Amazon Verified Permissions (AVP) is a fully managed, scalable authorization service that allows developers to separate authorization logic from application logic. Available since June 13, 2023, AVP uses the open-source Cedar policy language to define fine-grained authorization policies. Unlike AWS IAM, which manages access to AWS services, AVP is designed specifically for custom applications. Key components include a policy store, schema, and policies. The schema defines entity types, actions, principals, and resources, while policies permit or forbid principals from taking actions on resources. AVP supports role-based access control (RBAC) and attribute-based access control (ABAC), along with context-based conditions such as IP addresses or multi-factor authentication. Policies can be deployed using Terraform, and AVP’s test bench feature allows developers to validate policies directly in the AWS Console. This article is the first in a series exploring AVP’s capabilities, including integration with applications, Amazon Cognito, AWS AppSync, and AWS CloudTrail.