diff --git a/api/src/routes/admin.ts b/api/src/routes/admin.ts
index 6bc3166..4a3b2e6 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/admin.ts
+++ b/api/src/routes/admin.ts
@@ -474,7 +474,8 @@ router.post("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/:order_number/approve", requireAdmi
   const id = req.params.order_number;
   try {
     const { rows } = await pool.query(
-      `SELECT order_number, service_slug, fulfillment_status
+      `SELECT order_number, service_slug, fulfillment_status,
+              COALESCE(intake_data_validated, FALSE) AS intake_data_validated
          FROM compliance_orders WHERE order_number = $1`,
       [id],
     );
@@ -486,6 +487,17 @@ router.post("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/:order_number/approve", requireAdmi
       });
       return;
     }
+    // Safety gate: never let an order be filed while its intake is still
+    // incomplete (e.g. an admin-assisted service parked at ready_to_file before
+    // the customer finished intake). The caller must pass {force:true} to
+    // override, which is logged in the audit trail.
+    if (!order.intake_data_validated && req.body?.force !== true) {
+      res.status(409).json({
+        error: "Intake is not complete for this order. Review the documents and resend the intake reminder, or pass force to override.",
+        code: "intake_incomplete",
+      });
+      return;
+    }
 
     await pool.query(
       `UPDATE compliance_orders
@@ -496,7 +508,11 @@ router.post("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/:order_number/approve", requireAdmi
     await pool.query(
       `INSERT INTO order_audit_log (order_type, order_id, order_number, action, from_status, to_status, actor_type, actor_id, actor_name, note)
        VALUES ('compliance', 0, $1, 'approved_for_submission', 'ready_to_file', 'authorization_signed', 'admin', $2, $3, $4)`,
-      [id, req.admin!.id, req.admin!.username, (req.body?.note as string) || "Approved + dispatched for government submission"],
+      [id, req.admin!.id, req.admin!.username,
+       (req.body?.note as string)
+         || (order.intake_data_validated
+              ? "Approved + dispatched for government submission"
+              : "Approved + dispatched (intake-incomplete override)")],
     );
 
     const workerUrl = process.env.WORKER_URL || "http://workers:8090";
diff --git a/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html b/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
index 644fdf6..9eb946b 100644
--- a/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
+++ b/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
           ? `<span class="small">${g.max_reminder_count} reminder(s)${g.last_reminded_at ? ", last " + fmtDay(g.last_reminded_at) : ", none sent"}</span>` : "";
         const services = g.services.map((s) => {
           const approve = s.ready_to_approve
-            ? `<button data-approve="${esc(s.order_number)}" data-svc="${esc(s.service_name)}" class="btn btn-blue btn-sm">Approve &amp; file</button>` : "";
+            ? `<button data-approve="${esc(s.order_number)}" data-svc="${esc(s.service_name)}" data-intake="${s.intake_data_validated ? 1 : 0}" class="btn btn-blue btn-sm">Approve &amp; file</button>` : "";
           return `<div class="svc-row"><div class="svc-left">
               <button data-detail="${esc(s.order_number)}" class="linkbtn">${esc(s.service_name)}</button>
               <span class="small">${esc(s.order_number)}</span>
@@ -314,16 +314,26 @@
         </div>`;
       }).join("");
 
-      document.querySelectorAll("[data-approve]").forEach((b) => b.addEventListener("click", () => approveOrder(b.getAttribute("data-approve"), b.getAttribute("data-svc"))));
+      document.querySelectorAll("[data-approve]").forEach((b) => b.addEventListener("click", () => approveOrder(b.getAttribute("data-approve"), b.getAttribute("data-svc"), b.getAttribute("data-intake") === "1")));
       document.querySelectorAll("[data-rearm]").forEach((b) => b.addEventListener("click", () => rearmIntake(b.getAttribute("data-rearm"))));
       document.querySelectorAll("[data-detail]").forEach((b) => b.addEventListener("click", () => openDetail(b.getAttribute("data-detail"))));
     }
 
-    async function approveOrder(orderNumber, svc) {
+    async function approveOrder(orderNumber, svc, intakeOk) {
+      // Hard warn when intake isn't complete — the filing may be missing data or
+      // have no prepared document to review.
+      if (intakeOk === false) {
+        if (!confirm(`⚠️ Intake is NOT complete for "${svc}" (${orderNumber}).\n\n`
+          + `The prepared filing may be missing required data, and there may be no `
+          + `document to review. Filing now could submit an incomplete/incorrect `
+          + `form to the government.\n\nProceed ANYWAY (override)?`)) return;
+      }
       if (!confirm(`Approve "${svc}" (${orderNumber}) and dispatch it for government submission?\n\nThis cannot be undone.`)) return;
+      const body = JSON.stringify(intakeOk === false ? { force: true } : {});
       try {
-        const r = await api("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/" + encodeURIComponent(orderNumber) + "/approve", { method: "POST", body: "{}" });
+        const r = await api("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/" + encodeURIComponent(orderNumber) + "/approve", { method: "POST", body });
         alert(r.dispatched ? "Approved and dispatched to the worker." : "Approved, but worker dispatch did not confirm — check worker logs.");
+        $("drawer").classList.add("hidden");
         refresh();
       } catch (e) { alert("Approve failed: " + e.message); }
     }
@@ -360,13 +370,18 @@
           row("ERPNext SO", esc(order.erpnext_sales_order || "—")) +
           (order.batch_id ? row("Batch", esc(order.batch_id)) : "") +
           row("Created", fmtDate(order.created_at)) +
-          (order.fulfillment_status === "ready_to_file" ? `<button id="drawer-approve" class="btn btn-blue wfull" style="margin-top:16px;">Approve &amp; file this order</button>` : "") +
+          (order.fulfillment_status === "ready_to_file"
+            ? ((!order.intake_data_validated
+                ? `<div style="margin-top:16px;padding:8px 12px;border:1px solid #fbbf24;background:#fffbeb;border-radius:6px;font-size:12px;color:#92400e;">⚠️ Intake is not complete — review documents before filing. Approving will require an override.</div>`
+                : "")
+              + `<button id="drawer-approve" class="btn btn-blue wfull" style="margin-top:8px;">Approve &amp; file this order</button>`)
+            : "") +
           ((order.payment_status === "paid" && !order.intake_data_validated) ? `<button id="drawer-rearm" class="btn btn-amber wfull" style="margin-top:8px;">Re-arm intake reminder</button>` : "") +
           `<div class="section-h">Intake data</div><pre>${esc(JSON.stringify(intake, null, 2))}</pre>` +
           `<div class="section-h">Documents</div><div id="drawer-docs"><div class="muted" style="font-size:12px;">Loading documents…</div></div>` +
           `<div class="section-h">Audit log</div>${auditHtml}`;
         const da = $("drawer-approve");
-        if (da) da.addEventListener("click", () => approveOrder(order.order_number, order.service_name || order.service_slug));
+        if (da) da.addEventListener("click", () => approveOrder(order.order_number, order.service_name || order.service_slug, !!order.intake_data_validated));
         const dr = $("drawer-rearm");
         if (dr) dr.addEventListener("click", () => rearmIntake(order.order_number));
         loadDocuments(order.order_number);