diff --git a/app/models/organisation.rb b/app/models/organisation.rb
index dd2abf7..93167c6 100644
--- a/app/models/organisation.rb
+++ b/app/models/organisation.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ class Organisation < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_ancestry
 
   validates_presence_of :registration_no, :census_url_no, :name, :status
+  validates_inclusion_of :status, in: STATES
 
   scope :open, where(status: 'O')
 
diff --git a/spec/models/organisation_spec.rb b/spec/models/organisation_spec.rb
index 2eb8664..1ccec71 100644
--- a/spec/models/organisation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/organisation_spec.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
     FactoryGirl.build(:organisation, status: nil).should_not be_valid
   end
 
+  it 'is invalid with a status of anything other than O or C' do
+    FactoryGirl.build(:organisation, status: 'P').should_not be_valid
+  end
+
   it 'has many memberships' do
     FactoryGirl.create(:organisation).should have_many(:memberships)
   end