diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7965947..b6f5414 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ include_directories(include)
 ament_export_include_directories(include)
 
 add_library(${PROJECT_NAME}
+  src/asserts.cpp
   src/find_library.cpp)
 target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME}
   PUBLIC
@@ -46,6 +47,16 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
 
   ament_lint_auto_find_test_dependencies()
 
+  ament_add_gtest(test_asserts_ndebug test/test_asserts.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(test_asserts_ndebug ${PROJECT_NAME})
+
+  if(TARGET test_asserts_ndebug)
+    target_compile_definitions(test_asserts_ndebug PUBLIC NDEBUG)
+  endif()
+
+  ament_add_gtest(test_asserts_debug test/test_asserts.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(test_asserts_debug ${PROJECT_NAME})
+
   ament_add_gtest(test_thread_safety_annotations test/test_thread_safety_annotations.cpp)
 
   ament_add_gtest(test_join test/test_join.cpp)
diff --git a/include/rcpputils/asserts.hpp b/include/rcpputils/asserts.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d56f0ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/rcpputils/asserts.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+// Copyright 2020 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#ifndef RCPPUTILS__ASSERTS_HPP_
+#define RCPPUTILS__ASSERTS_HPP_
+
+#include <exception>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "rcpputils/visibility_control.hpp"
+
+// Needed to disable compiler warning for exporting a class that extends a
+// non-DLL-interface class.
+// This should be fine since its extending an STL class.
+#ifdef _WIN32
+# pragma warning(push)
+# pragma warning(disable:4251)
+# pragma warning(disable:4275)
+#endif
+
+namespace rcpputils
+{
+
+class RCPPUTILS_PUBLIC AssertionException : public std::exception
+{
+  std::string msg_;
+
+public:
+  explicit AssertionException(const char * msg);
+
+  virtual const char * what() const throw();
+};
+
+class RCPPUTILS_PUBLIC IllegalStateException : public std::exception
+{
+  std::string msg_;
+
+public:
+  explicit IllegalStateException(const char * msg);
+
+  virtual const char * what() const throw();
+};
+
+/**
+ * Checks that an argument condition passes.
+ *
+ * \param condition
+ * \throw std::invalid_argument if the condition is not met.
+ */
+inline void require_true(bool condition)
+{
+  if (!condition) {
+    throw std::invalid_argument{"Invalid argument passed!"};
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks that a state condition passes.
+ *
+ * \param condition
+ * \throw rcpputils::IllegalStateException if the condition is not met.
+ */
+inline void check_true(bool condition)
+{
+  if (!condition) {
+    throw rcpputils::IllegalStateException{"Check reported invalid state!"};
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Asserts that a condition passes.
+ *
+ * This function behaves similar to assert, except that it throws instead of invoking abort().
+ * \param condition
+ * \throw rcpputils::AssertionException if the macro NDEBUG is not set and the condition is not met.
+ */
+inline void assert_true(bool condition)
+{
+// Same macro definition used by cassert
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  if (!condition) {
+    throw rcpputils::AssertionException{"Assertion failed!"};
+  }
+#else
+  (void) condition;
+#endif
+}
+}  // namespace rcpputils
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+# pragma warning(pop)
+#endif
+
+#endif  // RCPPUTILS__ASSERTS_HPP_
diff --git a/src/asserts.cpp b/src/asserts.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c072ba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/asserts.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// Copyright 2020 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include "rcpputils/asserts.hpp"
+
+namespace rcpputils
+{
+AssertionException::AssertionException(const char * msg)
+{
+  msg_ = msg;
+}
+
+const char * AssertionException::what() const throw()
+{
+  return msg_.c_str();
+}
+
+IllegalStateException::IllegalStateException(const char * msg)
+{
+  msg_ = msg;
+}
+
+const char * IllegalStateException::what() const throw()
+{
+  return msg_.c_str();
+}
+}  // namespace rcpputils
diff --git a/test/test_asserts.cpp b/test/test_asserts.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fc58d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_asserts.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Copyright 2020 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+
+#include "rcpputils/asserts.hpp"
+
+TEST(test_asserts, require_throws_if_condition_is_false) {
+  EXPECT_THROW(rcpputils::require_true(false), std::invalid_argument);
+}
+
+TEST(test_asserts, require_does_not_throw_if_condition_is_true) {
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(rcpputils::require_true(true));
+}
+
+TEST(test_asserts, check_throws_if_condition_is_false) {
+  EXPECT_THROW(rcpputils::check_true(false), rcpputils::IllegalStateException);
+}
+
+TEST(test_asserts, check_does_not_throw_if_condition_is_true) {
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(rcpputils::check_true(true));
+}
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+TEST(test_asserts, ros_assert_throws_if_condition_is_false_and_ndebug_not_set) {
+  EXPECT_THROW(rcpputils::assert_true(false), rcpputils::AssertionException);
+}
+
+TEST(test_asserts, ros_assert_does_not_throw_if_condition_is_true_and_ndebug_not_set)
+{
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(rcpputils::assert_true(true));
+}
+
+#else
+TEST(test_asserts, ros_assert_does_not_throw_if_ndebug_set) {
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(rcpputils::assert_true(false));
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(rcpputils::assert_true(true));
+}
+#endif