diff --git a/pgcrypto/apps.py b/pgcrypto/apps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92bdd0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgcrypto/apps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+from . import checks  # NOQA
+
+
+class PgcryptoConfig(AppConfig):
+    name = "pgcrypto"
diff --git a/pgcrypto/checks.py b/pgcrypto/checks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..274d8a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgcrypto/checks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import django.apps
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.checks import Error, register
+
+from .mixins import PGPPublicKeyFieldMixin, PGPSymmetricKeyFieldMixin
+
+
+@register()
+def check_required_settings_exist(app_configs, **kwargs):
+    """Make sure PGCRYPTO_KEY/PUBLIC_PGP_KEY/PRIVATE_PGP_KEY are set."""
+    all_models = django.apps.apps.get_models()
+    errors = []
+
+    has_pgp_symmetric_field = _contains_pgp_symmetric_field(all_models)
+    if has_pgp_symmetric_field:
+        found_keys = [
+            getattr(settings, "PGCRYPTO_KEY", None),
+        ]
+
+        db_settings = [*settings.DATABASES.values()]
+        found_keys = found_keys + [x.get("PGCRYPTO_KEY", None) for x in db_settings]
+        found_keys = list(filter(bool, found_keys))
+
+        if len(found_keys) == 0:
+            errors = [
+                *errors,
+                Error(
+                    "Missing PGCRYPTO_KEY setting",
+                    id="pgcrypto.E001",
+                ),
+            ]
+
+    has_pgp_public_field = _contains_pgp_public_key_field(all_models)
+    if has_pgp_public_field:
+        found_keys = [
+            (
+                getattr(settings, "PUBLIC_PGP_KEY", None),
+                getattr(settings, "PRIVATE_PGP_KEY", None),
+            )
+        ]
+
+        db_settings = [*settings.DATABASES.values()]
+        found_keys = found_keys + [
+            (x.get("PUBLIC_PGP_KEY", None), x.get("PRIVATE_PGP_KEY", None))
+            for x in db_settings
+        ]
+        found_keys = list(filter(lambda x: bool(x[0]) and bool(x[1]), found_keys))
+
+        if len(found_keys) == 0:
+            errors = [
+                *errors,
+                Error(
+                    "Missing PGCRYPTO_KEY setting",
+                    id="pgcrypto.E001",
+                ),
+            ]
+
+    return errors
+
+
+def _contains_pgp_symmetric_field(models):
+    for model in models:
+        for field in model._meta.fields:
+            if isinstance(field, PGPSymmetricKeyFieldMixin):
+                return True
+    return False
+
+
+def _contains_pgp_public_key_field(models):
+    for model in models:
+        for field in model._meta.fields:
+            if isinstance(field, PGPPublicKeyFieldMixin):
+                return True
+    return False
diff --git a/tests/test_check.py b/tests/test_check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f4a2a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# flake8: noqa
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
+
+from pgcrypto.checks import check_required_settings_exist
+
+
+class TestChecks(TestCase):
+    # noqa: D103
+    def test_pgcrypto_key_exist(self):
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 0)
+
+    @override_settings()
+    def test_missing_pgcrypto_key_raises_error(self):
+        del settings.PGCRYPTO_KEY
+
+        key_value = settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"]
+        del settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"]
+
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(errors[0].id, "pgcrypto.E001")
+
+        settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"] = key_value
+
+    @override_settings()
+    def test_error_not_raised_if_key_is_in_db_settings(self):
+        del settings.PGCRYPTO_KEY
+
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 0)
+
+    @override_settings()
+    def test_empty_pgcrypto_raises_error(self):
+        settings.PGCRYPTO_KEY = None
+        key_value = settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"]
+        del settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"]
+
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(errors[0].id, "pgcrypto.E001")
+
+        settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PGCRYPTO_KEY"] = key_value
+
+    def test_public_key_exist(self):
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 0)
+
+    @override_settings()
+    def test_missing_public_pgp_key_raises_error(self):
+        del settings.PUBLIC_PGP_KEY
+
+        key_value = settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PUBLIC_PGP_KEY"]
+        del settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PUBLIC_PGP_KEY"]
+
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(errors[0].id, "pgcrypto.E001")
+
+        settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PUBLIC_PGP_KEY"] = key_value
+
+    @override_settings()
+    def test_missing_private_pgp_key_raises_error(self):
+        del settings.PRIVATE_PGP_KEY
+
+        key_value = settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PRIVATE_PGP_KEY"]
+        del settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PRIVATE_PGP_KEY"]
+
+        errors = check_required_settings_exist(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(errors[0].id, "pgcrypto.E001")
+
+        settings.DATABASES["diff_keys"]["PRIVATE_PGP_KEY"] = key_value