diff --git a/pkg/cmd/root/root.go b/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
index 2929ca720..6957ff7b6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	releaseCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/release"
 	repoCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/repo"
 	creditsCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/repo/credits"
+	rulesetCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/ruleset"
 	runCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/run"
 	searchCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/search"
 	secretCmd "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/secret"
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ func NewCmdRoot(f *cmdutil.Factory, version, buildDate string) (*cobra.Command,
 	cmd.AddCommand(issueCmd.NewCmdIssue(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
 	cmd.AddCommand(releaseCmd.NewCmdRelease(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
 	cmd.AddCommand(repoCmd.NewCmdRepo(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
+	cmd.AddCommand(rulesetCmd.NewCmdRuleset(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
 	cmd.AddCommand(runCmd.NewCmdRun(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
 	cmd.AddCommand(workflowCmd.NewCmdWorkflow(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
 	cmd.AddCommand(labelCmd.NewCmdLabel(&repoResolvingCmdFactory))
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/ruleset/check/check.go b/pkg/cmd/ruleset/check/check.go
index a143981b1..34c708c69 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/ruleset/check/check.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/ruleset/check/check.go
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 package check
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 
 	"github.com/MakeNowJust/heredoc"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/api"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/git"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/config"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
@@ -16,8 +21,10 @@ type CheckOptions struct {
 	IO         *iostreams.IOStreams
 	Config     func() (config.Config, error)
 	BaseRepo   func() (ghrepo.Interface, error)
+	Git        *git.Client
 
-	Branch string
+	Branch  string
+	Default bool
 }
 
 func NewCmdCheck(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*CheckOptions) error) *cobra.Command {
@@ -25,6 +32,7 @@ func NewCmdCheck(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*CheckOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 		IO:         f.IOStreams,
 		Config:     f.Config,
 		HttpClient: f.HttpClient,
+		Git:        f.GitClient,
 	}
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "check [<branch>]",
@@ -48,18 +56,65 @@ func NewCmdCheck(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*CheckOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 				return runF(opts)
 			}
 
+			if opts.Branch != "" && opts.Default {
+				return cmdutil.FlagErrorf(
+					"branch argument '%s' and --default mutually exclusive", opts.Branch)
+			}
+
 			return checkRun(opts)
 		},
 	}
 
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Default, "default", false, "Check rules on default branch")
+
 	return cmd
 }
 
 func checkRun(opts *CheckOptions) error {
-	// TODO sniff local branch if opts.Branch is empty
 	// TODO ask about pushing (if interactive)
 	// TODO error if not interactive and --push not specified
+	// TODO parsing for errors on push
+
+	httpClient, err := opts.HttpClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	client := api.NewClientFromHTTP(httpClient)
+
+	repoI, err := opts.BaseRepo()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	git := opts.Git
+
+	if opts.Default {
+		repo, err := api.GitHubRepo(client, repoI)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not get repository information: %w", err)
+		}
+		opts.Branch = repo.DefaultBranchRef.Name
+	}
+
+	if opts.Branch == "" {
+		opts.Branch, err = git.CurrentBranch(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not determine current branch: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var lol interface{}
+
+	endpoint := fmt.Sprintf("repos/%s/%s/rules/branches/%s", repoI.RepoOwner(), repoI.RepoName(), url.PathEscape(opts.Branch))
+
+	if err = client.REST(repoI.RepoHost(), "GET", endpoint, nil, &lol); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("GET %s failed: %w", endpoint, err)
+	}
+
+	// TODO handle 404s gracefully
+	// TODO actually parse JSON
+
+	fmt.Printf("DBG %#v\n", lol)
 
-	// is the --push redundant? like, it needs to be specified every time for scripted use. can i tell if a branch is up to date with remote without a push? i could figure that out i think and then would know a push wasn't needed (but it will require a fetch per invocation. that seems fine?)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/ruleset/ruleset.go b/pkg/cmd/ruleset/ruleset.go
index 2fa86684c..266fbc93e 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/ruleset/ruleset.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/ruleset/ruleset.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package ruleset
 
 import (
 	"github.com/MakeNowJust/heredoc"
+	cmdCheck "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/ruleset/check"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ func NewCmdRuleset(f *cmdutil.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 	cmdutil.EnableRepoOverride(cmd, f)
 	// cmd.AddCommand(cmdList.NewCmdList(f, nil)
 	// cmd.AddCommand(cmdList.NewCmdView(f, nil)
-	// cmd.AddCommand(cmdCheck.NewCmdCheck(f, nil)
+	cmd.AddCommand(cmdCheck.NewCmdCheck(f, nil))
 
 	return cmd
 }