diff --git a/src/project_checkup/core.clj b/src/project_checkup/core.clj
--- a/src/project_checkup/core.clj
+++ b/src/project_checkup/core.clj
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@
   (= (count (re-find #"(FIXME|TODO)" (:readme project) )) 0))
 
 
+(defn check-license [project]
+(let [{files :files } project]
+    (boolean (some #{"LICENSE" "LICENSE.txt" "LICENSE.md" "LICENSE.mkd"} files)) )
+  )
+
+
 (def checks [{:name "Project is checked into revision control"
               :description ""
               :function check-vcs
@@ -93,7 +99,7 @@
               :description ""
               :level :suggestion
               :follow-up "Add a todo file using Taskpaper." }
-             {:name "Has README"
+             {:name "Project has a README"
               :function check-readme
               :description "Readme exists"
               :level :suggestion
@@ -103,7 +109,12 @@
              :description "No placeholders in README"
              :level :error
              :follow-up "Address placeholders or convert them to tasks."
-             } ])
+             } 
+            { :name "Project has a license"
+             :function check-license
+             :description "Project has a LICENSE file."
+             :level :warning ;going with warning because a project might not have a license before release.
+             :follow-up "Add a license to LICENSE. Consider using https://choosealicense.com/ if you need guidance. " }])
 
 (defn perform-check [check project]
   (let [{check-name :name function :function follow-up :follow-up
@@ -115,9 +126,9 @@
                       :error :red
                       :red)
         prefix (case level
-                  :suggestion "Suggested follow-up"
-                      :warning "Recommended follow-up"
-                      :error "Required follow-up"
+                  :suggestion "Suggested "
+                      :warning "Recommended "
+                      :error "Required "
                       "Follow-up" )]
     {:name check-name
      :result result
@@ -136,4 +147,4 @@
     (catch Exception ex
       (.printStackTrace ex)
       (str "caught exception: " (.getMessage ex)))
-    (finally (shutdown-agents) )) )
+    (finally (shutdown-agents))))
diff --git a/test/project_checkup/core_test.clj b/test/project_checkup/core_test.clj
--- a/test/project_checkup/core_test.clj
+++ b/test/project_checkup/core_test.clj
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@
     (is (not (check-untracked {:untracked-files [".hg"]})))))
 
 
+(deftest test-check-license
+  (testing "Ensure license is counted"
+    (is (check-license {:files ["LICENSE.mkd"]}))
+    (is (check-license {:files ["LICENSE"]})))
+  (testing "Ensure non-plain text licenses don't count."
+    (is (not (check-license {:files ["LICENSE.docx"]})))
+    (is (not (check-license {:files ["LICENSE.pdf"]}))))
+  (testing "Ensure blank is false."
+    (is (not (check-license {:files []})))
+    (is (not (check-license {})))
+    (is (not (check-license {:files ["licens" "README"]})))))
+
 (deftest test-get-extension
   (testing "test various paths with extensions"
     (is (= (get-extension "test.txt") ".txt"))