diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register.go b/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register.go
index 69fa72bf479..80444b8d3fb 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register.go
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ var resourceInfo = v0alpha1.FolderResourceInfo
 var errNoUser = errors.New("valid user is required")
 var errNoResource = errors.New("resource name is required")
 
+var folderValidationRules = struct {
+	maxDepth     int
+	invalidNames []string
+}{
+	maxDepth:     4,
+	invalidNames: []string{"general"},
+}
+
 // This is used just so wire has something unique to return
 type FolderAPIBuilder struct {
 	gv            schema.GroupVersion
@@ -183,10 +191,6 @@ func (b *FolderAPIBuilder) GetAuthorizer() authorizer.Authorizer {
 	})
 }
 
-func (b *FolderAPIBuilder) Validate(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, o admission.ObjectInterfaces) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
 func authorizerFunc(ctx context.Context, attr authorizer.Attributes) (*authorizerParams, error) {
 	verb := attr.GetVerb()
 	name := attr.GetName()
@@ -220,3 +224,38 @@ func authorizerFunc(ctx context.Context, attr authorizer.Attributes) (*authorize
 	}
 	return &authorizerParams{evaluator: eval, user: user}, nil
 }
+
+func (b *FolderAPIBuilder) Validate(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, _ admission.ObjectInterfaces) error {
+	// name cannot be called "general"
+	id := a.GetName()
+	for _, invalidName := range folderValidationRules.invalidNames {
+		if id == invalidName {
+			return dashboards.ErrFolderInvalidUID
+		}
+	}
+
+	obj := a.GetObject()
+
+	for i := 0; i <= folderValidationRules.maxDepth+1; i++ {
+		parent := getParent(obj)
+		if parent == "" {
+			break
+		}
+		if i == folderValidationRules.maxDepth+1 {
+			return folder.ErrMaximumDepthReached
+		}
+
+		// TODO: investigate the best way to get a folder by name, considering validate is called before the storage layer
+		// parent, err := getFolderByNameSomehow()
+		// obj = parent
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func getParent(o runtime.Object) string {
+	meta, err := utils.MetaAccessor(o)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return meta.GetFolder()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register_test.go b/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register_test.go
index 068bfafdce5..dcd9e96aef3 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/folders/register_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apimachinery/identity"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apimachinery/utils"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apis/folder/v0alpha1"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/accesscontrol/acimpl"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/authz/zanzana"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/dashboards"
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/folder/foldertest"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/user"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authorization/authorizer"
 )
 
@@ -114,3 +117,58 @@ func TestFolderAPIBuilder_getAuthorizerFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestFolderAPIBuilder_Validate(t *testing.T) {
+	type input struct {
+		obj  *unstructured.Unstructured
+		name string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		input input
+		err   error
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "should return error when nameis invalid",
+			input: input{
+				obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+					Object: map[string]interface{}{
+						"meta": map[string]interface{}{"name": folderValidationRules.invalidNames[0]},
+					},
+				},
+				name: folderValidationRules.invalidNames[0],
+			},
+			err: dashboards.ErrFolderInvalidUID,
+		},
+	}
+
+	b := &FolderAPIBuilder{
+		gv:            resourceInfo.GroupVersion(),
+		features:      nil,
+		namespacer:    func(_ int64) string { return "123" },
+		folderSvc:     foldertest.NewFakeService(),
+		accessControl: acimpl.ProvideAccessControl(featuremgmt.WithFeatures("nestedFolders"), zanzana.NewNoopClient()),
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := b.Validate(context.Background(), admission.NewAttributesRecord(
+				tt.input.obj,
+				nil,
+				v0alpha1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("folder"),
+				"stacks-123",
+				tt.input.name,
+				v0alpha1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("folders"),
+				"",
+				"create",
+				nil,
+				true,
+				&user.SignedInUser{},
+			), nil)
+
+			if tt.err != nil {
+				require.ErrorIs(t, err, tt.err)
+				return
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}