diff --git a/rustfmt-config/src/lib.rs b/rustfmt-config/src/lib.rs
index 3b6dca769d9..aa1c6431353 100644
--- a/rustfmt-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rustfmt-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ create_config! {
     comment_width: usize, 80, false,
         "Maximum length of comments. No effect unless wrap_comments = true";
     normalize_comments: bool, false, true, "Convert /* */ comments to // comments where possible";
+    license_template: String, String::default(), false, "Check for license";
 
     // Single line expressions and items.
     empty_item_single_line: bool, true, false,
diff --git a/rustfmt-core/src/lib.rs b/rustfmt-core/src/lib.rs
index 3e82df9088c..cd566d3e091 100644
--- a/rustfmt-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rustfmt-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ use syntax::ast;
 use syntax::codemap::{CodeMap, FilePathMapping};
 pub use syntax::codemap::FileName;
 use syntax::parse::{self, ParseSess};
+use regex::{Regex, RegexBuilder};
 
 use checkstyle::{output_footer, output_header};
 use comment::{CharClasses, FullCodeCharKind};
@@ -91,6 +92,10 @@ pub enum ErrorKind {
     TrailingWhitespace,
     // TO-DO or FIX-ME item without an issue number
     BadIssue(Issue),
+    // License check has failed
+    LicenseCheck,
+    // License template could not be parsed
+    ParsingLicense,
 }
 
 impl fmt::Display for ErrorKind {
@@ -103,6 +108,8 @@ impl fmt::Display for ErrorKind {
             ),
             ErrorKind::TrailingWhitespace => write!(fmt, "left behind trailing whitespace"),
             ErrorKind::BadIssue(issue) => write!(fmt, "found {}", issue),
+            ErrorKind::LicenseCheck => write!(fmt, "license check failed"),
+            ErrorKind::ParsingLicense => write!(fmt, "parsing regex in license template failed"),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -119,7 +126,11 @@ pub struct FormattingError {
 impl FormattingError {
     fn msg_prefix(&self) -> &str {
         match self.kind {
-            ErrorKind::LineOverflow(..) | ErrorKind::TrailingWhitespace => "error:",
+            ErrorKind::LineOverflow(..)
+            | ErrorKind::TrailingWhitespace
+            | ErrorKind::LicenseCheck => "error:",
+            |
+            ErrorKind::ParsingLicense => "error:",
             ErrorKind::BadIssue(_) => "WARNING:",
         }
     }
@@ -397,8 +408,39 @@ fn should_report_error(
     }
 }
 
+fn check_license(text: &str, license_template: &str) -> Result<bool, regex::Error> {
+    let mut template_re = String::from("^");
+    // the template is parsed as a series of pairs of capture groups of (1) lazy whatever, which
+    // will be matched literally, followed by (2) a {}-delimited block, which will be matched as a
+    // regex
+    let template_parser = RegexBuilder::new(r"(.*?)\{(.*?)\}")
+        .dot_matches_new_line(true)
+        .build()
+        .unwrap();
+    // keep track of the last matched offset and ultimately append the tail of the template (if any)
+    // after the last {} block
+    let mut last_matched_offset = 0;
+    for caps in template_parser.captures_iter(license_template) {
+        if let Some(mat) = caps.get(0) {
+            last_matched_offset = mat.end()
+        }
+        if let Some(mat) = caps.get(1) {
+            template_re.push_str(&regex::escape(mat.as_str()))
+        }
+        if let Some(mat) = caps.get(2) {
+            let mut re = mat.as_str();
+            if re.is_empty() {
+                re = ".*?";
+            }
+            template_re.push_str(re)
+        }
+    }
+    template_re.push_str(&regex::escape(&license_template[last_matched_offset..]));
+    let template_re = Regex::new(&template_re)?;
+    Ok(template_re.is_match(text))
+}
+
 // Formatting done on a char by char or line by line basis.
-// FIXME(#209) warn on bad license
 // FIXME(#20) other stuff for parity with make tidy
 fn format_lines(
     text: &mut String,
@@ -407,7 +449,6 @@ fn format_lines(
     config: &Config,
     report: &mut FormatReport,
 ) {
-    // Iterate over the chars in the file map.
     let mut trims = vec![];
     let mut last_wspace: Option<usize> = None;
     let mut line_len = 0;
@@ -419,6 +460,33 @@ fn format_lines(
     let mut is_string = false; // true if the current line contains a string literal.
     let mut format_line = config.file_lines().contains_line(name, cur_line);
 
+    // Check license.
+    if config.was_set().license_template() {
+        match check_license(text, &config.license_template()) {
+            Ok(check) => {
+                if !check {
+                    errors.push(FormattingError {
+                        line: cur_line,
+                        kind: ErrorKind::LicenseCheck,
+                        is_comment: false,
+                        is_string: false,
+                        line_buffer: String::new(),
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+            Err(_) => {
+                errors.push(FormattingError {
+                    line: cur_line,
+                    kind: ErrorKind::ParsingLicense,
+                    is_comment: false,
+                    is_string: false,
+                    line_buffer: String::new(),
+                });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Iterate over the chars in the file map.
     for (kind, (b, c)) in CharClasses::new(text.chars().enumerate()) {
         if c == '\r' {
             continue;
@@ -844,7 +912,7 @@ pub fn run(input: Input, config: &Config) -> Summary {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
-    use super::{format_code_block, format_snippet, Config};
+    use super::{check_license, format_code_block, format_snippet, Config};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_no_panic_on_format_snippet_and_format_code_block() {
@@ -930,4 +998,38 @@ false,
 };";
         assert!(test_format_inner(format_code_block, code_block, expected));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_check_license() {
+        assert!(check_license("literal matching", "literal matching").unwrap());
+        assert!(!check_license("literal no match", "literal matching").unwrap());
+        assert!(
+            check_license(
+                "Regex start and end: 2018",
+                r"{[Rr]egex} start {} end: {\d+}"
+            ).unwrap()
+        );
+        assert!(!check_license(
+            "Regex start and end no match: 2018",
+            r"{[Rr]egex} start {} end: {\d+}"
+        ).unwrap());
+        assert!(
+            check_license(
+                "Regex in the middle: 2018 (tm)",
+                r"Regex {} middle: {\d+} (tm)"
+            ).unwrap()
+        );
+        assert!(!check_license(
+            "Regex in the middle no match: 2018 (tm)",
+            r"Regex {} middle: {\d+} (tm)"
+        ).unwrap());
+        assert!(!check_license("default doesn't match\nacross lines", "default {} lines").unwrap());
+        assert!(check_license("", "this is not a valid {[regex}").is_err());
+        assert!(
+            check_license(
+                "can't parse nested delimiters with regex",
+                r"can't parse nested delimiters with regex{\.{3}}"
+            ).is_err()
+        );
+    }
 }