diff --git a/test/e2e/README.md b/test/e2e/README.md
index 71b00676181..3ff2135ea67 100644
--- a/test/e2e/README.md
+++ b/test/e2e/README.md
@@ -1 +1,80 @@
-See [e2e-tests](https://git.k8s.io/community/contributors/devel/sig-testing/e2e-tests.md)
+# test/e2e
+
+This is home to e2e tests used for presubmit, periodic, and postsubmit jobs.
+
+Some of these jobs are merge-blocking, some are release-blocking.
+
+## e2e test ownership
+
+All e2e tests must adhere to the following policies:
+- the test must be owned by one and only one SIG
+- the test must live in/underneath a sig-owned package matching pattern: `test/e2e/[{subpath}/]{sig}/...`, e.g.
+  - `test/e2e/auth` - all tests owned by sig-`auth`
+  - `test/e2e/common/storage` - all tests `common` to cluster-level and node-level e2e tests, owned by sig-`node`
+  - `test/e2e/upgrade/apps` - all tests used in `upgrade` testing, owned by sig-`apps`
+- each sig-owned package should have an OWNERS file defining relevant approvers and labels for the owning sig, e.g.
+```yaml
+# test/e2e/node/OWNERS
+# See the OWNERS docs at https://go.k8s.io/owners
+
+approvers:
+- alice
+- bob
+- cynthia
+emeritus_approvers:
+- dave
+reviewers:
+- sig-node-reviewers
+labels:
+- sig/node
+```
+- packages that use `{subpath}` should have an `imports.go` file importing sig-owned packages (for ginkgo's benefit), e.g.
+```golang
+// test/e2e/common/imports.go
+package common
+
+import (
+	// ensure these packages are scanned by ginkgo for e2e tests
+	_ "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/common/network"
+	_ "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/common/node"
+	_ "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/common/storage"
+)
+```
+- test ownership must be declared via a top-level SIGDescribe call defined in the sig-owned package, e.g.
+```golang
+// test/e2e/lifecycle/framework.go
+package lifecycle
+
+import "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+
+// SIGDescribe annotates the test with the SIG label.
+func SIGDescribe(text string, body func()) bool {
+	return ginkgo.Describe("[sig-cluster-lifecycle] "+text, body)
+}
+```
+```golang
+// test/e2e/lifecycle/bootstrap/bootstrap_signer.go
+
+package bootstrap
+
+import (
+	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/lifecycle"
+)
+var _ = lifecycle.SIGDescribe("[Feature:BootstrapTokens]", func() {
+  /* ... */
+  ginkgo.It("should sign the new added bootstrap tokens", func() {
+    /* ... */
+  })
+  /* etc */
+})
+```
+
+These polices are enforced:
+- via the merge-blocking presubmit job `pull-kubernetes-verify`
+- which ends up running `hack/verify-e2e-test-ownership.sh`
+- which can also be run via `make verify WHAT=e2e-test-ownership`
+
+## more info
+
+See [kubernetes/community/.../e2e-tests.md](https://git.k8s.io/community/contributors/devel/sig-testing/e2e-tests.md)