diff --git a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
index 216871954b..e2a5867a18 100644
--- a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
+++ b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 from datetime import timedelta
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import transaction
-from django.utils.timezone import localtime, now
+from django.utils.timezone import localtime, make_aware, now
 from rest_framework import serializers
 from rest_framework.exceptions import ValidationError
 
@@ -47,6 +48,8 @@
 from care.utils.serializer.external_id_field import ExternalIdSerializerField
 from config.serializers import ChoiceField
 
+MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE = make_aware(settings.MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE)
+
 
 class PatientConsultationSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     id = serializers.CharField(source="external_id", read_only=True)
@@ -474,6 +477,14 @@ def validate_create_diagnoses(self, value):
         return value
 
     def validate_encounter_date(self, value):
+        if value < MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                {
+                    "encounter_date": [
+                        f"This field value must be greater than {MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}"
+                    ]
+                }
+            )
         if value > now():
             raise ValidationError(
                 {"encounter_date": "This field value cannot be in the future."}
diff --git a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
index 08f649ed2b..9b74338d1a 100644
--- a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
+++ b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
 
+from care.facility.api.serializers.patient_consultation import MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE
 from care.facility.models.icd11_diagnosis import (
     ConditionVerificationStatus,
     ICD11Diagnosis,
@@ -100,6 +101,20 @@ def discharge(self, consultation, **kwargs):
             f"{self.get_url(consultation)}discharge_patient/", kwargs, "json"
         )
 
+    def test_encounter_date_less_than_minimum(self):
+        date = MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE - datetime.timedelta(days=1)
+        patient = self.create_patient(self.district, self.facility)
+        data = self.get_default_data().copy()
+        data.update(
+            {
+                "patient": patient.external_id,
+                "facility": self.facility.external_id,
+                "encounter_date": date,
+            }
+        )
+        res = self.client.post(self.get_url(), data, format="json")
+        self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
+
     def test_create_consultation_treating_physician_invalid_user(self):
         consultation = self.create_admission_consultation(suggestion="A")
         res = self.update_consultation(
diff --git a/config/settings/base.py b/config/settings/base.py
index 0a487ebf92..09efa1770a 100644
--- a/config/settings/base.py
+++ b/config/settings/base.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import base64
 import json
-from datetime import timedelta
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import environ
@@ -571,6 +571,12 @@
 # for setting the shifting mode
 PEACETIME_MODE = env.bool("PEACETIME_MODE", default=True)
 
+MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE = env(
+    "MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE",
+    cast=lambda d: datetime.strptime(d, "%Y-%m-%d"),
+    default=datetime(2020, 1, 1),
+)
+
 # for exporting csv
 CSV_REQUEST_PARAMETER = "csv"
 
diff --git a/docs/django-configuration/configuration.rst b/docs/django-configuration/configuration.rst
index 52d284041e..1f83b31891 100644
--- a/docs/django-configuration/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/django-configuration/configuration.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 Environment Variables
 ===============
 
+``MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE``
+---------------------
+Default value is `2020-01-01`. This is the minimum date for a possible consultation encounter.
+Example: `MIN_ENCOUNTER_DATE=2000-01-01`
+
 ``TASK_SUMMARIZE_TRIAGE``
 ---------------------
 Default value is `True`. If set to `False`, the celery task to summarize triage data will not be executed.