diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.test.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e34d8c3663
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import parse from '@commitlint/parse';
+import {headerBreaking} from './header-breaking';
+
+const messages = {
+	empty: 'test: \nbody',
+	filled: 'BREAKING CHANGE: this one',
+};
+
+const parsed = {
+	empty: parse(messages.empty),
+	filled: parse(messages.filled),
+};
+
+test('without subject should succeed', async () => {
+	const [actual] = headerBreaking(await parsed.empty);
+	const expected = true;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
+
+test('BREAKING CHANGE: in header should fail', async () => {
+	const [actual] = headerBreaking(await parsed.filled);
+	const expected = false;
+	expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+});
diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e188e4ed3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/header-breaking.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import {SyncRule} from '@commitlint/types';
+
+export const headerBreaking: SyncRule = (parsed) => {
+	const result = parsed.header?.startsWith('BREAKING CHANGE:');
+
+	return [!result, 'move BREAKING CHANGE: to footer'];
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts b/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
index af8ea6a544..9b34a9dd05 100644
--- a/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
+++ b/@commitlint/rules/src/index.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {scopeEnum} from './scope-enum';
 import {scopeMaxLength} from './scope-max-length';
 import {scopeMinLength} from './scope-min-length';
 import {signedOffBy} from './signed-off-by';
+import {headerBreaking} from './header-breaking';
 import {subjectCase} from './subject-case';
 import {subjectEmpty} from './subject-empty';
 import {subjectFullStop} from './subject-full-stop';
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ export default {
 	'footer-max-length': footerMaxLength,
 	'footer-max-line-length': footerMaxLineLength,
 	'footer-min-length': footerMinLength,
+	'header-breaking': headerBreaking,
 	'header-case': headerCase,
 	'header-full-stop': headerFullStop,
 	'header-max-length': headerMaxLength,