/lint/no-duplicate-guards.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ function isTargetFile(name: string): boolean {
 }
 
 function isExcluded(relPath: string): boolean {
-  return EXCLUDED_ROOTS.some((p) => relPath === p || relPath.startsWith(p + '/'));
+  return EXCLUDED_ROOTS.some((p) => relPath === p || relPath.startsWith(`${p}/`));
 }
 
 function walkDir(dir: string, relPath: string, violations: Violation[]): void {
diff --git a/scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts b/scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..520c768dcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lint/no-unauth-routes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bun
+//
+// no-unauth-routes.ts — flags Elysia route handlers that are missing an auth macro.
+//
+// PackRat's API uses three auth macros in route options:
+//   isAuthenticated: true   — requires a valid user JWT
+//   isAdmin: true           — requires ADMIN role
+//   isValidApiKey: true     — requires X-API-Key (cron / ETL routes)
+//
+// Any route definition (.get/.post/.put/.patch/.delete/.all) that omits all
+// three is either accidentally public or needs a // public-route: annotation
+// to explicitly declare it intentional.
+//
+// Annotation placement:
+//   // public-route: reason
+//   .post('/login', handler, { body: LoginSchema })
+//
+// Or inline on the options object's closing line.
+//
+// Exit code:
+//   0 — all routes protected or annotated
+//   1 — violations found
+
+import { readdirSync, readFileSync, statSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+
+const ROOT = join(import.meta.dir, '..', '..');
+const ROUTES_ROOT = join(ROOT, 'packages', 'api', 'src', 'routes');
+
+const EXCLUDED_DIRS = new Set(['node_modules', 'dist', 'build', '__tests__', 'admin']);
+
+// Matches the start of an Elysia route definition: .get('/path'  .post(`/path`  etc.
+// Requiring the path to start with '/' distinguishes from URLSearchParams.get('key') etc.
+const ROUTE_START = /\.(get|post|put|patch|delete|all)\s*\(\s*['"`]\//g;
+
+// Auth macros that indicate the route is protected.
+const AUTH_MACRO =
+  /\bisAuthenticated\s*:\s*true\b|\bisAdmin\s*:\s*true\b|\bisValidApiKey\s*:\s*true\b/;
+
+// Explicit opt-out annotation for intentionally public routes.
+const PUBLIC_ANNOTATION = /\/\/\s*public-route:/;
+
+interface Violation {
+  file: string;
+  line: number;
+  method: string;
+  path: string;
+}
+
+function collectFiles(dir: string, out: string[]): void {
+  let entries: string[];
+  try {
+    entries = readdirSync(dir);
+  } catch {
+    return;
+  }
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    if (EXCLUDED_DIRS.has(entry)) continue;
+    const full = join(dir, entry);
+    let isDir = false;
+    try {
+      isDir = statSync(full).isDirectory();
+    } catch {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (isDir) {
+      collectFiles(full, out);
+    } else if (/\.ts$/.test(entry) && !/\.(test|spec|d)\.ts$/.test(entry)) {
+      out.push(full);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function extractRoutePath(content: string, afterOffset: number): string {
+  // Extract the string literal that is the first argument of the route call.
+  const slice = content.slice(afterOffset, afterOffset + 200);
+  const m = slice.match(/^['"`]([^'"`\n]*)/);
+  return m ? m[1] : '?';
+}
+
+function checkFile(filePath: string): Violation[] {
+  let content: string;
+  try {
+    content = readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8');
+  } catch {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  const violations: Violation[] = [];
+  const lines = content.split('\n');
+  const relPath = filePath.replace(`${ROOT}/`, '');
+
+  // Reset and scan for all route starts.
+  ROUTE_START.lastIndex = 0;
+
+  for (;;) {
+    const match = ROUTE_START.exec(content);
+    if (match === null) break;
+    const method = match[1] ?? 'get';
+    const callStart = match.index; // position of the '.'
+    const parenOpen = content.indexOf('(', callStart + 1); // opening paren of the call
+
+    // Walk forward tracking paren depth to find the end of the full route call.
+    let depth = 0;
+    let callEnd = -1;
+    for (let i = parenOpen; i < content.length; i++) {
+      const ch = content[i];
+      if (ch === '(') depth++;
+      else if (ch === ')') {
+        depth--;
+        if (depth === 0) {
+          callEnd = i;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    if (callEnd === -1) continue; // malformed — skip
+
+    const span = content.slice(callStart, callEnd + 1);
+
+    // Protected if any auth macro appears within the call.
+    if (AUTH_MACRO.test(span)) continue;
+
+    // Also OK if a // public-route: annotation appears anywhere in the span.
+    if (PUBLIC_ANNOTATION.test(span)) continue;
+
+    // Also check the run of comment lines immediately preceding the route call.
+    const callLine = content.slice(0, callStart).split('\n').length - 1;
+    let annotated = false;
+    for (let j = callLine - 1; j >= 0 && j >= callLine - 10; j--) {
+      const prev = lines[j] ?? '';
+      if (PUBLIC_ANNOTATION.test(prev)) {
+        annotated = true;
+        break;
+      }
+      if (!/^\s*(\/\/|\*)/.test(prev)) break; // stop at non-comment
+    }
+    if (annotated) continue;
+
+    const routePath = extractRoutePath(content, parenOpen + 1);
+    violations.push({ file: relPath, line: callLine + 1, method, path: routePath });
+  }
+
+  return violations;
+}
+
+const files: string[] = [];
+collectFiles(ROUTES_ROOT, files);
+
+const allViolations: Violation[] = [];
+for (const f of files.sort()) {
+  allViolations.push(...checkFile(f));
+}
+
+if (allViolations.length === 0) {
+  console.log('✓ All routes are protected or explicitly annotated as public.');
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+console.log(
+  `Found ${allViolations.length} route(s) with no auth macro and no // public-route: annotation:\n`,
+);
+
+let lastFile = '';
+for (const v of allViolations) {
+  if (v.file !== lastFile) {
+    console.log(`  ${v.file}`);
+    lastFile = v.file;
+  }
+  console.log(`    line ${v.line}: .${v.method}('${v.path}')`);
+}
+
+console.log(
+  '\nFix: add isAuthenticated/isAdmin/isValidApiKey to the route options, or add a // public-route: <reason> comment above the route.',
+);
+process.exit(1);