diff --git a/pkg/apis/storage/v1/zz_generated.validations.go b/pkg/apis/storage/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
index 9666724d831..237a72b4d57 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/storage/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/storage/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	context "context"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	storagev1 "k8s.io/api/storage/v1"
 	equality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	operation "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/operation"
@@ -106,7 +107,27 @@ func Validate_StorageClass(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("parameters"), obj.Parameters, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *storagev1.StorageClass) map[string]string { return oldObj.Parameters }), oldObj != nil)...)
 
-	// field storagev1.StorageClass.ReclaimPolicy has no validation
+	// field storagev1.StorageClass.ReclaimPolicy
+	errs = append(errs,
+		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj *corev1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy, oldValueCorrelated bool) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// don't revalidate unchanged data
+			if oldValueCorrelated && op.Type == operation.Update && (obj == oldObj || (obj != nil && oldObj != nil && *obj == *oldObj)) {
+				return nil
+			}
+			// call field-attached validations
+			earlyReturn := false
+			if e := validate.Immutable(ctx, op, fldPath, obj, oldObj); len(e) != 0 {
+				errs = append(errs, e...)
+				earlyReturn = true
+			}
+			if earlyReturn {
+				return // do not proceed
+			}
+			return
+		}(fldPath.Child("reclaimPolicy"), obj.ReclaimPolicy, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *storagev1.StorageClass) *corev1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy {
+			return oldObj.ReclaimPolicy
+		}), oldObj != nil)...)
+
 	// field storagev1.StorageClass.MountOptions has no validation
 	// field storagev1.StorageClass.AllowVolumeExpansion has no validation
 	// field storagev1.StorageClass.VolumeBindingMode has no validation
diff --git a/pkg/apis/storage/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go b/pkg/apis/storage/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
index 864cf631f8c..b31c45ddcb0 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/storage/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/storage/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	context "context"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	storagev1beta1 "k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1"
 	equality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	operation "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/operation"
@@ -106,7 +107,27 @@ func Validate_StorageClass(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("parameters"), obj.Parameters, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *storagev1beta1.StorageClass) map[string]string { return oldObj.Parameters }), oldObj != nil)...)
 
-	// field storagev1beta1.StorageClass.ReclaimPolicy has no validation
+	// field storagev1beta1.StorageClass.ReclaimPolicy
+	errs = append(errs,
+		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj *v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy, oldValueCorrelated bool) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// don't revalidate unchanged data
+			if oldValueCorrelated && op.Type == operation.Update && (obj == oldObj || (obj != nil && oldObj != nil && *obj == *oldObj)) {
+				return nil
+			}
+			// call field-attached validations
+			earlyReturn := false
+			if e := validate.Immutable(ctx, op, fldPath, obj, oldObj); len(e) != 0 {
+				errs = append(errs, e...)
+				earlyReturn = true
+			}
+			if earlyReturn {
+				return // do not proceed
+			}
+			return
+		}(fldPath.Child("reclaimPolicy"), obj.ReclaimPolicy, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *storagev1beta1.StorageClass) *v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy {
+			return oldObj.ReclaimPolicy
+		}), oldObj != nil)...)
+
 	// field storagev1beta1.StorageClass.MountOptions has no validation
 	// field storagev1beta1.StorageClass.AllowVolumeExpansion has no validation
 	// field storagev1beta1.StorageClass.VolumeBindingMode has no validation
diff --git a/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
index 565e1446d07..554b4e6d581 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
@@ -66,9 +66,7 @@ func ValidateStorageClassUpdate(storageClass, oldStorageClass *storage.StorageCl
 
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateImmutableField(storageClass.Provisioner, oldStorageClass.Provisioner, field.NewPath("provisioner")).WithOrigin("immutable").MarkCoveredByDeclarative()...)
 
-	if *storageClass.ReclaimPolicy != *oldStorageClass.ReclaimPolicy {
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(field.NewPath("reclaimPolicy"), "updates to reclaimPolicy are forbidden."))
-	}
+	allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateImmutableField(storageClass.ReclaimPolicy, oldStorageClass.ReclaimPolicy, field.NewPath("reclaimPolicy")).WithOrigin("immutable").MarkCoveredByDeclarative()...)
 
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateImmutableField(storageClass.VolumeBindingMode, oldStorageClass.VolumeBindingMode, field.NewPath("volumeBindingMode"))...)
 	return allErrs
diff --git a/pkg/registry/storage/storageclass/declarative_validation_test.go b/pkg/registry/storage/storageclass/declarative_validation_test.go
index d55d99a160c..b2651f4bfc8 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/storage/storageclass/declarative_validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/storage/storageclass/declarative_validation_test.go
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ func testDeclarativeValidateUpdate(t *testing.T, apiVersion string) {
 				field.Invalid(field.NewPath("parameters"), map[string]string{"new": "value"}, "field is immutable").WithOrigin("immutable"),
 			},
 		},
+		"invalid update reclaimPolicy changed": {
+			oldObj:    mkValidStorageClass(),
+			updateObj: mkValidStorageClass(TweakReclaimPolicy(api.PersistentVolumeReclaimRetain)),
+			expectedErrs: field.ErrorList{
+				field.Invalid(field.NewPath("reclaimPolicy"), api.PersistentVolumeReclaimRetain, "field is immutable").WithOrigin("immutable"),
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for k, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(k, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -149,3 +156,9 @@ func TweakParameters(parameters map[string]string) func(obj *storage.StorageClas
 		obj.Parameters = parameters
 	}
 }
+
+func TweakReclaimPolicy(reclaimPolicy api.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy) func(obj *storage.StorageClass) {
+	return func(obj *storage.StorageClass) {
+		obj.ReclaimPolicy = &reclaimPolicy
+	}
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1/types.go
index 0ef7e701bfa..975600d9cff 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1/types.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type StorageClass struct {
 	// reclaimPolicy controls the reclaimPolicy for dynamically provisioned PersistentVolumes of this storage class.
 	// Defaults to Delete.
 	// +optional
+	// +k8s:immutable
 	ReclaimPolicy *v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy `json:"reclaimPolicy,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=reclaimPolicy,casttype=k8s.io/api/core/v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy"`
 
 	// mountOptions controls the mountOptions for dynamically provisioned PersistentVolumes of this storage class.
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1/types.go
index 70d995b8f74..9d46d0909af 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ type StorageClass struct {
 	// reclaimPolicy controls the reclaimPolicy for dynamically provisioned PersistentVolumes of this storage class.
 	// Defaults to Delete.
 	// +optional
+	// +k8s:immutable
 	ReclaimPolicy *v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy `json:"reclaimPolicy,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=reclaimPolicy,casttype=k8s.io/api/core/v1.PersistentVolumeReclaimPolicy"`
 
 	// mountOptions controls the mountOptions for dynamically provisioned PersistentVolumes of this storage class.