diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/ImportAPIDialog.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/ImportAPIDialog.svelte
index 2d48895..121130e 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/ImportAPIDialog.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/ImportAPIDialog.svelte
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   import NowCast from './dataSources/Nowcast.svelte';
   import CovidHosp from './dataSources/COVIDHosp.svelte';
   import CoviDcast from './dataSources/COVIDcast.svelte';
-  import { navMode } from '../../store';
+  import { navMode, storeApiKeys } from '../../store';
   import { NavMode } from '../chartUtils';
 
   const dispatch = createEventDispatcher();
@@ -173,10 +173,26 @@
     {/if}
   </form>
 
-  <button slot="footer" class="uk-button uk-button-primary" type="submit" form={id} disabled={loading}>
-    Fetch Data
-    {#if loading}
-      <div uk-spinner />
-    {/if}
-  </button>
+  <div slot="footer">
+    <div class="uk-form-controls uk-form-controls-text container">
+      <button class="uk-button uk-button-primary" type="submit" form={id} disabled={loading}>
+        Fetch Data
+        {#if loading}
+          <div uk-spinner />
+        {/if}
+      </button>
+      <label
+        ><input class="uk-checkbox" type="checkbox" bind:checked={$storeApiKeys} />
+        Save API key (auth token) between visits</label
+      >
+    </div>
+  </div>
 </Dialog>
+
+<style>
+  .container {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    column-gap: 2em;
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/CDC.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/CDC.svelte
index 3740151..ace1d29 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/CDC.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/CDC.svelte
@@ -3,16 +3,22 @@
   import { cdcLocations as regions } from '../../../data/data';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
 
   export let id: string;
 
   let locations = regions[0].value;
-  let auth = '';
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importCDC({ locations, auth });
+    return importCDC({ locations, auth: $apiKey });
   }
 </script>
 
-<TextField id="{id}-auth" name="auth" label="Authorizaton Token" bind:value={auth} placeholder="authorization token" />
+<TextField
+  id="{id}-auth"
+  name="auth"
+  label="Authorizaton Token"
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
+  placeholder="authorization token"
+/>
 <SelectField id="{id}-r" label="Location" bind:value={locations} options={regions} />
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/COVIDcast.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/COVIDcast.svelte
index 074c881..9da4bef 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/COVIDcast.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/COVIDcast.svelte
@@ -4,15 +4,14 @@
   import type { LabelValue } from '../../../data/data';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
 
   export let id: string;
 
-  let api_key = '';
   let data_source = '';
   let signal = '';
   let geo_type = '';
   let geo_value = '';
-  let form_key = '';
   let valid_key = true;
 
   let dataSources: (LabelValue & { signals: string[] })[] = [];
@@ -36,12 +35,11 @@
   };
 
   function fetchMetadata() {
-    fetchCOVIDcastMeta(form_key).then((res) => {
+    fetchCOVIDcastMeta($apiKey).then((res) => {
       if (res.length == 0) {
         valid_key = false;
       } else {
         valid_key = true;
-        api_key = form_key; // API key is valid -> use it to fetch data later on
         geoTypes = [...new Set(res.map((d) => d.geo_type))];
         const byDataSource = new Map<string, LabelValue & { signals: string[] }>();
         for (const row of res) {
@@ -69,10 +67,10 @@
   });
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return fetchCOVIDcastMeta(api_key).then((res) => {
+    return fetchCOVIDcastMeta($apiKey).then((res) => {
       const meta = res.filter((row) => row.data_source === data_source && row.signal === signal);
       const time_type = meta[0].time_type;
-      return importCOVIDcast({ data_source, signal, geo_type, geo_value, time_type, api_key });
+      return importCOVIDcast({ data_source, signal, geo_type, geo_value, time_type, api_key: $apiKey });
     });
   }
 </script>
@@ -89,7 +87,7 @@
       class:uk-form-danger={!valid_key}
       name="api_key"
       required={false}
-      bind:value={form_key}
+      bind:value={$apiKey}
       on:input={debounce(() => fetchMetadata(), 500)}
     />
     {#if !valid_key}
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/FluView.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/FluView.svelte
index 00ce0ec..3fc4cad 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/FluView.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/FluView.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { importFluView } from '../../../api/EpiData';
   import { fluViewRegions } from '../../../data/data';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import SelectIssue from '../inputs/SelectIssue.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
@@ -10,10 +11,9 @@
 
   let regions = fluViewRegions[0].value;
   let issue = DEFAULT_ISSUE;
-  let auth: string = '';
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importFluView({ regions, ...issue, auth });
+    return importFluView({ regions, ...issue, auth: $apiKey });
   }
 </script>
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   id="{id}-auth"
   name="auth"
   label="Auth Key"
-  bind:value={auth}
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
   required={false}
   placeholder="authorization token"
 />
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/GHT.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/GHT.svelte
index 0c2102c..b0f12f7 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/GHT.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/GHT.svelte
@@ -1,20 +1,26 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { importGHT } from '../../../api/EpiData';
   import { ghtLocations as regions } from '../../../data/data';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
 
   export let id: string;
 
   let locations = regions[0].value;
-  let auth = '';
   let query = '';
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importGHT({ auth, locations, query });
+    return importGHT({ auth: $apiKey, locations, query });
   }
 </script>
 
-<TextField id="{id}-auth" name="auth" label="Authorizaton Token" bind:value={auth} placeholder="authorization token" />
+<TextField
+  id="{id}-auth"
+  name="auth"
+  label="Authorizaton Token"
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
+  placeholder="authorization token"
+/>
 <SelectField id="{id}-r" label="Location" bind:value={locations} options={regions} />
 <TextField id="{id}-query" name="query" label="Search Query or Topic" bind:value={query} />
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Quidel.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Quidel.svelte
index dd79cca..f4b8ebf 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Quidel.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Quidel.svelte
@@ -1,18 +1,24 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { importQuidel } from '../../../api/EpiData';
   import { quidelLocations as regions } from '../../../data/data';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
 
   export let id: string;
 
   let locations = regions[0].value;
-  let auth = '';
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importQuidel({ auth, locations });
+    return importQuidel({ auth: $apiKey, locations });
   }
 </script>
 
-<TextField id="{id}-auth" name="auth" label="Authorizaton Token" bind:value={auth} placeholder="authorization token" />
+<TextField
+  id="{id}-auth"
+  name="auth"
+  label="Authorizaton Token"
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
+  placeholder="authorization token"
+/>
 <SelectField id="{id}-r" label="Location" bind:value={locations} options={regions} />
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Sensors.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Sensors.svelte
index d47c9d1..0a577ce 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Sensors.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Sensors.svelte
@@ -1,20 +1,26 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { importSensors } from '../../../api/EpiData';
   import { sensorLocations as regions, sensorNames } from '../../../data/data';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
 
   export let id: string;
 
   let locations = regions[0].value;
-  let auth = '';
   let names = sensorNames[0].value;
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importSensors({ auth, names, locations });
+    return importSensors({ auth: $apiKey, names, locations });
   }
 </script>
 
-<TextField id="{id}-auth" name="auth" label="Authorizaton Token" bind:value={auth} placeholder="authorization token" />
+<TextField
+  id="{id}-auth"
+  name="auth"
+  label="Authorizaton Token"
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
+  placeholder="authorization token"
+/>
 <SelectField id="{id}-s" label="Name" bind:value={names} options={sensorNames} name="sensor" />
 <SelectField id="{id}-r" label="Location" bind:value={locations} options={regions} />
diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Twitter.svelte b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Twitter.svelte
index d3800d5..950c58e 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Twitter.svelte
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/dataSources/Twitter.svelte
@@ -1,21 +1,27 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { importTwitter } from '../../../api/EpiData';
   import { twitterLocations as regions } from '../../../data/data';
+  import { apiKey } from '../../../store';
   import SelectField from '../inputs/SelectField.svelte';
   import TextField from '../inputs/TextField.svelte';
 
   export let id: string;
 
   let locations = regions[0].value;
-  let auth = '';
   let resolution: 'daily' | 'weekly' = 'daily';
 
   export function importDataSet() {
-    return importTwitter({ auth, locations, resolution });
+    return importTwitter({ auth: $apiKey, locations, resolution });
   }
 </script>
 
-<TextField id="{id}-auth" name="auth" label="Authorizaton Token" bind:value={auth} placeholder="authorization token" />
+<TextField
+  id="{id}-auth"
+  name="auth"
+  label="Authorizaton Token"
+  bind:value={$apiKey}
+  placeholder="authorization token"
+/>
 <SelectField id="{id}-r" label="Location" bind:value={locations} options={regions} />
 <div>
   <div class="uk-form-label">Temporal Resolution</div>
diff --git a/src/store.ts b/src/store.ts
index 7bcc73b..9ea8339 100644
--- a/src/store.ts
+++ b/src/store.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,28 @@ export const isShowingPoints = writable(defaults.showPoints);
 export const initialViewport = writable(defaults.viewport);
 export const navMode = writable(NavMode.autofit);
 
+export const storeApiKeys = writable(localStorage.getItem('store-api-key') === 'true');
+storeApiKeys.subscribe((val) => {
+  localStorage.setItem('store-api-key', val.toString());
+  if (val) {
+    // persist key from session to local storage
+    localStorage.setItem('api-key', sessionStorage.getItem('api-key') || '');
+  } else {
+    // remove key from local storage
+    localStorage.removeItem('api-key');
+  }
+});
+
+export const apiKey = writable(localStorage.getItem('api-key')! || '');
+apiKey.subscribe((val) => {
+  // always keep key around in session storage (resets on page refresh)
+  sessionStorage.setItem('api-key', val);
+  if (localStorage.getItem('store-api-key') === 'true') {
+    // store it in local storage (persistent)
+    localStorage.setItem('api-key', val);
+  }
+});
+
 export function addDataSet(dataset: DataSet | DataGroup): void {
   const root = get(datasetTree);
   root.datasets.push(dataset);