diff --git a/libs/langchain/langchain/llms/arcee.py b/libs/langchain/langchain/llms/arcee.py
index 72028097c2a..04b278f6763 100644
--- a/libs/langchain/langchain/llms/arcee.py
+++ b/libs/langchain/langchain/llms/arcee.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, cast
 
-from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import Extra, root_validator
+from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import Extra, SecretStr, root_validator
 
 from langchain.callbacks.manager import CallbackManagerForLLMRun
 from langchain.llms.base import LLM
 from langchain.utilities.arcee import ArceeWrapper, DALMFilter
-from langchain.utils import get_from_dict_or_env
+from langchain.utils import convert_to_secret_str, get_from_dict_or_env
 
 
 class Arcee(LLM):
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Arcee(LLM):
     _client: Optional[ArceeWrapper] = None  #: :meta private:
     """Arcee _client."""
 
-    arcee_api_key: str = ""
+    arcee_api_key: Optional[SecretStr] = None
     """Arcee API Key"""
 
     model: str
@@ -66,26 +66,25 @@ class Arcee(LLM):
         """Initializes private fields."""
 
         super().__init__(**data)
-        self._client = None
         self._client = ArceeWrapper(
-            arcee_api_key=self.arcee_api_key,
+            arcee_api_key=cast(SecretStr, self.arcee_api_key),
             arcee_api_url=self.arcee_api_url,
             arcee_api_version=self.arcee_api_version,
             model_kwargs=self.model_kwargs,
             model_name=self.model,
         )
 
-        self._client.validate_model_training_status()
-
     @root_validator()
     def validate_environments(cls, values: Dict) -> Dict:
         """Validate Arcee environment variables."""
 
         # validate env vars
-        values["arcee_api_key"] = get_from_dict_or_env(
-            values,
-            "arcee_api_key",
-            "ARCEE_API_KEY",
+        values["arcee_api_key"] = convert_to_secret_str(
+            get_from_dict_or_env(
+                values,
+                "arcee_api_key",
+                "ARCEE_API_KEY",
+            )
         )
 
         values["arcee_api_url"] = get_from_dict_or_env(
diff --git a/libs/langchain/langchain/retrievers/arcee.py b/libs/langchain/langchain/retrievers/arcee.py
index faf014eaf31..7d3e7b822f5 100644
--- a/libs/langchain/langchain/retrievers/arcee.py
+++ b/libs/langchain/langchain/retrievers/arcee.py
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 from langchain_core.documents import Document
-from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import Extra, root_validator
+from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import Extra, SecretStr, root_validator
 from langchain_core.retrievers import BaseRetriever
 
 from langchain.callbacks.manager import CallbackManagerForRetrieverRun
 from langchain.utilities.arcee import ArceeWrapper, DALMFilter
-from langchain.utils import get_from_dict_or_env
+from langchain.utils import convert_to_secret_str, get_from_dict_or_env
 
 
 class ArceeRetriever(BaseRetriever):
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class ArceeRetriever(BaseRetriever):
     _client: Optional[ArceeWrapper] = None  #: :meta private:
     """Arcee client."""
 
-    arcee_api_key: str = ""
+    arcee_api_key: SecretStr
     """Arcee API Key"""
 
     model: str
@@ -75,10 +75,12 @@ class ArceeRetriever(BaseRetriever):
         """Validate Arcee environment variables."""
 
         # validate env vars
-        values["arcee_api_key"] = get_from_dict_or_env(
-            values,
-            "arcee_api_key",
-            "ARCEE_API_KEY",
+        values["arcee_api_key"] = convert_to_secret_str(
+            get_from_dict_or_env(
+                values,
+                "arcee_api_key",
+                "ARCEE_API_KEY",
+            )
         )
 
         values["arcee_api_url"] = get_from_dict_or_env(
diff --git a/libs/langchain/langchain/utilities/arcee.py b/libs/langchain/langchain/utilities/arcee.py
index 318af14eb57..743930b93e8 100644
--- a/libs/langchain/langchain/utilities/arcee.py
+++ b/libs/langchain/langchain/utilities/arcee.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Literal, Mapping, Optional, Union
 
 import requests
-from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import BaseModel, root_validator
+from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import BaseModel, SecretStr, root_validator
 from langchain_core.retrievers import Document
 
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class ArceeWrapper:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        arcee_api_key: str,
+        arcee_api_key: SecretStr,
         arcee_api_url: str,
         arcee_api_version: str,
         model_kwargs: Optional[Dict[str, Any]],
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class ArceeWrapper:
     def _make_request_headers(self, headers: Optional[Dict] = None) -> Dict:
         headers = headers or {}
         internal_headers = {
-            "X-Token": self.arcee_api_key,
+            "X-Token": self.arcee_api_key.get_secret_value(),
             "Content-Type": "application/json",
         }
         headers.update(internal_headers)
diff --git a/libs/langchain/tests/integration_tests/llms/test_arcee.py b/libs/langchain/tests/integration_tests/llms/test_arcee.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a795c1909ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/langchain/tests/integration_tests/llms/test_arcee.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""Test Arcee llm"""
+from langchain_core.pydantic_v1 import SecretStr
+from pytest import CaptureFixture, MonkeyPatch
+
+from langchain.llms.arcee import Arcee
+
+
+def test_api_key_is_secret_string() -> None:
+    llm = Arcee(model="DALM-PubMed", arcee_api_key="test-arcee-api-key")
+    assert isinstance(llm.arcee_api_key, SecretStr)
+
+
+def test_api_key_masked_when_passed_from_env(
+    monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch, capsys: CaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    """Test initialization with an API key provided via an env variable"""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ARCEE_API_KEY", "test-arcee-api-key")
+
+    llm = Arcee(model="DALM-PubMed")
+
+    print(llm.arcee_api_key, end="")
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert captured.out == "**********"
+
+
+def test_api_key_masked_when_passed_via_constructor(
+    capsys: CaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """Test initialization with an API key provided via the initializer"""
+    llm = Arcee(model="DALM-PubMed", arcee_api_key="test-arcee-api-key")
+
+    print(llm.arcee_api_key, end="")
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert captured.out == "**********"