diff --git a/dandi/bids_validator_deno/_validator.py b/dandi/bids_validator_deno/_validator.py
index d97f953db..e811f2c5a 100644
--- a/dandi/bids_validator_deno/_validator.py
+++ b/dandi/bids_validator_deno/_validator.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from pydantic import DirectoryPath, validate_call
 
 from dandi.utils import find_parent_directory_containing
-from dandi.validate_types import (
+from dandi.validate.types import (
     Origin,
     OriginType,
     Scope,
diff --git a/dandi/cli/cmd_validate.py b/dandi/cli/cmd_validate.py
index b0b5012f5..bc86b4982 100644
--- a/dandi/cli/cmd_validate.py
+++ b/dandi/cli/cmd_validate.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from collections.abc import Iterable
 import logging
 import os
 import re
@@ -11,8 +10,59 @@
 
 from .base import devel_debug_option, devel_option, map_to_click_exceptions
 from ..utils import pluralize
-from ..validate import validate as validate_
-from ..validate_types import Severity, ValidationResult
+from ..validate.core import validate as validate_
+from ..validate.types import Severity, ValidationResult
+
+
+def _collect_results(
+    paths: tuple[str, ...],
+    schema: str | None,
+    devel_debug: bool,
+    allow_any_path: bool,
+) -> list[ValidationResult]:
+    """Run validation and collect all results into a list."""
+    # Avoid heavy import by importing within function:
+    from ..pynwb_utils import ignore_benign_pynwb_warnings
+
+    # Don't log validation warnings, as this command reports them to the user
+    # anyway:
+    root = logging.getLogger()
+    for h in root.handlers:
+        h.addFilter(lambda r: not getattr(r, "validating", False))
+
+    if not paths:
+        paths = (os.curdir,)
+    # below we are using load_namespaces but it causes HDMF to whine if there
+    # is no cached name spaces in the file.  It is benign but not really useful
+    # at this point, so we ignore it although ideally there should be a formal
+    # way to get relevant warnings (not errors) from PyNWB
+    ignore_benign_pynwb_warnings()
+
+    return list(
+        validate_(
+            *paths,
+            schema_version=schema,
+            devel_debug=devel_debug,
+            allow_any_path=allow_any_path,
+        )
+    )
+
+
+def _filter_results(
+    results: list[ValidationResult],
+    min_severity: str,
+    ignore: str | None,
+) -> list[ValidationResult]:
+    """Filter results by minimum severity and ignore pattern."""
+    min_severity_value = Severity[min_severity].value
+    filtered = [
+        r
+        for r in results
+        if r.severity is not None and r.severity.value >= min_severity_value
+    ]
+    if ignore is not None:
+        filtered = [r for r in filtered if not re.search(ignore, r.id)]
+    return filtered
 
 
 @click.command()
@@ -102,49 +152,15 @@ def validate(
 
     Exits with non-0 exit code if any file is not compliant.
     """
-    # Avoid heavy import by importing within function:
-    from ..pynwb_utils import ignore_benign_pynwb_warnings
-
-    # Don't log validation warnings, as this command reports them to the user
-    # anyway:
-    root = logging.getLogger()
-    for h in root.handlers:
-        h.addFilter(lambda r: not getattr(r, "validating", False))
-
-    if not paths:
-        paths = (os.curdir,)
-    # below we are using load_namespaces but it causes HDMF to whine if there
-    # is no cached name spaces in the file.  It is benign but not really useful
-    # at this point, so we ignore it although ideally there should be a formal
-    # way to get relevant warnings (not errors) from PyNWB
-    ignore_benign_pynwb_warnings()
-
-    validator_result = validate_(
-        *paths,
-        schema_version=schema,
-        devel_debug=devel_debug,
-        allow_any_path=allow_any_path,
-    )
-
-    min_severity_value = Severity[min_severity].value
-
-    filtered_results = [
-        i
-        for i in validator_result
-        if i.severity is not None and i.severity.value >= min_severity_value
-    ]
-
-    _process_issues(filtered_results, grouping, ignore)
+    results = _collect_results(paths, schema, devel_debug, allow_any_path)
+    filtered = _filter_results(results, min_severity, ignore)
+    _process_issues(filtered, grouping)
 
 
 def _process_issues(
-    validator_result: Iterable[ValidationResult],
+    issues: list[ValidationResult],
     grouping: str,
-    ignore: str | None = None,
 ) -> None:
-    issues = [i for i in validator_result if i.severity is not None]
-    if ignore is not None:
-        issues = [i for i in issues if not re.search(ignore, i.id)]
     purviews = [i.purview for i in issues]
     if grouping == "none":
         display_errors(
diff --git a/dandi/cli/tests/test_cmd_validate.py b/dandi/cli/tests/test_cmd_validate.py
index 6694ef3ec..978bd7e91 100644
--- a/dandi/cli/tests/test_cmd_validate.py
+++ b/dandi/cli/tests/test_cmd_validate.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 from ..cmd_validate import _process_issues, validate
 from ...tests.xfail import mark_xfail_windows_python313_posixsubprocess
-from ...validate_types import (
+from ...validate.types import (
     Origin,
     OriginType,
     Scope,
diff --git a/dandi/files/bases.py b/dandi/files/bases.py
index 15bc616c4..b5be008bf 100644
--- a/dandi/files/bases.py
+++ b/dandi/files/bases.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 from dandi.metadata.core import get_default_metadata
 from dandi.misctypes import DUMMY_DANDI_ETAG, Digest, LocalReadableFile, P
 from dandi.utils import post_upload_size_check, pre_upload_size_check, yaml_load
-from dandi.validate_types import (
+from dandi.validate.types import (
     ORIGIN_INTERNAL_DANDI,
     ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI,
     Origin,
diff --git a/dandi/files/bids.py b/dandi/files/bids.py
index 7e43163ec..bcda0f6d2 100644
--- a/dandi/files/bids.py
+++ b/dandi/files/bids.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from ..consts import ZARR_MIME_TYPE, dandiset_metadata_file
 from ..metadata.core import add_common_metadata, prepare_metadata
 from ..misctypes import Digest
-from ..validate_types import (
+from ..validate.types import (
     ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_LAYOUT,
     Scope,
     Severity,
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def _get_metadata(self) -> None:
         with self._lock:
             if self._asset_metadata is None:
                 # Import here to avoid circular import
-                from dandi.validate import validate_bids
+                from dandi.validate.core import validate_bids
 
                 # === Validate the dataset using bidsschematools ===
                 #   This is done to obtain the metadata for each asset in the dataset
diff --git a/dandi/files/zarr.py b/dandi/files/zarr.py
index efb1efd2d..805ce3a16 100644
--- a/dandi/files/zarr.py
+++ b/dandi/files/zarr.py
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@
 import json
 import os
 import os.path
-import urllib.parse
 from pathlib import Path
 from time import sleep
 from typing import Any, Optional
+import urllib.parse
 
 from dandischema.models import BareAsset, DigestType
 from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, ValidationError
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 )
 
 from .bases import LocalDirectoryAsset
-from ..validate_types import (
+from ..validate.types import (
     ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_ZARR,
     Origin,
     OriginType,
diff --git a/dandi/organize.py b/dandi/organize.py
index ac313fe86..4ba0047ba 100644
--- a/dandi/organize.py
+++ b/dandi/organize.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     pluralize,
     yaml_load,
 )
-from .validate_types import (
+from .validate.types import (
     ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_LAYOUT,
     Scope,
     Severity,
diff --git a/dandi/pynwb_utils.py b/dandi/pynwb_utils.py
index 7ffe552a8..5010725e4 100644
--- a/dandi/pynwb_utils.py
+++ b/dandi/pynwb_utils.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 )
 from .misctypes import Readable
 from .utils import get_module_version, is_url
-from .validate_types import (
+from .validate.types import (
     Origin,
     OriginType,
     Scope,
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_bids_validator_deno/test_validator.py b/dandi/tests/test_bids_validator_deno/test_validator.py
index d0e812c49..2782c42f2 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_bids_validator_deno/test_validator.py
+++ b/dandi/tests/test_bids_validator_deno/test_validator.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 )
 from dandi.consts import dandiset_metadata_file
 from dandi.tests.fixtures import BIDS_TESTDATA_SELECTION
-from dandi.validate_types import (
+from dandi.validate.types import (
     OriginType,
     Scope,
     Severity,
diff --git a/dandi/upload.py b/dandi/upload.py
index 1694aee23..324e31129 100644
--- a/dandi/upload.py
+++ b/dandi/upload.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 from .support import pyout as pyouts
 from .support.pyout import naturalsize
 from .utils import ensure_datetime, path_is_subpath, pluralize
-from .validate_types import Severity
+from .validate.types import Severity
 
 
 def _check_dandidownload_paths(dfile: DandiFile) -> None:
diff --git a/dandi/validate/__init__.py b/dandi/validate/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..659b81765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dandi/validate/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""Validation of DANDI datasets against schemas and standards.
+
+This subpackage provides validation functionality for dandisets, including:
+- DANDI schema validation
+- BIDS standard validation
+- File layout and organization validation
+- Metadata completeness checking
+
+Submodules:
+- core: Main validation functions (validate, validate_bids)
+- types: Data types and models (ValidationResult, Origin, Severity, etc.)
+- io: JSONL read/write utilities for validation results
+
+Note: core is NOT eagerly imported here to avoid circular imports
+(core → dandi.files → dandi.validate.types → dandi.validate.__init__).
+Import from dandi.validate.core directly for validate/validate_bids.
+"""
+
+from .types import (
+    ORIGIN_INTERNAL_DANDI,
+    ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI,
+    ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_LAYOUT,
+    ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_ZARR,
+    Origin,
+    OriginType,
+    Scope,
+    Severity,
+    Severity_,
+    Standard,
+    ValidationResult,
+    Validator,
+)
+
+__all__ = [
+    "ORIGIN_INTERNAL_DANDI",
+    "ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI",
+    "ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_LAYOUT",
+    "ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_ZARR",
+    "Origin",
+    "OriginType",
+    "Scope",
+    "Severity",
+    "Severity_",
+    "Standard",
+    "ValidationResult",
+    "Validator",
+]
diff --git a/dandi/validate.py b/dandi/validate/core.py
similarity index 97%
rename from dandi/validate.py
rename to dandi/validate/core.py
index c32000dab..f30cf95b5 100644
--- a/dandi/validate.py
+++ b/dandi/validate/core.py
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from .consts import dandiset_metadata_file
-from .files import find_dandi_files
-from .utils import find_parent_directory_containing
-from .validate_types import (
+from .types import (
     ORIGIN_VALIDATION_DANDI_LAYOUT,
     Origin,
     OriginType,
@@ -26,6 +23,9 @@
     ValidationResult,
     Validator,
 )
+from ..consts import dandiset_metadata_file
+from ..files import find_dandi_files
+from ..utils import find_parent_directory_containing
 
 BIDS_TO_DANDI = {
     "subject": "subject_id",
diff --git a/dandi/validate/tests/__init__.py b/dandi/validate/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_validate.py b/dandi/validate/tests/test_core.py
similarity index 97%
rename from dandi/tests/test_validate.py
rename to dandi/validate/tests/test_core.py
index edbf4ae8f..64c32090d 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_validate.py
+++ b/dandi/validate/tests/test_core.py
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from .fixtures import BIDS_TESTDATA_SELECTION
-from .. import __version__
-from ..consts import dandiset_metadata_file
-from ..validate import validate
-from ..validate_types import (
+from ..core import validate
+from ..types import (
     Origin,
     OriginType,
     Scope,
@@ -17,6 +14,9 @@
     ValidationResult,
     Validator,
 )
+from ... import __version__
+from ...consts import dandiset_metadata_file
+from ...tests.fixtures import BIDS_TESTDATA_SELECTION
 
 
 def test_validate_nwb_error(simple3_nwb: Path) -> None:
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_validate_types.py b/dandi/validate/tests/test_types.py
similarity index 99%
rename from dandi/tests/test_validate_types.py
rename to dandi/validate/tests/test_types.py
index eb43e251a..9b3b3abf1 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_validate_types.py
+++ b/dandi/validate/tests/test_types.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 import pytest
 
-from dandi.validate_types import (
+from dandi.validate.types import (
     Origin,
     OriginType,
     Scope,
diff --git a/dandi/validate_types.py b/dandi/validate/types.py
similarity index 100%
rename from dandi/validate_types.py
rename to dandi/validate/types.py