diff --git a/scripts/dev-lead-lint.sh b/scripts/dev-lead-lint.sh
index c85b52869..3845d0c4f 100755
--- a/scripts/dev-lead-lint.sh
+++ b/scripts/dev-lead-lint.sh
@@ -91,6 +91,36 @@ if [ "${#agent_files[@]}" -gt 0 ]; then
   fi
 fi
 
+# ── 3. CODEOWNERS validation ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Checks that every owner line lists @petry-projects/org-leads first.
+# Standard: standards/codeowners-standard.md (codeowners-org-leads-not-first check)
+codeowners_file=""
+for candidate in ".github/CODEOWNERS" "CODEOWNERS" "docs/CODEOWNERS"; do
+  if [ -f "$candidate" ]; then
+    codeowners_file="$candidate"
+    break
+  fi
+done
+
+if [ -n "$codeowners_file" ]; then
+  echo "  [lint] validating $codeowners_file..."
+  codeowners_fail=0
+  while IFS= read -r line; do
+    line="${line%$'\r'}"
+    [[ "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*$ ]] && continue
+    [[ "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*# ]] && continue
+    clean_line="${line//\\ /}"
+    read -r -a parts <<< "$clean_line"
+    first_owner="${parts[1]:-}"
+    if [ "$first_owner" != "@petry-projects/org-leads" ]; then
+      echo "FAIL: $codeowners_file — @petry-projects/org-leads must be the first owner on line: $line"
+      codeowners_fail=1
+    fi
+  done < "$codeowners_file"
+  [ "$codeowners_fail" -eq 0 ] || fail=1
+  [ "$codeowners_fail" -eq 0 ] && echo "OK: $codeowners_file"
+fi
+
 if [ "$fail" -eq 0 ]; then
   echo "  [lint] all checks passed"
 fi
diff --git a/tests/dev-lead/unit/test_dev_lead_lint.bats b/tests/dev-lead/unit/test_dev_lead_lint.bats
index 958f9f1b7..50c776b09 100644
--- a/tests/dev-lead/unit/test_dev_lead_lint.bats
+++ b/tests/dev-lead/unit/test_dev_lead_lint.bats
@@ -194,3 +194,86 @@ MD
   run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
 }
+
+# ── CODEOWNERS validation tests ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "lint: passes when no CODEOWNERS file exists" {
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: passes when .github/CODEOWNERS lists org-leads first" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  cat > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS" <<'CO'
+# Default owner
+* @petry-projects/org-leads
+CO
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: passes when CODEOWNERS lists org-leads first with additional owners" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  cat > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS" <<'CO'
+* @petry-projects/org-leads @petry-projects/backend
+docs/ @petry-projects/org-leads @petry-projects/docs
+CO
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: fails when CODEOWNERS owner line does not list org-leads first" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  cat > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS" <<'CO'
+* @petry-projects/backend @petry-projects/org-leads
+CO
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" =~ "org-leads" ]]
+}
+
+@test "lint: fails when CODEOWNERS owner line omits org-leads entirely" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  cat > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS" <<'CO'
+* @petry-projects/backend
+CO
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" =~ "org-leads" ]]
+}
+
+@test "lint: ignores comment lines and blank lines in CODEOWNERS" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  cat > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS" <<'CO'
+# This is a comment
+
+* @petry-projects/org-leads
+CO
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: handles CRLF line endings in CODEOWNERS" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  printf '* @petry-projects/org-leads\r\ndocs/ @petry-projects/org-leads @petry-projects/docs\r\n' \
+    > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS"
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: handles escaped spaces in CODEOWNERS paths" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  printf 'path\\ with\\ spaces/ @petry-projects/org-leads @petry-projects/backend\n' \
+    > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS"
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "lint: fails with CRLF when org-leads is not first" {
+  mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/.github"
+  printf '* @petry-projects/backend @petry-projects/org-leads\r\n' \
+    > "$WORK_DIR/.github/CODEOWNERS"
+  run bash "$LINT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" =~ "org-leads" ]]
+}