diff --git a/openstack_requirements/cmds/validate.py b/openstack_requirements/cmds/validate.py
index e049ea5adf..92c4fb56a9 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/cmds/validate.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/cmds/validate.py
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ def main():
         print(msg)
         error_count += 1
 
+    # Check requirements to satisfy policy.
+    print('\nChecking requirements on %s' % args.global_requirements)
+    for msg in requirement.check_reqs_bounds_policy(global_reqs):
+        print(msg)
+        error_count += 1
+
     # Check that all of the items in the global-requirements list
     # appear in exactly one of the constraints file or the blacklist.
     print('\nChecking %s' % args.blacklist)
diff --git a/openstack_requirements/requirement.py b/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
index 3634dcc7ab..42689acaf3 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
@@ -203,3 +203,36 @@ def to_reqs(content, permit_urls=False):
             yield None, content_line
         else:
             yield parse_line(req_line, permit_urls=permit_urls), content_line
+
+
+def check_reqs_bounds_policy(global_reqs):
+    """Check that the global requirement version specifiers match the policy.
+
+    The policy is defined as
+        * There needs to be exactly one lower bound (>=1.2 defined)
+        * There can be one or more excludes (!=1.2.1, !=1.2.2)
+        * TODO: Clarify (non-) existance of upper caps
+    """
+
+    for pkg_requirement in global_reqs.values():
+        req = pkg_requirement[0][0]
+        if req.package:
+            _specifiers = packaging.specifiers.SpecifierSet(req.specifiers)
+            lower_bound = set()
+            for spec in _specifiers:
+                if spec.operator == '>=':
+                    lower_bound.add(spec)
+            if len(lower_bound) < 1:
+                yield ('Requirement %s needs a >= specifier' % req.package)
+            elif len(lower_bound) > 1:
+                yield ('Requirement %s has multiple >= specifier' %
+                       req.package)
+            else:
+                lower_bound = lower_bound.pop()
+                for spec in _specifiers:
+                    if spec.operator == '!=':
+                        if not lower_bound.contains(spec.version):
+                            yield('Requirement %s has a !=%s specifier '
+                                  'that is not >=%s' % (req.package,
+                                                        spec.version,
+                                                        lower_bound.version))
diff --git a/openstack_requirements/tests/test_requirement.py b/openstack_requirements/tests/test_requirement.py
index 80f8d5919a..ac22f113a8 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/tests/test_requirement.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/tests/test_requirement.py
@@ -194,3 +194,28 @@ class TestToDict(testtools.TestCase):
         req = requirement.Requirement('Foo_bar', '', '', '', '')
         self.assertEqual(
             {'foo-bar': [(req, '')]}, requirement.to_dict([(req, '')]))
+
+
+class TestReqPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
+
+    def test_requirements_policy_pass(self):
+        content = textwrap.dedent("""\
+            cffi>=1.1.1,!=1.1.2
+            other>=1.1.1
+            """)
+        reqs = requirement.parse(content)
+        policy_check = [x for x in requirement.check_reqs_bounds_policy(reqs)]
+        self.assertEqual(len(policy_check), 0)
+
+    def test_requirements_policy_fail(self):
+        content = textwrap.dedent("""\
+            cffi>=1.1.1,!=1.1.0
+            other>=1,>=2,!=1.1.0
+            no_lower_bound
+            """)
+        reqs = requirement.parse(content)
+        self.assertEqual([
+            'Requirement cffi has a !=1.1.0 specifier that is not >=1.1.1',
+            'Requirement no-lower-bound needs a >= specifier',
+            'Requirement other has multiple >= specifier'],
+            sorted([x for x in requirement.check_reqs_bounds_policy(reqs)]))