diff --git a/policy-controller/src/admission.rs b/policy-controller/src/admission.rs
index f64bcea6ea6bd..10902aad82f86 100644
--- a/policy-controller/src/admission.rs
+++ b/policy-controller/src/admission.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 use super::validation;
 use crate::k8s::policy::{
     httproute, server::Selector, AuthorizationPolicy, AuthorizationPolicySpec, EgressNetwork,
-    EgressNetworkSpec, HttpRoute, HttpRouteSpec, LocalTargetRef, MeshTLSAuthentication,
-    MeshTLSAuthenticationSpec, NamespacedTargetRef, Network, NetworkAuthentication,
-    NetworkAuthenticationSpec, Server, ServerAuthorization, ServerAuthorizationSpec, ServerSpec,
+    EgressNetworkSpec, HTTPLocalRateLimitPolicy, HttpRoute, HttpRouteSpec, LocalTargetRef,
+    MeshTLSAuthentication, MeshTLSAuthenticationSpec, NamespacedTargetRef, Network,
+    NetworkAuthentication, NetworkAuthenticationSpec, RateLimitPolicySpec, Server,
+    ServerAuthorization, ServerAuthorizationSpec, ServerSpec,
 };
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, ensure, Result};
 use futures::future;
@@ -148,6 +149,10 @@ impl Admission {
             return self.admit_spec::<k8s_gateway_api::TcpRouteSpec>(req).await;
         }
 
+        if is_kind::<HTTPLocalRateLimitPolicy>(&req) {
+            return self.admit_spec::<RateLimitPolicySpec>(req).await;
+        }
+
         AdmissionResponse::invalid(format_args!(
             "unsupported resource type: {}.{}.{}",
             req.kind.group, req.kind.version, req.kind.kind
@@ -844,3 +849,59 @@ fn validate_parent_ref_port_requirements(parent: &k8s_gateway_api::ParentReferen
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+impl Validate<RateLimitPolicySpec> for Admission {
+    async fn validate(
+        self,
+        _ns: &str,
+        _name: &str,
+        _annotations: &BTreeMap<String, String>,
+        spec: RateLimitPolicySpec,
+    ) -> Result<()> {
+        if !spec.target_ref.targets_kind::<Server>() {
+            bail!(
+                "invalid targetRef kind: {}",
+                spec.target_ref.canonical_kind()
+            );
+        }
+
+        if let Some(total) = spec.total {
+            if total.requests_per_second == 0 {
+                bail!("total.requestsPerSecond must be greater than 0");
+            }
+
+            if let Some(ref identity) = spec.identity {
+                if identity.requests_per_second > total.requests_per_second {
+                    bail!("identity.requestsPerSecond must be less than or equal to total.requestsPerSecond");
+                }
+            }
+
+            for ovr in spec.overrides.clone().unwrap_or_default().iter() {
+                if ovr.requests_per_second > total.requests_per_second {
+                    bail!("override.requestsPerSecond must be less than or equal to total.requestsPerSecond");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if let Some(identity) = spec.identity {
+            if identity.requests_per_second == 0 {
+                bail!("identity.requestsPerSecond must be greater than 0");
+            }
+        }
+
+        for ovr in spec.overrides.unwrap_or_default().iter() {
+            if ovr.requests_per_second == 0 {
+                bail!("override.requestsPerSecond must be greater than 0");
+            }
+
+            for target_ref in ovr.client_refs.iter() {
+                if !target_ref.targets_kind::<ServiceAccount>() {
+                    bail!("overrides.clientRefs must target a ServiceAccount");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/policy-test/tests/admit_http_local_ratelimit_policy.rs b/policy-test/tests/admit_http_local_ratelimit_policy.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5e4de499420be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/policy-test/tests/admit_http_local_ratelimit_policy.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+use linkerd_policy_controller_k8s_api::{
+    self as api,
+    policy::{
+        HTTPLocalRateLimitPolicy, Limit, LocalTargetRef, NamespacedTargetRef, Override,
+        RateLimitPolicySpec,
+    },
+};
+use linkerd_policy_test::admission;
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn accepts_valid() {
+    admission::accepts(|ns| {
+        mk_ratelimiter(ns, default_target_ref(), 1000, 100, default_overrides())
+    })
+    .await;
+}
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn rejects_target_ref_deployment() {
+    let target_ref = LocalTargetRef {
+        group: Some("apps".to_string()),
+        kind: "Deployment".to_string(),
+        name: "api".to_string(),
+    };
+    admission::rejects(|ns| mk_ratelimiter(ns, target_ref, 1000, 100, default_overrides())).await;
+}
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn rejects_identity_rps_higher_than_total() {
+    admission::rejects(|ns| {
+        mk_ratelimiter(ns, default_target_ref(), 1000, 2000, default_overrides())
+    })
+    .await;
+}
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn rejects_overrides_rps_higher_than_total() {
+    let overrides = vec![Override {
+        requests_per_second: 2000,
+        client_refs: vec![NamespacedTargetRef {
+            group: Some("".to_string()),
+            kind: "ServiceAccount".to_string(),
+            name: "sa-1".to_string(),
+            namespace: Some("linkerd".to_string()),
+        }],
+    }];
+    admission::rejects(|ns| mk_ratelimiter(ns, default_target_ref(), 1000, 2000, overrides)).await;
+}
+
+fn default_target_ref() -> LocalTargetRef {
+    LocalTargetRef {
+        group: Some("policy.linkerd.io".to_string()),
+        kind: "Server".to_string(),
+        name: "api".to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
+fn default_overrides() -> Vec<Override> {
+    vec![Override {
+        requests_per_second: 200,
+        client_refs: vec![NamespacedTargetRef {
+            group: Some("".to_string()),
+            kind: "ServiceAccount".to_string(),
+            name: "sa-1".to_string(),
+            namespace: Some("linkerd".to_string()),
+        }],
+    }]
+}
+
+fn mk_ratelimiter(
+    namespace: String,
+    target_ref: LocalTargetRef,
+    total_rps: u32,
+    identity_rps: u32,
+    overrides: Vec<Override>,
+) -> HTTPLocalRateLimitPolicy {
+    HTTPLocalRateLimitPolicy {
+        metadata: api::ObjectMeta {
+            namespace: Some(namespace),
+            name: Some("test".to_string()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        },
+        spec: RateLimitPolicySpec {
+            target_ref,
+            total: Some(Limit {
+                requests_per_second: total_rps,
+            }),
+            identity: Some(Limit {
+                requests_per_second: identity_rps,
+            }),
+            overrides: Some(overrides),
+        },
+    }
+}