diff --git a/src/routes/addUserAsVIP.ts b/src/routes/addUserAsVIP.ts
index 919d308..bd976f0 100644
--- a/src/routes/addUserAsVIP.ts
+++ b/src/routes/addUserAsVIP.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ import {getHash} from "../utils/getHash";
 import {db} from "../databases/databases";
 import {config} from "../config";
 import {Request, Response} from "express";
+import { isUserVIP } from "../utils/isUserVIP";
+import { HashedUserID } from "../types/user.model";
+
 
 export async function addUserAsVIP(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Response> {
-    const userID = req.query.userID as string;
+    const userID = req.query.userID as HashedUserID;
     let adminUserIDInput = req.query.adminUserID as string;
 
     const enabled = req.query.enabled === undefined
@@ -25,12 +28,12 @@ export async function addUserAsVIP(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Respons
     }
 
     //check to see if this user is already a vip
-    const row = await db.prepare("get", 'SELECT count(*) as "userCount" FROM "vipUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?', [userID]);
+    const userIsVIP = await isUserVIP(userID);
 
-    if (enabled && row.userCount == 0) {
+    if (enabled && !userIsVIP) {
         //add them to the vip list
         await db.prepare("run", 'INSERT INTO "vipUsers" VALUES(?)', [userID]);
-    } else if (!enabled && row.userCount > 0) {
+    } else if (!enabled && userIsVIP) {
         //remove them from the shadow ban list
         await db.prepare("run", 'DELETE FROM "vipUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?', [userID]);
     }
diff --git a/src/routes/shadowBanUser.ts b/src/routes/shadowBanUser.ts
index 98ae6e4..3ecb653 100644
--- a/src/routes/shadowBanUser.ts
+++ b/src/routes/shadowBanUser.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ import { config } from "../config";
 import { Category, Service, VideoID, VideoIDHash } from "../types/segments.model";
 import { UserID } from "../types/user.model";
 import { QueryCacher } from "../utils/queryCacher";
+import { isUserVIP } from "../utils/isUserVIP";
 
 export async function shadowBanUser(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Response> {
-    const userID = req.query.userID as string;
+    const userID = req.query.userID as UserID;
     const hashedIP = req.query.hashedIP as string;
-    let adminUserIDInput = req.query.adminUserID as string;
+    const adminUserIDInput = req.query.adminUserID as UserID;
 
     const enabled = req.query.enabled === undefined
         ? true
@@ -27,9 +28,9 @@ export async function shadowBanUser(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Respon
     }
 
     //hash the userID
-    adminUserIDInput = getHash(adminUserIDInput);
+    const adminUserID = getHash(adminUserIDInput);
 
-    const isVIP = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT count(*) as "userCount" FROM "vipUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?`, [adminUserIDInput])).userCount > 0;
+    const isVIP = await isUserVIP(adminUserID);
     if (!isVIP) {
         //not authorized
         return res.sendStatus(403);
diff --git a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
index a4c9628..02e8fbe 100644
--- a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
+++ b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ export async function voteOnSponsorTime(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Re
     const hashedIP: HashedIP = getHash((ip + config.globalSalt) as IPAddress);
 
     //check if this user is on the vip list
-    const isVIP = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT count(*) as "userCount" FROM "vipUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?`, [nonAnonUserID])).userCount > 0;
+    const isVIP = await isUserVIP(nonAnonUserID);
 
     //check if user voting on own submission
     const isOwnSubmission = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "UUID" as "submissionCount" FROM "sponsorTimes" where "userID" = ? AND "UUID" = ?`, [nonAnonUserID, UUID])) !== undefined;