diff --git a/.governance/docs.json b/.governance/docs.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9f3b76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.governance/docs.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "schema": "wellmanifest.docs/adoption/v1",
+  "repository": "autogrammar/testql",
+  "standard": "wellmanifest/docs",
+  "source_revision": "aa92136b4e94f48355c39fb206286aba024c6aa4",
+  "policy_sha256": "af5fde2d52e1c292e569cd47a4068f0e42181a8f8fb9fc21737a569bee9a206f"
+}
diff --git a/.governance/local-ci-publication.json b/.governance/local-ci-publication.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef4ea39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.governance/local-ci-publication.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "schema": "new-project.local-ci-publication/v1",
+  "scope": {
+    "mode": "all"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/.governance/standard-requirements.json b/.governance/standard-requirements.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ca1718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.governance/standard-requirements.json
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+{
+  "schema": "wellman.standard-requirements/v1",
+  "profiles": [
+    "baseline",
+    "deployment"
+  ],
+  "requirements": [
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/agent",
+      "minimumLevel": "S4"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/authority-lifecycle",
+      "minimumLevel": "S5"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/deployment",
+      "minimumLevel": "S5"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/docs",
+      "minimumLevel": "S3"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/git-lifecycle",
+      "minimumLevel": "S4"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/logs",
+      "minimumLevel": "S5"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/merge",
+      "minimumLevel": "S5"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/new-project",
+      "minimumLevel": "S4"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/poa",
+      "minimumLevel": "S5"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/ticket-lifecycle",
+      "minimumLevel": "S3"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/validation-attestation",
+      "minimumLevel": "S4"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "wellmanifest/worktrees",
+      "minimumLevel": "S3"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/project/TICKETS.md b/project/TICKETS.md
index 4845d1f..9c36c1e 100644
--- a/project/TICKETS.md
+++ b/project/TICKETS.md
@@ -21,5 +21,6 @@ This file indexes governance tickets without taking ownership of
 | **ticket-013** | [`README.md`](./ticket-013/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
 | **ticket-014** | [`README.md`](./ticket-014/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
 | **ticket-015** | [`README.md`](./ticket-015/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
+| **ticket-016** | [`README.md`](./ticket-016/README.md) | - | - |  [`ai-codex.md`](./ticket-016/ai-codex.md) | - | - |
 | **ticket-017** | [`README.md`](./ticket-017/README.md) | - | - |  [`ai-codex.md`](./ticket-017/ai-codex.md) | - | - |
 <!-- AUTO:TICKET_INDEX:END -->
diff --git a/project/ticket-016/README.md b/project/ticket-016/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ceba259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/ticket-016/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Ticket 016: Adopt pinned Wellman validation
+
+- **ID**: ticket-016
+- **Owner**: agent:codex
+- **Status**: IN_PROGRESS
+- **Workflow state**: PUBLICATION
+- **Created**: 2026-10-01
+
+## Goal and scope
+
+Register baseline, Agent and Docs requirements, adopt repository-bound Docs
+metadata, and validate these contracts with pinned Wellman in local checks locally. A dependent infrastructure-owned workflow is still required.
+Preserve the existing new-project pin and all product code.
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- [x] AC-01: Wellman registration is idempotent; Docs metadata validates.
+- [x] AC-02: The existing managed governance gate accepts the scoped changes.
+- [x] AC-03: Missing or invalid requirements and Docs metadata fail validation.
+- [ ] AC-04: Publish the exact tested head through the independent controller.
+
+## Authorization
+
+SESSION_EXECUTION_AUTHORIZATION: the owner requested installation, completion,
+testing and merging of Wellmanifest adoption across Autogrammar repositories.
+This authorizes implementation and the declared protected delivery route;
+it is not trusted merge approval.
+
+- [ ] AC-05: The infrastructure owner publishes the dependent Wellman CI workflow.
diff --git a/project/ticket-016/ai-codex.md b/project/ticket-016/ai-codex.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..257bf17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/ticket-016/ai-codex.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+SESSION_EXECUTION_AUTHORIZATION: complete, test and publish adoption.
+Governance owns metadata and the local checker. The separate infrastructure workstream owns .github/workflows/wellman.yml; do not transfer its scope.
diff --git a/project/ticket-016/intent.json b/project/ticket-016/intent.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79249e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/ticket-016/intent.json
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+{
+  "schema": "new-project.intent/v3",
+  "ticket": "ticket-016",
+  "summary": "Adopt pinned Wellman requirements and Docs validation",
+  "workstream": "governance",
+  "classification": {
+    "kind": "SERVICE",
+    "priority": "P1",
+    "origin": "requested"
+  },
+  "allowedPaths": [
+    "project/ticket-016/**",
+    "TODO.md",
+    "project/TICKETS.md",
+    ".governance/docs.json",
+    ".governance/local-ci-publication.json",
+    ".governance/standard-requirements.json",
+    "scripts/check-wellman.py"
+  ],
+  "forbiddenPaths": [
+    "project/ticket-*/user-*.md"
+  ],
+  "stacks": [],
+  "dependsOn": [],
+  "conflictsWith": [],
+  "integrationTicket": null,
+  "delivery": {
+    "acceptedBaseSha": "e6e8045774d72d4c4ac0fa028a825f76572cf3d5",
+    "targetBranch": "main",
+    "outcome": "Register published Wellman requirements, adopt repository-bound Docs metadata, and provide a local validation command; infrastructure owns the dependent CI workflow.",
+    "nonGoals": [
+      "No product source changes",
+      "No bypass of protected publication",
+      "No claim of unimplemented S3-S5 conformance"
+    ],
+    "complexity": "M",
+    "estimatedMinutes": 45,
+    "budgets": {
+      "maxImplementationFiles": 9,
+      "maxAffectedComponents": 3,
+      "maxPublicInterfaceChanges": 0,
+      "maxRuntimeDependencies": 1
+    },
+    "architecture": {
+      "status": "accepted",
+      "decision": "Compose the published Wellman runtime with the existing pinned new-project gate.",
+      "components": [
+        {
+          "name": "governance",
+          "paths": [
+            ".governance/**",
+            "scripts/check-wellman.py"
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "responsibilityChanges": false,
+      "interfaceChanges": [],
+      "dataChanges": [
+        {
+          "kind": "component-local-state",
+          "component": "governance",
+          "description": "Repository-bound requirements and Docs metadata; no application data migration."
+        }
+      ],
+      "ui": {
+        "impact": "none",
+        "states": [],
+        "evidence": []
+      },
+      "rollback": "Revert the adoption commit; preserve existing immutable governance pin."
+    },
+    "runtimeDependencies": [
+      "wellman@0.20.37"
+    ],
+    "validation": [
+      {
+        "criterion": "AC-01",
+        "commands": [
+          "python scripts/check-wellman.py"
+        ],
+        "evidence": "No Wellman errors; registration is idempotent and Docs metadata validates."
+      },
+      {
+        "criterion": "AC-02",
+        "commands": [
+          "bash project/governance-check.sh --actor agent"
+        ],
+        "evidence": "Existing managed gate accepts the scoped adoption."
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scripts/check-wellman.py b/scripts/check-wellman.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..069a555
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-wellman.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Validate adopted metadata; the managed gate owns full repository governance."""
+import argparse
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from wellman import __version__
+from wellman.adoption import register, safe_path
+from wellman.docs_adoption import validate_adoption
+from wellman.runner import ConformanceRunner
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("--root", type=Path, default=Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
+    try:
+        root = safe_path(parser.parse_args().root)
+    except (OSError, ValueError) as error:
+        print(json.dumps({"valid": False, "findings": [{"code": "WELLMAN-ROOT", "message": str(error)}]}))
+        return 1
+    findings = []
+    if __version__ != "0.20.37":
+        findings.append({"code": "WELLMAN-VERSION", "message": "Install the pinned Wellman 0.20.37 runtime."})
+    try:
+        registration = register(root, standards=("wellmanifest/docs", "wellmanifest/agent"), dry_run=True)
+        if registration["changed"]:
+            findings.append({"code": "WELLMAN-REQUIREMENTS", "message": "Required standards or publication metadata are missing or stale."})
+        problem = registration["localCiPublication"]["problem"]
+        if problem:
+            findings.append({"code": "GOV-LOCAL-CI-001", "message": problem})
+        findings.extend(validate_adoption(root, required=True))
+        findings.extend(f.to_dict() for f in ConformanceRunner(root).run_all() if f.severity == "ERROR")
+    except (OSError, ValueError, UnicodeError) as error:
+        findings.append({"code": "WELLMAN-METADATA", "message": str(error)})
+    print(json.dumps({"valid": not findings, "root": str(root), "findings": findings,
+                      "scope": "adopted metadata and implemented Wellman checks; not S3-S5 certification"}, indent=2))
+    return 1 if findings else 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())