diff --git a/cmd/sops/main.go b/cmd/sops/main.go
index 09d0b8cf4..321a800a5 100644
--- a/cmd/sops/main.go
+++ b/cmd/sops/main.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/codes"
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/common"
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/subcommand/exec"
+	filestatuscmd "github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus"
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/subcommand/groups"
 	keyservicecmd "github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/subcommand/keyservice"
 	publishcmd "github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/subcommand/publish"
@@ -428,6 +429,38 @@ func main() {
 				return nil
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			Name:      "filestatus",
+			Usage:     "check the status of the file, returning encryption status",
+			ArgsUsage: `file`,
+			Flags:     []cli.Flag{},
+			Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
+				if c.NArg() < 1 {
+					return common.NewExitError("Error: no file specified", codes.NoFileSpecified)
+				}
+
+				fileName := c.Args()[0]
+				inputStore := inputStore(c, fileName)
+				opts := filestatuscmd.Opts{
+					InputStore: inputStore,
+					InputPath:  fileName,
+				}
+
+				status, err := filestatuscmd.FileStatus(opts)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+
+				json, err := encodingjson.Marshal(status)
+				if err != nil {
+					return common.NewExitError(err, codes.ErrorGeneric)
+				}
+
+				fmt.Println(string(json))
+
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			Name:  "groups",
 			Usage: "modify the groups on a SOPS file",
diff --git a/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus.go b/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d40c96fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package filestatus
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3"
+	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/common"
+)
+
+// Opts represent the input options for FileStatus
+type Opts struct {
+	InputStore sops.Store
+	InputPath  string
+}
+
+// Status represents the status of a file
+type Status struct {
+	// Encrypted represents whether the file provided is encrypted by SOPS
+	Encrypted bool `json:"encrypted"`
+}
+
+// FileStatus checks encryption status of a file
+func FileStatus(opts Opts) (Status, error) {
+	encrypted, err := cfs(opts.InputStore, opts.InputPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Status{}, fmt.Errorf("cannot check file status: %w", err)
+	}
+	return Status{Encrypted: encrypted}, nil
+}
+
+// cfs checks and reports on file encryption status.
+//
+// It tries to decrypt the input file with the provided store.
+// It returns true if the file contains sops metadata, false
+// if it doesn't or Version or MessageAuthenticationCode are
+// not found.
+// It reports any error encountered different from
+// sops.MetadataNotFound, as that is used to detect a sops
+// encrypted file.
+func cfs(s sops.Store, inputpath string) (bool, error) {
+	tree, err := common.LoadEncryptedFile(s, inputpath)
+	if err != nil && err == sops.MetadataNotFound {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("cannot load encrypted file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// NOTE: even if it's a file that sops recognize as containing
+	// valid metadata, we want to ensure some metadata are present
+	// to report the file as encrypted.
+	if tree.Metadata.Version == "" {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	if tree.Metadata.MessageAuthenticationCode == "" {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus_internal_test.go b/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c058a506d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/sops/subcommand/filestatus/filestatus_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package filestatus
+
+import (
+	"path"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/cmd/sops/common"
+	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/config"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+const repoRoot = "../../../../"
+
+func fromRepoRoot(p string) string {
+	return path.Join(repoRoot, p)
+}
+
+func TestFileStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name              string
+		file              string
+		expectedEncrypted bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:              "encrypted file should be reported as such",
+			file:              "example.yaml",
+			expectedEncrypted: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "plain text file should be reported as cleartext",
+			file: "functional-tests/res/plainfile.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "file without mac should be reported as cleartext",
+			file: "functional-tests/res/plainfile.yaml",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			f := fromRepoRoot(tt.file)
+			s := common.DefaultStoreForPath(config.NewStoresConfig(), f)
+			encrypted, err := cfs(s, f)
+			require.Nil(t, err, "should not error")
+			if tt.expectedEncrypted {
+				require.True(t, encrypted, "file should have been reported as encrypted")
+			} else {
+				require.False(t, encrypted, "file should have been reported as cleartext")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/functional-tests/res/plainfile.yaml b/functional-tests/res/plainfile.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb56b0551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functional-tests/res/plainfile.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hello: world