diff --git a/command/ssh/ssh.go b/command/ssh/ssh.go
index 3fcadb47c..d15f5389d 100644
--- a/command/ssh/ssh.go
+++ b/command/ssh/ssh.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ $ ssh internal.example.com
 			rekeyCommand(),
 			renewCommand(),
 			revokeCommand(),
+			verifyCommand(),
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/command/ssh/verify.go b/command/ssh/verify.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ead01c65b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/ssh/verify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+package ssh
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/urfave/cli"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
+
+	"go.step.sm/cli-utils/command"
+
+	"github.com/smallstep/cli/utils"
+)
+
+func verifyCommand() cli.Command {
+	return cli.Command{
+		Name:      "verify",
+		Action:    command.ActionFunc(verifyAction),
+		Usage:     "verify an ssh certificate",
+		UsageText: `**step ssh verify** <crt-file> <ca-file>`,
+		Description: `**step ssh verify** command ...
+format.
+
+`,
+	}
+}
+
+func verifyAction(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+
+	// TODO: validation of args; allow caFile to be interpreted as directory
+	var (
+		certFile = ctx.Args().Get(0)
+		caFile   = ctx.Args().Get(1)
+	)
+
+	certBytes, err := utils.ReadFile(certFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	pub, _, _, _, err := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey(certBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Attempt to parse the key without the type.
+		certBytes = bytes.TrimSpace(certBytes)
+		keyBytes := make([]byte, base64.StdEncoding.DecodedLen(len(certBytes)))
+		n, err := base64.StdEncoding.Decode(keyBytes, certBytes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing ssh certificate")
+		}
+		if pub, err = ssh.ParsePublicKey(keyBytes[:n]); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing ssh certificate")
+		}
+	}
+	cert, ok := pub.(*ssh.Certificate)
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.Errorf("error decoding ssh certificate: %T is not an *ssh.Certificate", pub)
+	}
+
+	// TODO: add additional config? This could include a revocation check.
+	checker := &ssh.CertChecker{
+		SupportedCriticalOptions: maps.Keys(cert.CriticalOptions), // allow any option in the certificate
+	}
+
+	var principal string
+	if len(cert.ValidPrincipals) > 0 {
+		principal = cert.ValidPrincipals[0]
+	}
+
+	// check critical options, principal, validity and signature
+	if err := checker.CheckCert(principal, cert); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error verifying ssh certificate: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	caBytes, err := utils.ReadFile(caFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	caPub, _, _, _, err := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey(caBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Attempt to parse the key without the type.
+		certBytes = bytes.TrimSpace(caBytes)
+		keyBytes := make([]byte, base64.StdEncoding.DecodedLen(len(certBytes)))
+		n, err := base64.StdEncoding.Decode(keyBytes, certBytes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing ssh CA certificate")
+		}
+		if caPub, err = ssh.ParsePublicKey(keyBytes[:n]); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing ssh CA certificate")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// check the certificate was signed by the SSH CA provided
+	caFP := ssh.FingerprintSHA256(caPub)
+	certSignerFP := ssh.FingerprintSHA256(cert.SignatureKey)
+	if certSignerFP != caFP {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ssh certificate signed by %q does not equal ssh CA %q", certSignerFP, caFP)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 897af0d27..d1efe5766 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -121,10 +121,11 @@ require (
 	github.com/x448/float16 v0.8.4 // indirect
 	go.etcd.io/bbolt v1.3.6 // indirect
 	go.opencensus.io v0.24.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230118134722-a68e582fa157 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.0.0-20221014153046-6fdb5e3db783 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.6.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/tools v0.2.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/api v0.106.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/appengine v1.6.7 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20221227171554-f9683d7f8bef // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 09fd85878..0f903d95d 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -647,6 +647,8 @@ golang.org/x/crypto v0.3.0/go.mod h1:hebNnKkNXi2UzZN1eVRvBB7co0a+JxK6XbPiWVs/3J4
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.5.0 h1:U/0M97KRkSFvyD/3FSmdP5W5swImpNgle/EHFhOsQPE=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.5.0/go.mod h1:NK/OQwhpMQP3MwtdjgLlYHnH9ebylxKWv3e0fK+mkQU=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20190121172915-509febef88a4/go.mod h1:CJ0aWSM057203Lf6IL+f9T1iT9GByDxfZKAQTCR3kQA=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230118134722-a68e582fa157 h1:fiNkyhJPUvxbRPbCqY/D9qdjmPzfHcpK3P4bM4gioSY=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230118134722-a68e582fa157/go.mod h1:CxIveKay+FTh1D0yPZemJVgC/95VzuuOLq5Qi4xnoYc=
 golang.org/x/lint v0.0.0-20181026193005-c67002cb31c3/go.mod h1:UVdnD1Gm6xHRNCYTkRU2/jEulfH38KcIWyp/GAMgvoE=
 golang.org/x/lint v0.0.0-20190227174305-5b3e6a55c961/go.mod h1:wehouNa3lNwaWXcvxsM5YxQ5yQlVC4a0KAMCusXpPoU=
 golang.org/x/lint v0.0.0-20190301231843-5614ed5bae6f/go.mod h1:UVdnD1Gm6xHRNCYTkRU2/jEulfH38KcIWyp/GAMgvoE=
@@ -656,6 +658,8 @@ golang.org/x/mod v0.0.0-20190513183733-4bf6d317e70e/go.mod h1:mXi4GBBbnImb6dmsKG
 golang.org/x/mod v0.1.1-0.20191105210325-c90efee705ee/go.mod h1:QqPTAvyqsEbceGzBzNggFXnrqF1CaUcvgkdR5Ot7KZg=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4 h1:6zppjxzCulZykYSLyVDYbneBfbaBIQPYMevg0bEwv2s=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4/go.mod h1:jJ57K6gSWd91VN4djpZkiMVwK6gcyfeH4XE8wZrZaV4=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0 h1:b9gGHsz9/HhJ3HF5DHQytPpuwocVTChQJK3AvoLRD5I=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0/go.mod h1:4mET923SAdbXp2ki8ey+zGs1SLqsuM2Y0uvdZR/fUNI=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20170726083632-f5079bd7f6f7/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180724234803-3673e40ba225/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180826012351-8a410e7b638d/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
@@ -766,6 +770,8 @@ golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191119224855-298f0cb1881e/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtn
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20200103221440-774c71fcf114/go.mod h1:TB2adYChydJhpapKDTa4BR/hXlZSLoq2Wpct/0txZ28=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12 h1:VveCTK38A2rkS8ZqFY25HIDFscX5X9OoEhJd3quQmXU=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12/go.mod h1:hNGJHUnrk76NpqgfD5Aqm5Crs+Hm0VOH/i9J2+nxYbc=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.2.0 h1:G6AHpWxTMGY1KyEYoAQ5WTtIekUUvDNjan3ugu60JvE=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.2.0/go.mod h1:y4OqIKeOV/fWJetJ8bXPU1sEVniLMIyDAZWeHdV+NTA=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190410155217-1f06c39b4373/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190513163551-3ee3066db522/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190717185122-a985d3407aa7/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=