diff --git a/changelog_entry.yaml b/changelog_entry.yaml
index e69de29bb..81463cefe 100644
--- a/changelog_entry.yaml
+++ b/changelog_entry.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- bump: patch
+  changes:
+    changed
+      - validate_country to decorator for validation on applicable functions
diff --git a/policyengine_api/country.py b/policyengine_api/country.py
index 10ddca6e5..b9db387d6 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/country.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/country.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import importlib
 from flask import Response
+from functools import wraps
 import json
 from policyengine_core.taxbenefitsystems import TaxBenefitSystem
 from typing import Union, Optional
@@ -497,19 +498,26 @@ def get_requested_computations(household: dict):
 }
 
 
-def validate_country(country_id: str) -> Union[None, Response]:
+def validate_country(func):
     """Validate that a country ID is valid. If not, return a 404 response.
 
     Args:
         country_id (str): The country ID to validate.
 
     Returns:
-
+        Response(404) if country is not valid, else continues
     """
-    if country_id not in COUNTRIES:
-        body = dict(
-            status="error",
-            message=f"Country {country_id} not found. Available countries are: {', '.join(COUNTRIES.keys())}",
-        )
-        return Response(json.dumps(body), status=404)
-    return None
+
+    @wraps(func)
+    def validate_country_wrapper(
+        country_id: str, *args, **kwargs
+    ) -> Union[None, Response]:
+        if country_id not in COUNTRIES:
+            body = dict(
+                status="error",
+                message=f"Country {country_id} not found. Available countries are: {', '.join(COUNTRIES.keys())}",
+            )
+            return Response(json.dumps(body), status=404)
+        return func(country_id, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    return validate_country_wrapper
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/economy/economy.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/economy/economy.py
index ed62eac2b..f1531beaf 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/economy/economy.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/economy/economy.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ def get_average_time():
     return total_time / len(recent_jobs)
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_economic_impact(
     country_id: str, policy_id: str, baseline_policy_id: str = None
 ):
@@ -50,9 +51,6 @@ def get_economic_impact(
         dict: The economic impact.
     """
     print(f"Got request for {country_id} {policy_id} {baseline_policy_id}")
-    invalid_country = validate_country(country_id)
-    if invalid_country:
-        return invalid_country
 
     policy_id = int(policy_id or get_current_law_policy_id(country_id))
     baseline_policy_id = int(
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/household.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/household.py
index 72832a5c9..42574dafb 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/household.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/household.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ def get_household_year(household):
     return household_year
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> dict:
     """Get a household's input data with a given ID.
 
@@ -89,12 +90,8 @@ def get_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> dict:
         country_id (str): The country ID.
         household_id (str): The household ID.
     """
-    invalid_country = validate_country(country_id)
-    if invalid_country:
-        return invalid_country
 
     # Retrieve from the household table
-
     row = database.query(
         f"SELECT * FROM household WHERE id = ? AND country_id = ?",
         (household_id, country_id),
@@ -120,15 +117,13 @@ def get_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> dict:
         )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def post_household(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """Set a household's input data.
 
     Args:
         country_id (str): The country ID.
     """
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
 
     payload = request.json
     label = payload.get("label")
@@ -169,6 +164,7 @@ def post_household(country_id: str) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def update_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> Response:
     """
     Update a household via UPDATE request
@@ -176,10 +172,6 @@ def update_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> Response:
     Args: country_id (str): The country ID
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     # Fetch existing household first
     try:
         row = database.query(
@@ -258,6 +250,7 @@ def update_household(country_id: str, household_id: str) -> Response:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_household_under_policy(
     country_id: str, household_id: str, policy_id: str
 ):
@@ -268,9 +261,6 @@ def get_household_under_policy(
         household_id (str): The household ID.
         policy_id (str): The policy ID.
     """
-    invalid_country = validate_country(country_id)
-    if invalid_country:
-        return invalid_country
 
     api_version = COUNTRY_PACKAGE_VERSIONS.get(country_id)
 
@@ -393,6 +383,7 @@ def get_household_under_policy(
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_calculate(country_id: str, add_missing: bool = False) -> dict:
     """Lightweight endpoint for passing in household and policy JSON objects and calculating without storing data.
 
@@ -400,10 +391,6 @@ def get_calculate(country_id: str, add_missing: bool = False) -> dict:
         country_id (str): The country ID.
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     payload = request.json
     household_json = payload.get("household", {})
     policy_json = payload.get("policy", {})
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/metadata.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/metadata.py
index b1b9f1511..91491c8bb 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/metadata.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/metadata.py
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 from policyengine_api.country import COUNTRIES, validate_country
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_metadata(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """Get metadata for a country.
 
     Args:
         country_id (str): The country ID.
     """
-    invalid_country = validate_country(country_id)
-    if invalid_country:
-        return invalid_country
-
     return COUNTRIES.get(country_id).metadata
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/policy.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/policy.py
index 4059068e0..f8e5fcacf 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/policy.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/policy.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import sqlalchemy.exc
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_policy(country_id: str, policy_id: int) -> dict:
     """
     Get policy data for a given country and policy ID.
@@ -21,9 +22,7 @@ def get_policy(country_id: str, policy_id: int) -> dict:
     Returns:
         dict: The policy record.
     """
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
+
     # Get the policy record for a given policy ID.
     row = database.query(
         f"SELECT * FROM policy WHERE country_id = ? AND id = ?",
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@ def get_policy(country_id: str, policy_id: int) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def set_policy(
     country_id: str,
 ) -> dict:
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ def set_policy(
     Args:
         country_id (str): The country ID.
     """
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
 
     payload = request.json
     label = payload.pop("label", None)
@@ -176,6 +173,7 @@ def set_policy(
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_policy_search(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Search for policies for a specified country
@@ -195,6 +193,7 @@ def get_policy_search(country_id: str) -> dict:
     Example:
         GET /api/policies/us?query=tax&unique_only=true
     """
+
     query = request.args.get("query", "")
     # The "json.loads" default type is added to convert lowercase
     # "true" and "false" to Python-friendly bool values
@@ -202,10 +201,6 @@ def get_policy_search(country_id: str) -> dict:
         "unique_only", default=False, type=json.loads
     )
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     try:
         results = database.query(
             "SELECT id, label, policy_hash FROM policy WHERE country_id = ? AND label LIKE ?",
@@ -269,6 +264,7 @@ def get_current_law_policy_id(country_id: str) -> int:
     }[country_id]
 
 
+@validate_country
 def set_user_policy(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Adds a record (if unique, barring type) to the user_policy table
@@ -277,10 +273,6 @@ def set_user_policy(country_id: str) -> dict:
     is currently unused
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     payload = request.json
     reform_label = payload.pop("reform_label", None)
     reform_id = payload.pop("reform_id")
@@ -436,14 +428,12 @@ def set_user_policy(country_id: str) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_user_policy(country_id: str, user_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Fetch all saved user policies by user id
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
     # Get the policy record for a given policy ID.
     rows = database.query(
         f"SELECT * FROM user_policies WHERE country_id = ? AND user_id = ?",
@@ -488,15 +478,12 @@ def get_user_policy(country_id: str, user_id: str) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def update_user_policy(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Update any parts of a user_policy, given a user_policy ID
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     # Construct the relevant UPDATE request
     setter_array = []
     args = []
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/tracer_analysis.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/tracer_analysis.py
index a42fd8e45..7aa0ba016 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/tracer_analysis.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/tracer_analysis.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 # TODO: Add the prompt in a new variable; this could even be duplicated from the Streamlit
 
 
+@validate_country
 def execute_tracer_analysis(
     country_id: str,
 ):
@@ -29,10 +30,6 @@ def execute_tracer_analysis(
         country_id (str): The country ID.
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     payload = request.json
 
     household_id = payload.get("household_id")
diff --git a/policyengine_api/endpoints/user_profile.py b/policyengine_api/endpoints/user_profile.py
index c3c877a1f..259e4727f 100644
--- a/policyengine_api/endpoints/user_profile.py
+++ b/policyengine_api/endpoints/user_profile.py
@@ -4,13 +4,11 @@
 import json
 
 
+@validate_country
 def set_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Creates a new user_profile
     """
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
 
     payload = request.json
     primary_country = country_id
@@ -86,6 +84,7 @@ def set_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def get_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Get a user profile in one of two ways: by auth0_id,
@@ -93,10 +92,6 @@ def get_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     all data except auth0_id
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     if len(request.args) != 1:
         return Response(
             json.dumps(
@@ -175,6 +170,7 @@ def get_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     )
 
 
+@validate_country
 def update_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     Update any part of a user_profile, given a user_id,
@@ -182,10 +178,6 @@ def update_user_profile(country_id: str) -> dict:
     will assume malicious intent and 403
     """
 
-    country_not_found = validate_country(country_id)
-    if country_not_found:
-        return country_not_found
-
     # Construct the relevant UPDATE request
     setter_array = []
     args = []
diff --git a/tests/python/test_country.py b/tests/python/test_country.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2a279647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python/test_country.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+from flask import Response
+from policyengine_api.country import validate_country
+
+
+@validate_country
+def foo(country_id, other):
+    """
+    A simple dummy test method for validation testing. Must be defined outside of the class (or within
+    the test functions themselves) due to complications with the `self` parameter for class methods.
+    """
+    return "bar"
+
+class TestValidateCountry:
+    """
+    Test that the @validate_country decorator returns 404 if the country does not exist, otherwise
+    continues execution of the function.
+    """
+        
+    def test_valid_country(self):
+        result = foo("us", "extra_arg")
+        assert result == "bar"
+    
+    def test_invalid_country(self):
+        result = foo("baz", "extra_arg")
+        assert isinstance(result, Response) 
+        assert result.status_code == 404
+        
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/python/test_policy.py b/tests/python/test_policy.py
index 16dc5e570..802ef1c3e 100644
--- a/tests/python/test_policy.py
+++ b/tests/python/test_policy.py
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ def test_create_nonunique_policy(self, rest_client):
             (self.policy_hash, self.label, self.country_id),
         )
 
+    def test_create_policy_invalid_country(self, rest_client):
+        res = rest_client.post("/au/policy", json=self.test_policy)
+        assert res.status_code == 404
+
+
 
 class TestPolicySearch:
     country_id = "us"