diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0845d02..e6daed2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ iex(3)> PublicSuffix.public_suffix("mysite.foo.bar.com")
 "com"
 iex(4)> PublicSuffix.public_suffix("mysite.foo.bar.co.uk")
 "co.uk"
+iex(5)> PublicSuffix.prevailing_rule("mysite.foo.bar.com")
+"com"
+iex(6)> PublicSuffix.prevailing_rule("mysite.example")
+"*"
+iex(7)> PublicSuffix.matches_explicit_rule?("mysite.foo.bar.com")
+true
+iex(8)> PublicSuffix.matches_explicit_rule?("mysite.example")
+false
 ```
 
 The publicsuffix.org data file contains both official ICANN records
diff --git a/lib/public_suffix.ex b/lib/public_suffix.ex
index b0f3ce4..2fc843c 100644
--- a/lib/public_suffix.ex
+++ b/lib/public_suffix.ex
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
       iex> public_suffix("foo.github.io")
       "github.io"
   """
-  @spec public_suffix(String.t) :: nil | String.t
   @spec public_suffix(String.t, options) :: nil | String.t
   def public_suffix(domain, options \\ []) when is_binary(domain) do
     parse_domain(domain, options, 0)
@@ -55,13 +54,73 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
       iex> registrable_domain("foo.github.io")
       "foo.github.io"
   """
-  @spec registrable_domain(String.t) :: nil | String.t
   @spec registrable_domain(String.t, options) :: nil | String.t
   def registrable_domain(domain, options \\ []) when is_binary(domain) do
     # "The registered or registrable domain is the public suffix plus one additional label."
     parse_domain(domain, options, 1)
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Parses the provided domain and returns the prevailing rule based on the
+  publicsuffix.org rules. If no rules match, the prevailing rule is "*",
+  unless the provided domain has a leading dot, in which case the input is
+  invalid and the function returns `nil`.
+
+  ## Examples
+
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foo.bar.com")
+      "com"
+      iex> prevailing_rule("co.uk")
+      "co.uk"
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foo.ck")
+      "*.ck"
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foobar.example")
+      "*"
+
+  You can use the `ignore_private` keyword to exclude private (non-ICANN) domains.
+
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foo.github.io", ignore_private: false)
+      "github.io"
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foo.github.io", ignore_private: true)
+      "io"
+      iex> prevailing_rule("foo.github.io")
+      "github.io"
+  """
+  @spec prevailing_rule(String.t, options) :: nil | String.t
+  def prevailing_rule(domain, options \\ [])
+  def prevailing_rule("." <> _domain, _), do: nil
+  def prevailing_rule(domain, options) when is_binary(domain) do
+    domain
+    |> String.downcase
+    |> String.split(".")
+    |> find_prevailing_rule(options)
+    |> case do
+         {:exception, rule} -> "!" <> Enum.join(rule, ".")
+         {_, rule} -> Enum.join(rule, ".")
+       end
+  end
+
+  @doc """
+  Checks whether the provided domain matches an existing rule in the
+  publicsuffix.org rules.
+
+  ## Examples
+
+      iex> matches_explicit_rule?("foo.bar.com")
+      true
+      iex> matches_explicit_rule?("com")
+      true
+      iex> matches_explicit_rule?("foobar.example")
+      false
+
+  You can use the `ignore_private` keyword to exclude private (non-ICANN) domains.
+  """
+  @spec matches_explicit_rule?(String.t | nil) :: boolean
+  def matches_explicit_rule?(nil), do: false
+  def matches_explicit_rule?(domain, options \\ []) when is_binary(domain) do
+    !(prevailing_rule(domain, options) in [nil, "*"])
+  end
+
   # Inputs with a leading dot should be treated as a special case.
   # see https://github.com/publicsuffix/list/issues/208
   defp parse_domain("." <> _domain, _, _), do: nil
@@ -82,6 +141,11 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
     num_labels =
       labels
       |> find_prevailing_rule(options)
+      |> case do
+           # "If the prevailing rule is a exception rule, modify it by removing the leftmost label."
+           {:exception, labels} -> tl(labels)
+           {_, labels} -> labels
+         end
       |> length
       |> +(extra_label_parts)
 
@@ -99,7 +163,7 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
     find_prevailing_exception_rule(labels, allowed_rule_types) ||
     find_prevailing_normal_rule(labels, allowed_rule_types) ||
     # "If no rules match, the prevailing rule is "*"."
-    ["*"]
+    {:normal, ["*"]}
   end
 
   data_file = Path.expand("../data/public_suffix_list.dat", __DIR__)
@@ -128,8 +192,7 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
   defp find_prevailing_exception_rule([], _allowed_rule_types), do: nil
   defp find_prevailing_exception_rule([_ | suffix] = domain_labels, allowed_rule_types) do
     if @exception_rules[domain_labels] in allowed_rule_types do
-      # "If the prevailing rule is a exception rule, modify it by removing the leftmost label."
-      suffix
+      {:exception, domain_labels}
     else
       find_prevailing_exception_rule(suffix, allowed_rule_types)
     end
@@ -140,9 +203,9 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix do
   defp find_prevailing_normal_rule([], _allowed_rule_types), do: nil
   defp find_prevailing_normal_rule([_ | suffix] = domain_labels, allowed_rule_types) do
     cond do
-      @exact_match_rules[domain_labels] in allowed_rule_types -> domain_labels
+      @exact_match_rules[domain_labels] in allowed_rule_types -> {:normal, domain_labels}
       # TODO: "Wildcards are not restricted to appear only in the leftmost position"
-      @wild_card_rules[["*" | suffix]] in allowed_rule_types -> domain_labels
+      @wild_card_rules[["*" | suffix]] in allowed_rule_types -> {:normal, ["*"] ++ suffix}
       true -> find_prevailing_normal_rule(suffix, allowed_rule_types)
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/public_suffix_test.exs b/test/public_suffix_test.exs
index 6d14c9c..e7ae02e 100644
--- a/test/public_suffix_test.exs
+++ b/test/public_suffix_test.exs
@@ -28,6 +28,87 @@ defmodule PublicSuffix.PublicSuffixTest do
     end
   end
 
+  test_cases_prevailing_private = [
+    {"exact match", "foo.github.io", "github.io", "io"},
+    {"wildcard", "foo.bar.api.githubcloud.com", "*.api.githubcloud.com", "com"},
+  ]
+
+  for {rule_type, input, expected_with_private, expected_without_private} <- test_cases_prevailing_private do
+    @input input
+    @expected_with_private expected_with_private
+    @expected_without_private expected_without_private
+
+    test "`prevailing_rule` includes private domains by default (#{rule_type})" do
+      assert prevailing_rule(@input) == @expected_with_private
+    end
+
+    test "`prevailing_rule` includes private domains if passed `ignore_private: false` (#{rule_type})" do
+      assert prevailing_rule(@input, ignore_private: false) == @expected_with_private
+    end
+
+    test "`prevailing_rule` excludes private domains if passed `ignore_private: true` (#{rule_type})" do
+      assert prevailing_rule(@input, ignore_private: true) == @expected_without_private
+    end
+  end
+
+  test_cases_prevailing = [
+    {"leading dot", ".com", nil},
+    {"unlisted TLD", "example", "*"},
+    {"unlisted TLD", "example.example", "*"},
+    {"TLD with only 1 rule", "biz", "biz"},
+    {"TLD with only 1 rule", "domain.biz", "biz"},
+    {"TLD with some 2-level rules", "uk.com", "uk.com"},
+    {"TLD with some 2-level rules", "example.uk.com", "uk.com"},
+    {"TLD with only 1 (wildcard) rule", "mm", "*"},
+    {"TLD with only 1 (wildcard) rule", "c.mm", "*.mm"},
+    {"TLD with only 1 (wildcard) rule", "b.c.mm", "*.mm"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "kyoto.jp", "kyoto.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "test.kyoto.jp", "kyoto.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "ide.kyoto.jp", "ide.kyoto.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "b.ide.kyoto.jp", "ide.kyoto.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "a.b.ide.kyoto.jp", "ide.kyoto.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "c.kobe.jp", "*.kobe.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "b.c.kobe.jp", "*.kobe.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "city.kobe.jp", "!city.kobe.jp"},
+    {"more complex TLD", "www.city.kobe.jp", "!city.kobe.jp"},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "ck", "*"},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "test.ck", "*.ck"},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "b.test.ck", "*.ck"},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "www.ck", "!www.ck"},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "www.www.ck", "!www.ck"},
+  ]
+
+  for {rule_type, input, expected_output} <- test_cases_prevailing do
+    @input input
+    @expected_output expected_output
+
+    test "`prevailing_rule` returns `#{to_string(expected_output)}` if passed `#{input}` (#{rule_type})" do
+      assert prevailing_rule(@input) == @expected_output
+    end
+  end
+
+  test_cases_matches_explicit = [
+    {"listed TLD only", "com", true},
+    {"TLD with only 1 (wildcard) rule", "mm", false},
+    {"TLD with only 1 (wildcard) rule", "b.mm", true},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "ck", false},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "b.ck", true},
+    {"TLD with a wildcard rule and exceptions", "www.ck", true},
+    {"domain with leading dot", ".com", false},
+    {"unlisted TLD", "example", false},
+    {"empty string", "", false},
+    {"nil", nil, false},
+  ]
+
+  for {rule_type, input, expected_output} <- test_cases_matches_explicit do
+    @input input
+    @expected_output expected_output
+
+    test "`matches_explicit_rule?` returns `#{to_string(expected_output)}` if passed `#{input}` (#{rule_type})" do
+      assert matches_explicit_rule?(@input) == @expected_output
+    end
+  end
+
   test "unicode domains are correctly NFKC normalized when punycoding them" do
     # Both of these strings are different unicode forms of "ábc.co.uk".
     # The example came from: