diff --git a/volttrontesting/platform/auth_tests/test_auth_group_roles.py b/volttrontesting/platform/auth_tests/test_auth_group_roles.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bfcad699c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/volttrontesting/platform/auth_tests/test_auth_group_roles.py
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+
+import gevent
+import pytest
+from mock import MagicMock
+from volttron.platform.auth.auth_protocols.auth_zmq import ZMQAuthorization, ZMQServerAuthentication
+
+from volttrontesting.platform.auth_tests.conftest import assert_auth_entries_same
+from volttrontesting.utils.platformwrapper import with_os_environ
+from volttrontesting.utils.utils import AgentMock
+from volttron.platform.vip.agent import Agent
+from volttron.platform.auth import AuthService
+from volttron.platform.auth import AuthEntry
+from volttron.platform import jsonapi
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def auth_instance(volttron_instance):
+    if not volttron_instance.auth_enabled:
+        pytest.skip("AUTH tests are not applicable if auth is disabled")
+    with open(os.path.join(volttron_instance.volttron_home, "auth.json"), 'r') as f:
+        auth_file = jsonapi.load(f)
+    print(auth_file)
+    try:
+        yield volttron_instance
+    finally:
+        with with_os_environ(volttron_instance.env):
+            with open(os.path.join(volttron_instance.volttron_home, "auth.json"), 'w') as f:
+                jsonapi.dump(auth_file, f)
+
+
+def _run_group_or_role_cmds(platform, add_fn, list_fn, update_fn, remove_fn):
+    expected = []
+    key = '0'
+    values = ['0', '1']
+    expected.extend(values)
+
+    add_fn(platform, key, values)
+    gevent.sleep(4)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert set(keys[key]) == set(expected)
+
+    # Update add single value
+    values = ['2']
+    expected.extend(values)
+    update_fn(platform, key, values)
+    gevent.sleep(2)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert set(keys[key]) == set(expected)
+
+    # Update add multiple values
+    values = ['3', '4']
+    expected.extend(values)
+    update_fn(platform, key, values)
+    gevent.sleep(2)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert set(keys[key]) == set(expected)
+
+    # Update remove single value
+    value = '0'
+    expected.remove(value)
+    update_fn(platform, key, [value], remove=True)
+    gevent.sleep(2)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert set(keys[key]) == set(expected)
+
+    # Update remove single value
+    values = ['1', '2']
+    for value in values:
+        expected.remove(value)
+    update_fn(platform, key, values, remove=True)
+    gevent.sleep(2)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert set(keys[key]) == set(expected)
+
+    # Remove key
+    remove_fn(platform, key)
+    gevent.sleep(2)
+    keys = list_fn(platform)
+    assert key not in keys
+
+
+
+def _add_group_or_role(platform, cmd, name, list_):
+    with with_os_environ(platform.env):
+        args = ['volttron-ctl', 'auth', cmd, name]
+        args.extend(list_)
+        p = subprocess.Popen(args, env=platform.env, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+        p.communicate()
+        assert p.returncode == 0
+
+
+def _add_group(platform, group, roles):
+    _add_group_or_role(platform, 'add-group', group, roles)
+
+
+def _add_role(platform, role, capabilities):
+    _add_group_or_role(platform, 'add-role', role, capabilities)
+
+
+def _list_groups_or_roles(platform, cmd):
+    with with_os_environ(platform.env):
+        output = subprocess.check_output(['volttron-ctl', 'auth', cmd],
+                                        env=platform.env, universal_newlines=True)
+        # For these tests don't use names that contain space, [, comma, or '
+        output = output.replace('[', '').replace("'", '').replace(']', '')
+        output = output.replace(',', '')
+        lines = output.split('\n')
+
+        dict_ = {}
+        for line in lines[2:-1]: # skip two header lines and last (empty) line
+            list_ = ' '.join(line.split()).split() # combine multiple spaces
+            dict_[list_[0]] = list_[1:]
+        return dict_
+
+
+def _list_groups(platform):
+    return _list_groups_or_roles(platform, 'list-groups')
+
+
+def _list_roles(platform):
+    return _list_groups_or_roles(platform, 'list-roles')
+
+
+def _update_group_or_role(platform, cmd, key, values, remove):
+    with with_os_environ(platform.env):
+        args = ['volttron-ctl', 'auth', cmd, key]
+        args.extend(values)
+        if remove:
+            args.append('--remove')
+        p = subprocess.Popen(args, env=platform.env, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+        p.communicate()
+        assert p.returncode == 0
+
+
+def _update_group(platform, group, roles, remove=False):
+    _update_group_or_role(platform, 'update-group', group, roles, remove)
+
+
+def _update_role(platform, role, caps, remove=False):
+    _update_group_or_role(platform, 'update-role', role, caps, remove)
+
+
+def _remove_group_or_role(platform, cmd, key):
+    with with_os_environ(platform.env):
+        args = ['volttron-ctl', 'auth', cmd, key]
+        p = subprocess.Popen(args, env=platform.env, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+        p.communicate()
+        assert p.returncode == 0
+
+
+def _remove_group(platform, group):
+    _remove_group_or_role(platform, 'remove-group', group)
+
+
+def _remove_role(platform, role):
+    _remove_group_or_role(platform, 'remove-role', role)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.control
+def test_group_cmds(auth_instance):
+    """Test add-group, list-groups, update-group, and remove-group"""
+    _run_group_or_role_cmds(auth_instance, _add_group, _list_groups,
+            _update_group, _remove_group)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.control
+def test_role_cmds(auth_instance):
+    """Test add-role, list-roles, update-role, and remove-role"""
+    _run_group_or_role_cmds(auth_instance, _add_role, _list_roles,
+            _update_role, _remove_role)
+