diff --git a/backend/app/api/deps.py b/backend/app/api/deps.py
index 6314e63e..0862b448 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/deps.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/deps.py
@@ -199,6 +199,53 @@ async def require_engineer_or_admin(
     )
 
 
+async def require_l1(
+    current_user: Annotated[User, Depends(get_current_active_user)]
+) -> User:
+    """L1 tech exact-match (with super_admin bypass for support)."""
+    if current_user.is_super_admin:
+        return current_user
+    if current_user.account_role != "l1_tech":
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
+            detail="L1 tech role required",
+        )
+    return current_user
+
+
+async def require_l1_or_coverage(
+    current_user: Annotated[User, Depends(get_current_active_user)]
+) -> User:
+    """L1 endpoints: l1_tech, owners, super_admin, or engineers with can_cover_l1=True."""
+    if current_user.is_super_admin:
+        return current_user
+    role = current_user.account_role
+    if role == "l1_tech":
+        return current_user
+    if role == "owner":
+        return current_user
+    if role == "engineer" and current_user.can_cover_l1:
+        return current_user
+    raise HTTPException(
+        status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
+        detail="L1 access requires l1_tech role or engineer coverage flag",
+    )
+
+
+async def require_l1_or_above(
+    current_user: Annotated[User, Depends(get_current_active_user)]
+) -> User:
+    """Any tier from l1_tech upward (l1_tech, engineer, owner, super_admin)."""
+    if current_user.is_super_admin:
+        return current_user
+    if current_user.account_role in ("l1_tech", "engineer", "owner"):
+        return current_user
+    raise HTTPException(
+        status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
+        detail="L1 or above required",
+    )
+
+
 async def require_team_admin(
     current_user: Annotated[User, Depends(get_current_active_user)]
 ) -> User:
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_deps_l1.py b/backend/tests/test_deps_l1.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b302faae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_deps_l1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+"""Unit tests for L1-related dependency guards.
+
+Uses MagicMock user objects — no database required.
+"""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+from uuid import uuid4
+
+import pytest
+from fastapi import HTTPException
+
+from app.api.deps import require_l1, require_l1_or_coverage, require_l1_or_above
+
+
+def _make_user(account_role="engineer", is_super_admin=False, can_cover_l1=False):
+    user = MagicMock()
+    user.id = uuid4()
+    user.account_role = account_role
+    user.is_super_admin = is_super_admin
+    user.can_cover_l1 = can_cover_l1
+    return user
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# require_l1
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_passes_for_l1_tech():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="l1_tech")
+    result = await require_l1(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_passes_for_super_admin():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="owner", is_super_admin=True)
+    result = await require_l1(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_blocks_engineer():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="engineer")
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc:
+        await require_l1(current_user=user)
+    assert exc.value.status_code == 403
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# require_l1_or_coverage
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_coverage_passes_l1_tech():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="l1_tech")
+    result = await require_l1_or_coverage(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_coverage_passes_engineer_with_flag():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="engineer", can_cover_l1=True)
+    result = await require_l1_or_coverage(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_coverage_blocks_engineer_without_flag():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="engineer", can_cover_l1=False)
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc:
+        await require_l1_or_coverage(current_user=user)
+    assert exc.value.status_code == 403
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_coverage_passes_owner_always():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="owner")
+    result = await require_l1_or_coverage(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# require_l1_or_above
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_above_passes_engineer():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="engineer")
+    result = await require_l1_or_above(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_above_passes_l1_tech():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="l1_tech")
+    result = await require_l1_or_above(current_user=user)
+    assert result is user
+
+
+async def test_require_l1_or_above_blocks_viewer():
+    user = _make_user(account_role="viewer")
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc:
+        await require_l1_or_above(current_user=user)
+    assert exc.value.status_code == 403