diff --git a/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/api_methods/api_key.py b/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/api_methods/api_key.py
index 73d666e7..09ba1910 100644
--- a/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/api_methods/api_key.py
+++ b/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/api_methods/api_key.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """/api-keys API logic"""
 
 # Standard Python Libraries
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 import hashlib
 import secrets
 import uuid
@@ -12,26 +13,33 @@
 
 
 def post(current_user):
-    """POST API LOGIC"""
+    """POST API logic for creating a new API key."""
     # Generate a random 16-byte API key
     key = secrets.token_hex(16)
 
     # Hash the API key
     hashed_key = hashlib.sha256(key.encode()).hexdigest()
 
-    # Create with schema validation
-    api_key = ApiKeySchema(
+    # Create ApiKey instance in the database
+    api_key_instance = ApiKey.objects.create(
         id=uuid.uuid4(),
         hashedKey=hashed_key,
         lastFour=key[-4:],
         userId=current_user,
+        createdAt=datetime.utcnow(),
+        updatedAt=datetime.utcnow(),
     )
 
-    # Return Serialized data from Schema
-    return ApiKeySchema.model_validate(api_key).model_dump(
-        exclude={"hashedKey", "userId"}, api_key=key
+    # Convert the Django model instance to the Pydantic model, excluding fields like hashedKey and userId
+    validated_data = ApiKeySchema.model_validate(api_key_instance).model_dump(
+        exclude={"hashedKey", "userId"}
     )
 
+    # Add the actual API key to the response for initial display to the user
+    validated_data["api_key"] = key
+
+    return validated_data
+
 
 def delete(id, current_user):
     """DELETE API LOGIC"""
diff --git a/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/schema_models/api_key.py b/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/schema_models/api_key.py
index 84df02af..b6d59558 100644
--- a/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/schema_models/api_key.py
+++ b/backend/src/xfd_django/xfd_api/schema_models/api_key.py
@@ -7,6 +7,35 @@
 # Third-Party Libraries
 from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict
 
+# class ApiKey(BaseModel):
+#     """Pydantic model for the ApiKey model."""
+
+#     id: UUID
+#     createdAt: datetime
+#     updatedAt: datetime
+#     lastUsed: Optional[datetime]
+#     hashedKey: Optional[str]
+#     lastFour: Optional[str]
+#     userId: Optional[UUID]
+
+#     @classmethod
+#     def model_validate(cls, obj):
+#         # Ensure that we convert the UUIDs to strings when validating
+#         api_key_data = obj.__dict__.copy()
+
+#         # Remove the '_state' field or any other unwanted internal Django fields
+#         api_key_data.pop("_state", None)
+#         api_key_data["userId"] = api_key_data.pop("userId_id", None)
+
+#         for key, val in api_key_data.items():
+#             # Convert any UUIDs to strings
+#             if isinstance(val, UUID):
+#                 api_key_data[key] = str(val)
+#         return cls(**api_key_data)
+
+#     class Config:
+#         from_attributes = True
+
 
 class ApiKey(BaseModel):
     """Pydantic model for the ApiKey model."""
@@ -15,16 +44,21 @@ class ApiKey(BaseModel):
     createdAt: datetime
     updatedAt: datetime
     lastUsed: Optional[datetime]
-    hashedKey: Optional[str]
+    hashedKey: Optional[
+        str
+    ] = None  # Make optional to avoid validation error in response
     lastFour: Optional[str]
-    userId: Optional[UUID]
+    userId: Optional[UUID] = None  # Make optional to avoid validation error in response
+    api_key: Optional[
+        str
+    ] = None  # Add the actual key to the schema for response inclusion
 
     @classmethod
     def model_validate(cls, obj):
         # Ensure that we convert the UUIDs to strings when validating
         api_key_data = obj.__dict__.copy()
 
-        # Remove the '_state' field or any other unwanted internal Django fields
+        # Remove the '_state' field or any other unwanted internal fields
         api_key_data.pop("_state", None)
         api_key_data["userId"] = api_key_data.pop("userId_id", None)