diff --git a/scripts/budget_ratchet_check.py b/scripts/budget_ratchet_check.py
index 485e118efd2..470adddfcd3 100644
--- a/scripts/budget_ratchet_check.py
+++ b/scripts/budget_ratchet_check.py
@@ -7,13 +7,17 @@ driven DOWN over time. This check compares every budget file against its own
 content at the merge-base with the target branch and fails (exits 1, red) if:
 
   * a rule's `limit` went up,
-  * a rule was dropped from a budget (its ceiling effectively became infinite), or
+  * a rule was dropped from a budget (its ceiling effectively became infinite) while
+    its checker still emits it, or
   * an entire budget file was deleted.
 
 New rules and lowered/equal limits are fine. So is a rule that graduated: once a
 paired config (ruff.toml for the ruff-strict budget) selects the rule outright it
 hard-fails at the first violation, which is stricter than any ceiling the budget
 could hold, so dropping its entry tightens the guard rather than removing it.
+Likewise a retired rule: once the paired checker (check_test_quality.py for the
+test-quality budget) no longer emits a code, its entry has no ceiling left to
+loosen.
 
 This is deliberately NOT a gating check. It should turn the run red so that a
 loosening is impossible to miss in review, but it must stay OUT of the
@@ -29,11 +33,12 @@ Usage:
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import importlib.util
 import json
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
-from types import MappingProxyType
+from types import MappingProxyType, ModuleType
 from typing import Final, NamedTuple
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
@@ -49,6 +54,7 @@ DEFAULT_BUDGETS: tuple[str, ...] = (
     "test-quality-budget.json",
 )
 GRADUATION_CONFIGS = MappingProxyType({"ruff-strict-budget.json": "ruff.toml"})
+RETIREMENT_SOURCES = MappingProxyType({"test-quality-budget.json": "check_test_quality"})
 
 
 class Regression(NamedTuple):
@@ -139,20 +145,40 @@ def graduated_selectors(rel: str) -> tuple[str, ...]:
     )
 
 
+def _load_script(name: str) -> ModuleType:
+    if name in sys.modules:
+        return sys.modules[name]
+    spec: Final = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(name, REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / f"{name}.py")
+    assert spec is not None and spec.loader is not None
+    module: Final = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    sys.modules[name] = module
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+def retired_rules(rel: str, base: dict) -> frozenset[str]:
+    """Rules in the base budget that the paired checker can no longer emit, so there is no ceiling to loosen."""
+    source: Final = RETIREMENT_SOURCES.get(rel)
+    if source is None:
+        return frozenset()
+    return frozenset(_limits(base)) - _load_script(source).RULE_CODES
+
+
 def _regression_detail(
     rule: str,
     base_limits: dict[str, int],
     head_limits: dict[str, int],
     graduated: tuple[str, ...],
+    retired: frozenset[str] = frozenset(),
 ) -> str | None:
-    """Why `rule` regressed vs base, or None when it held flat, fell, or graduated.
+    """Why `rule` regressed vs base, or None when it held flat, fell, or left the budget legitimately.
 
-    A dropped rule is terminal unless it graduated; otherwise the only loosening
-    left is a raised limit.
+    A dropped rule is terminal unless it graduated or retired; otherwise the only
+    loosening left is a raised limit.
     """
     base_limit = base_limits[rule]
     if rule not in head_limits:
-        if graduated and rule.startswith(graduated):
+        if rule in retired or (graduated and rule.startswith(graduated)):
             return None
         return f"rule dropped (limit {base_limit} -> removed)"
     if head_limits[rule] > base_limit:
@@ -165,6 +191,7 @@ def regressions_for(
     base: dict | None,
     head: dict | None,
     graduated: tuple[str, ...] = (),
+    retired: frozenset[str] = frozenset(),
 ) -> list[Regression]:
     if base is None:
         return []  # new budget file: nothing to ratchet against yet
@@ -175,7 +202,7 @@ def regressions_for(
     return [
         Regression(rel, rule, detail)
         for rule in sorted(base_limits)
-        if (detail := _regression_detail(rule, base_limits, head_limits, graduated)) is not None
+        if (detail := _regression_detail(rule, base_limits, head_limits, graduated, retired)) is not None
     ]
 
 
@@ -209,7 +236,7 @@ def main() -> int:
             print(f"skip {rel}: new file (no base at {base_ref} to ratchet against)")
             continue
         checked.append(rel)
-        regressions.extend(regressions_for(rel, base, head, graduated_selectors(rel)))
+        regressions.extend(regressions_for(rel, base, head, graduated_selectors(rel), retired_rules(rel, base)))
 
     if regressions:
         print(
diff --git a/scripts/check_test_quality.py b/scripts/check_test_quality.py
index dddc9d61982..9f93023cd53 100644
--- a/scripts/check_test_quality.py
+++ b/scripts/check_test_quality.py
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ SDK_MODULE: Final = "litellm"
 SUBPROCESS_SPAWNS: Final = frozenset(("run", "Popen", "check_output", "check_call", "call"))
 INTERPRETER_ISOLATION_FLAGS: Final = frozenset(("-I", "-P"))
 
+RULE_CODES: Final = frozenset((
+    "TQ000", "TQ001", "TQ002", "TQ003", "TQ004", "TQ005", "TQ006", "TQ007", "TQ009",
+))
+
 CREDENTIAL_NAME_RE: Final = re.compile(
     r"(?:API_KEY|_KEY|TOKEN|SECRET|PASSWORD|CREDENTIAL|DATABASE_URL|ACCESS_KEY_ID)$"
 )
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_budget_ratchet_check.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_budget_ratchet_check.py
index 22d05f4d00d..d6809b22161 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_budget_ratchet_check.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_budget_ratchet_check.py
@@ -92,6 +92,36 @@ def test_graduation_never_excuses_a_raised_limit():
     assert "0 -> 7" in regs[0].detail
 
 
+def test_dropped_rule_the_checker_retired_is_clean():
+    base = {"TQ008": _spec_of(10993)}
+    assert ratchet.regressions_for("b.json", base, {}, retired=frozenset({"TQ008"})) == []
+
+
+def test_dropped_rule_the_checker_still_emits_is_a_regression():
+    base = {"TQ001": _spec_of(5), "TQ008": _spec_of(10993)}
+    regs = ratchet.regressions_for("b.json", base, {}, retired=frozenset({"TQ008"}))
+    assert [r.rule for r in regs] == ["TQ001"]
+    assert "dropped" in regs[0].detail
+
+
+def test_retirement_never_excuses_a_raised_limit():
+    base = {"TQ008": _spec_of(0)}
+    regs = ratchet.regressions_for("b.json", base, {"TQ008": _spec_of(7)}, retired=frozenset({"TQ008"}))
+    assert [r.rule for r in regs] == ["TQ008"]
+    assert "0 -> 7" in regs[0].detail
+
+
+def test_retired_rules_come_from_the_paired_checker():
+    base = {"TQ001": _spec_of(5), "TQ008": _spec_of(10993)}
+    assert ratchet.retired_rules("test-quality-budget.json", base) == frozenset({"TQ008"})
+
+
+def test_budgets_without_a_paired_checker_never_retire():
+    base = {"TQ008": _spec_of(1)}
+    for rel in ("ruff-strict-budget.json", "type-discipline-budget.json", "basedpyright-code-budget.json"):
+        assert ratchet.retired_rules(rel, base) == frozenset()
+
+
 def test_graduated_selectors_come_from_the_paired_ruff_config():
     selectors = ratchet.graduated_selectors("ruff-strict-budget.json")
     assert "UP006" in selectors
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_check_test_quality.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_check_test_quality.py
index 05c25fb19fb..5a5c53fc31c 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_check_test_quality.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_check_test_quality.py
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ produced against tests/e2e, where the assertions live in a shared helper rather
 in the test body.
 """
 
+import ast
 import importlib.util
 import os
+import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -612,6 +614,19 @@ def test_a_fanned_out_run_reports_each_generated_file_exactly_once(tmp_path):
     assert all(" TQ001 " in line for line in reported)
 
 
+def test_rule_codes_match_every_code_the_checker_emits():
+    source = _MODULE_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    tree = ast.parse(source)
+    definition = next(
+        node
+        for node in tree.body
+        if isinstance(node, ast.AnnAssign) and isinstance(node.target, ast.Name) and node.target.id == "RULE_CODES"
+    )
+    lines = source.splitlines()
+    outside = "\n".join(lines[: definition.lineno - 1] + lines[definition.end_lineno :])
+    assert frozenset(re.findall(r'"(TQ\d{3})"', outside)) == checker.RULE_CODES
+
+
 def test_sys_executable_child_without_isolation_flag_is_flagged(tmp_path):
     source = 'import subprocess, sys\nsubprocess.run([sys.executable, "-c", "pass"])\n'
     assert _codes(tmp_path, source) == ["TQ009"]