diff --git a/runtests.sh b/runtests.sh
index 77fc84f6d1..e3adabe184 100755
--- a/runtests.sh
+++ b/runtests.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ doIsortFormat=false
 doIsortFix=false
 doFlake8Format=false
 doClangFormat=false
+doCopyRight=false
 doPytypeFormat=false
 doMypyFormat=false
 doCleanup=false
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ PY_EXE=${MONAI_PY_EXE:-$(which python)}
 
 function print_usage {
     echo "runtests.sh [--codeformat] [--autofix] [--black] [--isort] [--flake8] [--clangformat] [--pytype] [--mypy]"
-    echo "            [--unittests] [--disttests] [--coverage] [--quick] [--min] [--net] [--dryrun] [-j number] [--clean] [--help] [--version]"
+    echo "            [--unittests] [--disttests] [--coverage] [--quick] [--min] [--net] [--dryrun] [-j number] [--list_tests]"
+    echo "            [--copyright] [--clean] [--help] [--version]"
     echo ""
     echo "MONAI unit testing utilities."
     echo ""
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ function print_usage {
     echo ""
     echo "Misc. options:"
     echo "    --dryrun          : display the commands to the screen without running"
+    echo "    --copyright       : check whether every source code has a copyright header"
     echo "    -f, --codeformat  : shorthand to run all code style and static analysis tests"
     echo "    -c, --clean       : clean temporary files from tests and exit"
     echo "    -h, --help        : show this help message and exit"
@@ -238,6 +241,7 @@ do
             doFlake8Format=true
             doPytypeFormat=true
             doMypyFormat=true
+            doCopyRight=true
         ;;
         --disttests)
             doDistTests=true
@@ -250,6 +254,7 @@ do
             doBlackFix=true
             doIsortFormat=true
             doBlackFormat=true
+            doCopyRight=true
         ;;
         --clangformat)
             doClangFormat=true
@@ -270,6 +275,9 @@ do
             NUM_PARALLEL=$2
             shift
         ;;
+        --copyright)
+            doCopyRight=true
+        ;;
         -c|--clean)
             doCleanup=true
         ;;
@@ -341,6 +349,30 @@ compile_cpp
 # unconditionally report on the state of monai
 print_version
 
+if [ $doCopyRight = true ]
+then
+    # check copyright headers
+    copyright_bad=0
+    copyright_all=0
+    while read -r fname; do
+        copyright_all=$((copyright_all + 1))
+        if ! grep "http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0" "$fname" > /dev/null; then
+            print_error_msg "Missing the license header in file: $fname"
+            copyright_bad=$((copyright_bad + 1))
+        fi
+    done <<< "$(find "$(pwd)/monai" "$(pwd)/tests" -type f \
+        ! -wholename "*_version.py" -and -name "*.py" -or -name "*.cpp" -or -name "*.cu" -or -name "*.h")"
+    if [[ ${copyright_bad} -eq 0 ]];
+    then
+        echo "${green}Source code copyright headers checked ($copyright_all).${noColor}"
+    else
+        echo "Please add the licensing header to the file ($copyright_bad of $copyright_all files)."
+        echo "  See also: https://github.com/Project-MONAI/MONAI/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md#checking-the-coding-style"
+        echo ""
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
 
 if [ $doIsortFormat = true ]
 then