diff --git a/api/types/saml.go b/api/types/saml.go
index 0295aeb3e66c1..5f042f2f4047c 100644
--- a/api/types/saml.go
+++ b/api/types/saml.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package types
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -524,3 +525,98 @@ func (r *SAMLAuthRequest) Check() error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// MarshalJSON marshals SAMLForceAuthn to string.
+func (s SAMLForceAuthn) MarshalYAML() (interface{}, error) {
+	val, err := s.encode()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return val, nil
+}
+
+// UnmarshalYAML supports parsing SAMLForceAuthn from string.
+func (s *SAMLForceAuthn) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	var val any
+	if err := unmarshal(&val); err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return trace.Wrap(s.decode(val))
+}
+
+// MarshalJSON marshals SAMLForceAuthn to string.
+func (s SAMLForceAuthn) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	val, err := s.encode()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	out, err := json.Marshal(val)
+	return out, trace.Wrap(err)
+}
+
+// UnmarshalJSON supports parsing SAMLForceAuthn from string.
+func (s *SAMLForceAuthn) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+	var val any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &val); err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return trace.Wrap(s.decode(val))
+}
+
+func (s *SAMLForceAuthn) encode() (string, error) {
+	switch *s {
+	case SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_UNSPECIFIED:
+		return "", nil
+	case SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_NO:
+		return "no", nil
+	case SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_YES:
+		return "yes", nil
+	default:
+		return "", trace.BadParameter("SAMLForceAuthn invalid value %v", *s)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *SAMLForceAuthn) decode(val any) error {
+	switch v := val.(type) {
+	case string:
+		// try parsing as a boolean
+		switch strings.ToLower(v) {
+		case "":
+			*s = SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_UNSPECIFIED
+		case "yes", "yeah", "y", "true", "1", "on":
+			*s = SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_YES
+		case "no", "nope", "n", "false", "0", "off":
+			*s = SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_NO
+		default:
+			return trace.BadParameter("SAMLForceAuthn invalid value %v", val)
+		}
+	case bool:
+		if v {
+			*s = SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_YES
+		} else {
+			*s = SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_NO
+		}
+	case int32:
+		return trace.Wrap(s.setFromEnum(v))
+	case int64:
+		return trace.Wrap(s.setFromEnum(int32(v)))
+	case int:
+		return trace.Wrap(s.setFromEnum(int32(v)))
+	case float64:
+		return trace.Wrap(s.setFromEnum(int32(v)))
+	case float32:
+		return trace.Wrap(s.setFromEnum(int32(v)))
+	default:
+		return trace.BadParameter("SAMLForceAuthn invalid type %T", val)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// setFromEnum sets the value from enum value as int32.
+func (s *SAMLForceAuthn) setFromEnum(val int32) error {
+	if _, ok := SAMLForceAuthn_name[val]; !ok {
+		return trace.BadParameter("invalid SAMLForceAuthn enum %v", val)
+	}
+	*s = SAMLForceAuthn(val)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/api/types/saml_test.go b/api/types/saml_test.go
index 228b0afd9f35b..933df64e150f6 100644
--- a/api/types/saml_test.go
+++ b/api/types/saml_test.go
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ limitations under the License.
 package types_test
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/api/types"
 )
@@ -107,3 +111,62 @@ func TestSAMLForceAuthn(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSAMLForceAuthn_Encoding(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tt := range []struct {
+		forceAuthn    types.SAMLForceAuthn
+		expectEncoded string
+	}{
+		{
+			forceAuthn:    types.SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_UNSPECIFIED,
+			expectEncoded: "",
+		}, {
+			forceAuthn:    types.SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_YES,
+			expectEncoded: "yes",
+		}, {
+			forceAuthn:    types.SAMLForceAuthn_FORCE_AUTHN_NO,
+			expectEncoded: "no",
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tt.forceAuthn.String(), func(t *testing.T) {
+			type object struct {
+				ForceAuthn types.SAMLForceAuthn `json:"force_authn" yaml:"force_authn"`
+			}
+			o := object{
+				ForceAuthn: tt.forceAuthn,
+			}
+			objectJSON := fmt.Sprintf(`{"force_authn":%q}`, tt.expectEncoded)
+			objectYAML := fmt.Sprintf("force_authn: %q\n", tt.expectEncoded)
+
+			t.Run("JSON", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Run("Marshal", func(t *testing.T) {
+					gotJSON, err := json.Marshal(o)
+					assert.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error from json.Marshal")
+					assert.Equal(t, objectJSON, string(gotJSON), "unexpected json.Marshal value")
+				})
+
+				t.Run("Unmarshal", func(t *testing.T) {
+					var gotObject object
+					err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(objectJSON), &gotObject)
+					assert.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error from json.Unmarshal")
+					assert.Equal(t, tt.forceAuthn, gotObject.ForceAuthn, "unexpected json.Unmarshal value")
+				})
+			})
+
+			t.Run("YAML", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Run("Marshal", func(t *testing.T) {
+					gotYAML, err := yaml.Marshal(o)
+					assert.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error from yaml.Marshal")
+					assert.Equal(t, objectYAML, string(gotYAML), "unexpected yaml.Marshal value")
+				})
+
+				t.Run("Unmarshal", func(t *testing.T) {
+					var gotObject object
+					err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(objectYAML), &gotObject)
+					assert.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error from yaml.Unmarshal")
+					assert.Equal(t, tt.forceAuthn, gotObject.ForceAuthn, "unexpected yaml.Unmarshal value")
+				})
+			})
+		})
+	}
+}