diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/package.json b/@commitlint/rules/package.json
index 59fb4345a7..d2eccf2c00 100644
--- a/@commitlint/rules/package.json
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/package.json
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
     "@commitlint/ensure": "^12.1.4",
     "@commitlint/message": "^12.1.4",
     "@commitlint/to-lines": "^12.1.4",
-    "@commitlint/types": "^12.1.4"
+    "@commitlint/types": "^12.1.4",
+    "execa": "^5.0.0"
   },
   "gitHead": "70f7f4688b51774e7ac5e40e896cdaa3f132b2bc"
 }
diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
index 8053f721f3..60e3239453 100644
--- a/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {subjectEmpty} from './subject-empty';
 import {subjectFullStop} from './subject-full-stop';
 import {subjectMaxLength} from './subject-max-length';
 import {subjectMinLength} from './subject-min-length';
+import {trailerExists} from './trailer-exists';
 import {typeCase} from './type-case';
 import {typeEmpty} from './type-empty';
 import {typeEnum} from './type-enum';
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ export default {
 	'subject-full-stop': subjectFullStop,
 	'subject-max-length': subjectMaxLength,
 	'subject-min-length': subjectMinLength,
+	'trailer-exists': trailerExists,
 	'type-case': typeCase,
 	'type-empty': typeEmpty,
 	'type-enum': typeEnum,
diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.test.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f97ab83be1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+import parse from '@commitlint/parse';
+import {trailerExists} from './trailer-exists';
+
+const messages = {
+	empty: 'test:\n',
+	with: `test: subject\n\nbody\n\nfooter\n\nSigned-off-by:\n\n`,
+	without: `test: subject\n\nbody\n\nfooter\n\n`,
+	inSubject: `test: subject Signed-off-by:\n\nbody\n\nfooter\n\n`,
+	inBody: `test: subject\n\nbody Signed-off-by:\n\nfooter\n\n`,
+	withSignoffAndNoise: `test: subject
+
+message body
+
+Arbitrary-trailer:
+Signed-off-by:
+Another-arbitrary-trailer:
+
+# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
+# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
+`,
+};
+
+const parsed = {
+	empty: parse(messages.empty),
+	with: parse(messages.with),
+	without: parse(messages.without),
+	inSubject: parse(messages.inSubject),
+	inBody: parse(messages.inBody),
+	withSignoffAndNoise: parse(messages.withSignoffAndNoise),
+};
+
+test('empty against "always trailer-exists" should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.empty,
+		'always',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('empty against "never trailer-exists" should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(await parsed.empty, 'never', 'Signed-off-by:');
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('with against "always trailer-exists" should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(await parsed.with, 'always', 'Signed-off-by:');
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('with against "never trailer-exists" should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(await parsed.with, 'never', 'Signed-off-by:');
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('without against "always trailer-exists" should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.without,
+		'always',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('without against "never trailer-exists" should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.without,
+		'never',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('comments and other trailers should be ignored', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.withSignoffAndNoise,
+		'always',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('inSubject against "always trailer-exists" should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.inSubject,
+		'always',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('inSubject against "never trailer-exists" should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.inSubject,
+		'never',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('inBody against "always trailer-exists" should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.inBody,
+		'always',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('inBody against "never trailer-exists" should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = trailerExists(
+		await parsed.inBody,
+		'never',
+		'Signed-off-by:'
+	);
+
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b78da87a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/trailer-exists.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import execa from 'execa';
+import message from '@commitlint/message';
+import toLines from '@commitlint/to-lines';
+import {SyncRule} from '@commitlint/types';
+
+export const trailerExists: SyncRule<string> = (
+	parsed,
+	when = 'always',
+	value = ''
+) => {
+	const trailers = execa.sync('git', ['interpret-trailers', '--parse'], {
+		input: parsed.raw,
+	}).stdout;
+
+	const matches = toLines(trailers).filter((ln) => ln.startsWith(value)).length;
+
+	const negated = when === 'never';
+	const hasTrailer = matches > 0;
+
+	return [
+		negated ? !hasTrailer : hasTrailer,
+		message([
+			'message',
+			negated ? 'must not' : 'must',
+			'have `' + value + '` trailer',
+		]),
+	];
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/types/src/rules.ts b/@commitlint/types/src/rules.ts
index d729d36aba..c2b4d24c6c 100644
--- a/@commitlint/types/src/rules.ts
+++ b/@commitlint/types/src/rules.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ export type RulesConfig<V = RuleConfigQuality.User> = {
 	'subject-full-stop': RuleConfig<V, string>;
 	'subject-max-length': LengthRuleConfig<V>;
 	'subject-min-length': LengthRuleConfig<V>;
+	'trailer-exists': RuleConfig<V, string>;
 	'type-case': CaseRuleConfig<V>;
 	'type-empty': RuleConfig<V>;
 	'type-enum': EnumRuleConfig<V>;
diff --git a/docs/reference-rules.md b/docs/reference-rules.md
index a3a0385dd0..c4042dbc0b 100644
--- a/docs/reference-rules.md
+++ b/docs/reference-rules.md
@@ -402,3 +402,13 @@ Infinity
 ```
 'Signed-off-by:'
 ```
+
+#### trailer-exists
+
+- **condition**: `message` has trailer `value`
+- **rule**: `always`
+- **value**
+
+```
+'Signed-off-by:'
+```