diff --git a/docs/sourceos-model-carry-ref.md b/docs/sourceos-model-carry-ref.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c1589c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/sourceos-model-carry-ref.md
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# SourceOSModelCarryRef
+
+Status: additive carry-layer projection fixture
+
+## Purpose
+
+`SourceOSModelCarryRef` is the SourceOS typed-contract projection for an approved on-device reference to a governed model or model-service profile. It complements the existing `SourceOSCarryRef` service reference examples and the existing `LocalModelProfile` laptop-safe local model profiles.
+
+The object is intentionally reference-only. It must not embed mutable model weights, mutable adapters, credentials, user tuning data, or runtime authorization grants.
+
+## Current fixture
+
+```text
+examples/sourceos-model-carry-ref.local-llama32-3b.json
+```
+
+This fixture links the local `llama32-3b` style profile into the broader Prophet Foundry path:
+
+```text
+model-governance-ledger
+→ model-router
+→ sourceos-model-carry
+→ agent-machine
+→ agentplane
+```
+
+## Validation
+
+Run:
+
+```bash
+python3 tools/validate_sourceos_model_carry_refs.py
+```
+
+The validator checks:
+
+- `type == SourceOSModelCarryRef`
+- `id` uses `urn:srcos:model-carry-ref:`
+- `specVersion == 2.1.0`
+- `governanceRef` is present
+- `routerProfileRef` uses `urn:srcos:model-router-profile:`
+- `mutableModelState` is false
+- release and fallback references use the expected URN namespaces
+
+## Boundary rules
+
+1. A carry reference is not a model promotion decision.
+2. A carry reference is not a runtime route decision.
+3. A carry reference is not a permission grant.
+4. SourceOS may carry approved references, cache policy, launch profile references, fallback references, and evidence references.
+5. SourceOS must not become authority for model lifecycle, model promotion, personal tuning authorization, or runtime side effects.
+
+## Follow-up
+
+After the SourceOS projection contracts stabilize, this validator should be wired into the default `make validate` target alongside existing carry-reference and CLI checks.
diff --git a/examples/sourceos-model-carry-ref.local-llama32-3b.json b/examples/sourceos-model-carry-ref.local-llama32-3b.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dbdef9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/sourceos-model-carry-ref.local-llama32-3b.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "id": "urn:srcos:model-carry-ref:local-llama32-3b-office-assist",
+  "type": "SourceOSModelCarryRef",
+  "specVersion": "2.1.0",
+  "modelRef": "urn:prophet:model:llama32-3b-local-office-assist",
+  "governanceRef": "urn:prophet:model-release-decision:local-llama32-3b-office-assist-20260504",
+  "routerProfileRef": "urn:srcos:model-router-profile:local-first-office-assist",
+  "releaseSetRefs": ["urn:srcos:release-set:sourceos-workstation-m2-20260504"],
+  "launchProfileRefs": ["urn:srcos:model-launch-profile:llama-cpp-local-office-assist"],
+  "fallbackRefs": ["urn:srcos:model-carry-ref:local-llama32-1b-router"],
+  "carryPolicy": "download-on-demand",
+  "cachePolicy": "weights-cache-allowed",
+  "mutableModelState": false,
+  "evidenceRefs": ["sha256:2e7f1c7f0a6a4bbd9ef000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"]
+}
diff --git a/tools/validate_sourceos_model_carry_refs.py b/tools/validate_sourceos_model_carry_refs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee1ad8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/validate_sourceos_model_carry_refs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Validate SourceOSModelCarryRef projection examples.
+
+This validator is intentionally lightweight and stdlib-only. Full JSON Schema
+validation belongs in SourceOS-Linux/sourceos-spec; this repository validates the
+carry-layer invariants it must preserve locally.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+EXAMPLES = sorted((ROOT / "examples").glob("sourceos-model-carry-ref.*.json"))
+
+
+class ValidationError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def load_json(path: Path) -> Any:
+    try:
+        return json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except FileNotFoundError as exc:
+        raise ValidationError(f"missing file: {path.relative_to(ROOT)}") from exc
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        raise ValidationError(f"invalid JSON in {path.relative_to(ROOT)}: {exc}") from exc
+
+
+def require(condition: bool, message: str) -> None:
+    if not condition:
+        raise ValidationError(message)
+
+
+def validate_ref(path: Path, ref: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    rel = path.relative_to(ROOT)
+    require(ref.get("type") == "SourceOSModelCarryRef", f"{rel}: type must be SourceOSModelCarryRef")
+    require(str(ref.get("id", "")).startswith("urn:srcos:model-carry-ref:"), f"{rel}: id must be a model-carry-ref URN")
+    require(ref.get("specVersion") == "2.1.0", f"{rel}: specVersion must be 2.1.0")
+    require(ref.get("modelRef"), f"{rel}: modelRef is required")
+    require(ref.get("governanceRef"), f"{rel}: governanceRef is required")
+    require(str(ref.get("routerProfileRef", "")).startswith("urn:srcos:model-router-profile:"), f"{rel}: routerProfileRef must be a model-router-profile URN")
+    require(ref.get("carryPolicy") in {"reference-only", "download-on-demand", "preload-reference", "disabled"}, f"{rel}: invalid carryPolicy")
+    require(ref.get("cachePolicy") in {"none", "metadata-only", "weights-cache-allowed", "kv-cache-allowed", "embedding-cache-allowed"}, f"{rel}: invalid cachePolicy")
+    require(ref.get("mutableModelState") is False, f"{rel}: mutableModelState must be false")
+    for release_ref in ref.get("releaseSetRefs", []):
+        require(str(release_ref).startswith("urn:srcos:release-set:"), f"{rel}: releaseSetRefs entries must be release-set URNs")
+    for fallback_ref in ref.get("fallbackRefs", []):
+        require(str(fallback_ref).startswith("urn:srcos:model-carry-ref:"), f"{rel}: fallbackRefs entries must be model-carry-ref URNs")
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if not EXAMPLES:
+        print("ERR: no SourceOSModelCarryRef examples found", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 2
+    try:
+        for example in EXAMPLES:
+            validate_ref(example, load_json(example))
+            print(f"ok: {example.relative_to(ROOT)}")
+    except ValidationError as exc:
+        print(f"ERR: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+    print("SourceOSModelCarryRef validation passed")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())