diff --git a/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py b/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
index 4f27f0022..ade4e9910 100644
--- a/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
+++ b/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ def gather_pytree_data_fields(cls):
         return all_pytree_data_fields
 
     @classmethod
-    def gather_pytree_aux_fields(cls):
+    def gather_pytree_aux_fields(cls) -> tuple:
         bases = inspect.getmro(cls)
 
-        all_pytree_aux_fields = ()
+        all_pytree_aux_fields = ("_validate_args",)
         for base in bases:
             if issubclass(base, Distribution):
                 all_pytree_aux_fields += base.__dict__.get("pytree_aux_fields", ())
@@ -203,11 +203,15 @@ def tree_unflatten(cls, aux_data, params):
         for k, v in pytree_aux_fields_dict.items():
             setattr(d, k, v)
 
+        # disable args validation during `tree_unflatten` it is called by jax with
+        # placeholder attributes that would make validation fail
+        d._validate_args = False
         Distribution.__init__(
             d,
             pytree_aux_fields_dict["_batch_shape"],
             pytree_aux_fields_dict["_event_shape"],
         )
+        d._validate_args = pytree_aux_fields_dict["_validate_args"]
         return d
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/test/test_distributions.py b/test/test_distributions.py
index 4e278646b..714fe2871 100644
--- a/test/test_distributions.py
+++ b/test/test_distributions.py
@@ -3092,6 +3092,21 @@ def sample(d: dist.Distribution):
         assert samples_batched_dist.shape == (1, *samples_dist.shape)
 
 
+def test_vmap_validate_args():
+    # Test for #1684: vmapping distributions whould work when `validate_args=True`
+    v_dist = jax.vmap(
+        lambda loc, scale: dist.Normal(loc=loc, scale=scale, validate_args=True),
+        in_axes=(0, 0),
+    )(jnp.zeros((2,)), jnp.zeros((2,)))
+
+    # non-regression test
+    v_dist = jax.vmap(
+        lambda loc, scale: dist.Normal(loc=loc, scale=scale, validate_args=False),
+        in_axes=(0, 0),
+    )(jnp.zeros((2,)), jnp.zeros((2,)))
+    assert not v_dist._validate_args
+
+
 def test_multinomial_abstract_total_count():
     probs = jnp.array([0.2, 0.5, 0.3])
     key = random.PRNGKey(0)