diff --git a/.changeset/nice-walls-train.md b/.changeset/nice-walls-train.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d525475
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/nice-walls-train.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"koa-oas3": minor
+---
+
+update validatePaths type to accept string array or regex array
diff --git a/__tests__/index.spec.ts b/__tests__/index.spec.ts
index 1cafd8c..9c27aa3 100644
--- a/__tests__/index.spec.ts
+++ b/__tests__/index.spec.ts
@@ -424,3 +424,67 @@ describe('Koa Oas3 with ChowOptions', () => {
   });
 
 })
+
+describe('Pass Regex Array as a validatePaths option', () => {
+  let mw: koa.Middleware;
+  const pathParam = 345;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    mw = await oas({
+      file: path.resolve('./__tests__/fixtures/pet-store.json'),
+      endpoint: '/openapi',
+      uiEndpoint: '/openapi.html',
+      validatePaths: [new RegExp(`pets(?!/${pathParam})`)],
+      validationOptions: { requestBodyAjvOptions: { allErrors: true } } as ChowOptions
+    });
+  })
+
+  test('should NOT validate paths specified that do not validate against the RegExp pattern', async () => {
+    const ctx = createContext({
+      url: `/pets/${pathParam}`,
+      headers: {
+        'accept': 'application/json'
+      },
+      method: 'GET'
+    });
+
+    mw = await oas({
+      file: path.resolve('./__tests__/fixtures/pet-store.json'),
+      endpoint: '/openapi',
+      uiEndpoint: '/openapi.html',
+      validatePaths: [new RegExp(`pets(?!/${pathParam})`)],
+      validationOptions: { requestBodyAjvOptions: { allErrors: true } } as ChowOptions
+    });
+
+    const next = jest.fn();
+    await mw(ctx, next);
+
+    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledWith();
+  })
+
+  test('should validate paths specified in RegExp pattern', async () => {
+    const ctx = createContext({
+      url: `/pets/`,
+      headers: {
+        'accept': 'application/json'
+      },
+      method: 'GET'
+    });
+
+    mw = await oas({
+      file: path.resolve('./__tests__/fixtures/pet-store.json'),
+      endpoint: '/openapi',
+      uiEndpoint: '/openapi.html',
+      validatePaths: [new RegExp(`pets(?!/${pathParam})`)],
+      validationOptions: { requestBodyAjvOptions: { allErrors: true } } as ChowOptions
+    });
+
+    const next = jest.fn();
+    await mw(ctx, next);
+
+    expect(next).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith();
+  })
+
+})
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 984b7e4..deb2bee 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export interface Config {
    * Whitelist paths for request validation
    * default: ['/']
    */
-  validatePaths: string[];
+  validatePaths: Array<string> | Array<RegExp>;
   /**
    * Optional base path to swagger ui bundle
    */
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 3647b65..6fd6c84 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export async function oas(cfg: Partial<Config>): Promise<koa.Middleware> {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (!config.validatePaths.some(path => ctx.path.startsWith(path))) {
+    if (skipValidation(config.validatePaths, ctx)) {
       // Skip validation if no path matches
       return next();
     }
@@ -151,3 +151,14 @@ async function compileOas(config: Config) {
     doc: openApiObject,
   };
 }
+
+function skipValidation(validatePaths: Array<string> | Array<RegExp>, ctx: koa.Context) {
+  let dontValidate = !validatePaths.some((path: string | RegExp) => {
+    if (path instanceof RegExp) {
+      return path.test(ctx.path);
+    } else {
+      return ctx.path.startsWith(path as string);
+    }
+  });
+  return dontValidate;
+}
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