diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index e45e00f..5d3e9c6 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ def mypy(session: Session) -> None:
     """Type-check using mypy."""
     args = session.posargs or ["src", "tests", "docs/conf.py"]
     session.install(".")
-    session.install("mypy", "pytest", "types-requests", "types-PyYAML")
+    session.install("mypy", "pytest", "types-requests", "types-PyYAML", "typeguard")
     session.run("mypy", *args)
     if not session.posargs:
         session.run("mypy", f"--python-executable={sys.executable}", "noxfile.py")
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def mypy(session: Session) -> None:
 def tests(session: Session) -> None:
     """Run the test suite."""
     session.install(".")
-    session.install("coverage[toml]", "pytest", "pygments")
+    session.install("coverage[toml]", "pytest", "pygments", "typeguard")
     try:
         session.run("coverage", "run", "--parallel", "-m", "pytest", *session.posargs)
     finally:
diff --git a/src/stac_api_validator/__main__.py b/src/stac_api_validator/__main__.py
index be0d74b..db983c7 100644
--- a/src/stac_api_validator/__main__.py
+++ b/src/stac_api_validator/__main__.py
@@ -131,6 +131,12 @@
     "--transaction-collection",
     help="The name of the collection to use for Transaction Extension tests.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "-H",
+    "--headers",
+    multiple=True,
+    help="Headers to attach to the main request and dependent pystac requests, curl syntax",
+)
 def main(
     log_level: str,
     root_url: str,
@@ -155,11 +161,21 @@ def main(
     query_in_field: Optional[str] = None,
     query_in_values: Optional[str] = None,
     transaction_collection: Optional[str] = None,
+    headers: Optional[List[str]] = None,
 ) -> int:
     """STAC API Validator."""
     logging.basicConfig(stream=sys.stdout, level=log_level)
 
     try:
+        processed_headers = {}
+        if headers:
+            processed_headers.update(
+                {
+                    key.strip(): value.strip()
+                    for key, value in (header.split(":") for header in headers)
+                }
+            )
+
         (warnings, errors) = validate_api(
             root_url=root_url,
             ccs_to_validate=conformance_classes,
@@ -185,6 +201,7 @@ def main(
                 query_in_values,
             ),
             transaction_collection=transaction_collection,
+            headers=processed_headers,
         )
     except Exception as e:
         click.secho(
diff --git a/src/stac_api_validator/validations.py b/src/stac_api_validator/validations.py
index 4c2f429..2ddb15e 100644
--- a/src/stac_api_validator/validations.py
+++ b/src/stac_api_validator/validations.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 from pystac import Collection
 from pystac import Item
 from pystac import ItemCollection
+from pystac import StacIO
 from pystac import STACValidationError
 from pystac_client import Client
 from requests import Request
@@ -298,6 +299,16 @@ def is_geojson_type(maybe_type: Optional[str]) -> bool:
     )
 
 
+def get_catalog(data_dict: Dict[str, Any], r_session: Session) -> Catalog:
+    stac_io = StacIO.default()
+    if r_session.headers and r_session.headers.get("Authorization"):
+        stac_io.headers = r_session.headers  # noqa, type: ignore
+        stac_io.headers["Accept-Encoding"] = "*"
+    catalog = Catalog.from_dict(data_dict)
+    catalog._stac_io = stac_io
+    return catalog
+
+
 # def is_json_or_geojson_type(maybe_type: Optional[str]) -> bool:
 #     return maybe_type and (is_json_type(maybe_type) or is_geojson_type(maybe_type))
 
@@ -381,9 +392,8 @@ def retrieve(
     additional: Optional[str] = "",
     content_type: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Tuple[int, Optional[Dict[str, Any]], Optional[Mapping[str, str]]]:
-    resp = r_session.send(
-        Request(method.value, url, headers=headers, params=params, json=body).prepare()
-    )
+    request = Request(method.value, url, headers=headers, params=params, json=body)
+    resp = r_session.send(r_session.prepare_request(request))
 
     # todo: handle connection exception, etc.
     # todo: handle timeout
@@ -537,6 +547,7 @@ def validate_api(
     validate_pagination: bool,
     query_config: QueryConfig,
     transaction_collection: Optional[str],
+    headers: Optional[Dict[str, str]],
 ) -> Tuple[Warnings, Errors]:
     warnings = Warnings()
     errors = Errors()
@@ -548,6 +559,9 @@ def validate_api(
     if auth_query_parameter and (xs := auth_query_parameter.split("=", 1)):
         r_session.params = {xs[0]: xs[1]}
 
+    if headers:
+        r_session.headers.update(headers)
+
     _, landing_page_body, landing_page_headers = retrieve(
         Method.GET, root_url, errors, Context.CORE, r_session
     )
@@ -704,7 +718,7 @@ def validate_api(
 
     if not errors:
         try:
-            catalog = Client.open(root_url)
+            catalog = Client.open(root_url, headers=headers)
             catalog.validate()
             for child in catalog.get_children():
                 child.validate()
@@ -811,7 +825,8 @@ def validate_core(
     # this validates, among other things, that the child and item link relations reference
     # valid STAC Catalogs, Collections, and/or Items
     try:
-        list(take(1000, Catalog.from_dict(root_body).get_all_items()))
+        catalog = get_catalog(root_body, r_session)
+        list(take(1000, catalog.get_all_items()))
     except pystac.errors.STACTypeError as e:
         errors += (
             f"[{Context.CORE}] Error while traversing Catalog child/item links to find Items: {e} "
@@ -839,14 +854,15 @@ def validate_browseable(
     # check that at least a few of the items that can be reached from child/item link relations
     # can be found through search
     try:
-        for item in take(10, Catalog.from_dict(root_body).get_all_items()):
+        catalog = get_catalog(root_body, r_session)
+        for item in take(10, catalog.get_all_items()):
             if link := link_by_rel(root_body.get("links"), "search"):
                 _, body, _ = retrieve(
                     Method.GET,
                     link["href"],
                     errors,
                     Context.BROWSEABLE,
-                    params={"ids": item.id, "collections": item.collection},
+                    params={"ids": item.id, "collections": item.collection_id},
                     r_session=r_session,
                 )
                 if body and len(body.get("features", [])) != 1:
diff --git a/tests/resources/sample-item.json b/tests/resources/sample-item.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e4bafe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/sample-item.json
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+{
+  "type": "Feature",
+  "stac_version": "1.0.0",
+  "id": "CS3-20160503_132131_05",
+  "properties": {
+    "datetime": "2016-05-03T13:22:30.040000Z",
+    "title": "A CS3 item",
+    "license": "PDDL-1.0",
+    "providers": [
+      {
+        "name": "CoolSat",
+        "roles": ["producer", "licensor"],
+        "url": "https://cool-sat.com/"
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "geometry": {
+    "type": "Polygon",
+    "coordinates": [
+      [
+        [-122.308150179, 37.488035566],
+        [-122.597502109, 37.538869539],
+        [-122.576687533, 37.613537207],
+        [-122.2880486, 37.562818007],
+        [-122.308150179, 37.488035566]
+      ]
+    ]
+  },
+  "links": [
+    {
+      "rel": "collection",
+      "href": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/radiantearth/stac-spec/v0.8.1/collection-spec/examples/sentinel2.json"
+    }
+  ],
+  "assets": {
+    "analytic": {
+      "href": "http://cool-sat.com/catalog/CS3-20160503_132130_04/analytic.tif",
+      "title": "4-Band Analytic",
+      "product": "http://cool-sat.com/catalog/products/analytic.json",
+      "type": "image/tiff; application=geotiff; profile=cloud-optimized",
+      "roles": ["data", "analytic"]
+    },
+    "thumbnail": {
+      "href": "http://cool-sat.com/catalog/CS3-20160503_132130_04/thumbnail.png",
+      "title": "Thumbnail",
+      "type": "image/png",
+      "roles": ["thumbnail"]
+    }
+  },
+  "bbox": [-122.59750209, 37.48803556, -122.2880486, 37.613537207],
+  "stac_extensions": [],
+  "collection": "CS3"
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index f21a680..bed1eb0 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Test cases for the __main__ module."""
+import unittest.mock
 
 import pytest
 from click.testing import CliRunner
@@ -15,3 +16,38 @@ def runner() -> CliRunner:
 def test_main_fails(runner: CliRunner) -> None:
     result = runner.invoke(__main__.main)
     assert result.exit_code == 2
+
+
+def test_retrieve_called_with_auth_headers(
+    request: pytest.FixtureRequest, runner: CliRunner
+) -> None:
+    if request.config.getoption("typeguard_packages"):
+        pytest.skip(
+            "The import hook that typeguard uses seems to break the mock below."
+        )
+
+    expected_headers = {
+        "User-Agent": "python-requests/2.28.2",
+        "Accept-Encoding": "gzip, deflate",
+        "Accept": "*/*",
+        "Connection": "keep-alive",
+        "Authorization": "api-key fake-api-key-value",
+    }
+
+    with unittest.mock.patch(
+        "stac_api_validator.validations.retrieve"
+    ) as retrieve_mock:
+        runner.invoke(
+            __main__.main,
+            args=[
+                "--root-url",
+                "https://invalid",
+                "--conformance",
+                "core",
+                "-H",
+                "Authorization: api-key fake-api-key-value",
+            ],
+        )
+        assert retrieve_mock.call_count == 1
+        r_session = retrieve_mock.call_args.args[-1]
+        assert r_session.headers == expected_headers
diff --git a/tests/test_validations.py b/tests/test_validations.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37ddfb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_validations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+"""
+Test cases for the 'validations' module
+"""
+import json
+import os
+import pathlib
+import unittest.mock
+from copy import copy
+from typing import Dict
+from typing import Generator
+
+import pystac
+import pytest
+import requests
+
+from stac_api_validator import validations
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def r_session() -> Generator[requests.Session, None, None]:
+    yield requests.Session()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def catalog_dict() -> Generator[Dict[str, str], None, None]:
+    current_path = pathlib.Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+
+    with open(current_path / "resources" / "landing_page.json") as f:
+        # Load the contents of the file into a Python dictionary
+        data = json.load(f)
+
+    yield data
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sample_item() -> Generator[pystac.Item, None, None]:
+    current_path = pathlib.Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+
+    with open(current_path / "resources" / "sample-item.json") as f:
+        # Load the contents of the file into a Python dictionary
+        data = json.load(f)
+
+    yield pystac.Item.from_dict(data)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def expected_headers() -> Generator[Dict[str, str], None, None]:
+    yield {
+        "User-Agent": "python-requests/2.28.2",
+        "Accept-Encoding": "gzip, deflate",
+        "Accept": "*/*",
+        "Connection": "keep-alive",
+        "Authorization": "api-key fake-api-key-value",
+    }
+
+
+def test_get_catalog(
+    r_session: requests.Session,
+    catalog_dict: Dict[str, str],
+    expected_headers: Dict[str, str],
+) -> None:
+    r_session.headers = copy(expected_headers)  # type: ignore
+    expected_headers.update({"Accept-Encoding": "*"})
+
+    catalog = validations.get_catalog(catalog_dict, r_session)
+    assert catalog._stac_io.headers == expected_headers  # type: ignore
+
+
+def test_retrieve(
+    r_session: requests.Session, expected_headers: Dict[str, str]
+) -> None:
+    headers = {"Authorization": "api-key fake-api-key-value"}
+    r_session.send = unittest.mock.MagicMock()  # type: ignore
+    r_session.send.status_code = 500
+
+    validations.retrieve(
+        validations.Method.GET,
+        "https://invalid",
+        validations.Errors(),
+        validations.Context.CORE,
+        r_session=r_session,
+        headers=headers,
+    )
+    assert r_session.send.call_count == 1
+    prepared_request_headers = r_session.send.call_args_list[0].args[0].headers
+    assert prepared_request_headers == expected_headers
+
+
+def test_validate_api(
+    request: pytest.FixtureRequest,
+    r_session: requests.Session,
+    expected_headers: Dict[str, str],
+) -> None:
+    if request.config.getoption("typeguard_packages"):
+        pytest.skip(
+            "The import hook that typeguard uses seems to break the mock below."
+        )
+    headers = {"Authorization": "api-key fake-api-key-value"}
+
+    with unittest.mock.patch(
+        "stac_api_validator.validations.retrieve"
+    ) as retrieve_mock:
+        retrieve_mock.return_value = None, None, None
+        validations.validate_api(
+            "https://invalid",
+            ccs_to_validate=["core"],
+            collection=None,
+            geometry=None,
+            auth_bearer_token=None,
+            auth_query_parameter=None,
+            fields_nested_property=None,
+            validate_pagination=None,
+            query_config=None,
+            transaction_collection=None,
+            headers=headers,
+        )
+        assert retrieve_mock.call_count == 1
+        r_session = retrieve_mock.call_args.args[-1]
+        assert r_session.headers == expected_headers
+
+
+def test_validate_browseable(
+    request: pytest.FixtureRequest,
+    r_session: requests.Session,
+    catalog_dict: Dict[str, str],
+    sample_item: pystac.Item,
+    expected_headers: Dict[str, str],
+) -> None:
+    if request.config.getoption("typeguard_packages"):
+        pytest.skip(
+            "The import hook that typeguard uses seems to break the mock below."
+        )
+
+    r_session.headers = copy(expected_headers)  # type: ignore
+
+    with unittest.mock.patch(
+        "stac_api_validator.validations.get_catalog"
+    ) as get_catalog_mock:
+        get_catalog_mock.get_all_items.return_value = [sample_item]
+
+        validations.validate_browseable(
+            catalog_dict,
+            errors=validations.Errors(),
+            warnings=validations.Warnings(),
+            r_session=r_session,
+        )
+        assert get_catalog_mock.call_count == 1
+        session_from_mock = get_catalog_mock.call_args.args[-1]
+        assert session_from_mock.headers == expected_headers