diff --git a/.changeset/warm-pans-cross.md b/.changeset/warm-pans-cross.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0fe368f89b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/warm-pans-cross.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@smithy/smithy-client": minor
+---
+
+feat: type check helper method to to know if something is an instance of the ServiceException class
diff --git a/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.spec.ts b/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.spec.ts
index b82722e0298..fc591f96a3e 100644
--- a/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.spec.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,57 @@ it("ExceptionOptionType allows specifying message", () => {
   expect(exception.code).toBe("code");
 });
 
+describe("ServiceException type checking", () => {
+  const error = new ServiceException({
+    name: "Error",
+    $fault: "client",
+    $metadata: {},
+  });
+
+  const duckTyped = {
+    $fault: "server",
+    $metadata: {},
+  };
+
+  describe("isInstance", () => {
+    it("should return true for ServiceException instances", () => {
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance(error)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should return true for duck-typed objects", () => {
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance(duckTyped)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should return false for null or undefined", () => {
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance(null)).toBe(false);
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance(undefined)).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("should return false for invalid $fault values", () => {
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance({ $fault: "invalid", $metadata: {} })).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("should return false for missing properties", () => {
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance({ $fault: "client" })).toBe(false);
+      expect(ServiceException.isInstance({ $metadata: {} })).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("instanceof", () => {
+    it("should return true for ServiceException instances", () => {
+      expect(error instanceof ServiceException).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should return true for duck-typed objects", () => {
+      expect(duckTyped instanceof ServiceException).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should return false for invalid objects", () => {
+      expect({} instanceof ServiceException).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 describe("decorateServiceException", () => {
   const exception = new ServiceException({
     name: "Error",
diff --git a/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.ts b/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.ts
index 8ab84cdaf13..298fd40a65a 100644
--- a/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.ts
+++ b/packages/smithy-client/src/exceptions.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,23 @@ export class ServiceException extends Error implements SmithyException, Metadata
     this.$fault = options.$fault;
     this.$metadata = options.$metadata;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if a value is an instance of ServiceException (duck typed)
+   */
+  public static isInstance(value: unknown): value is ServiceException {
+    if (!value) return false;
+    const candidate = value as ServiceException;
+    return (
+      Boolean(candidate.$fault) &&
+      Boolean(candidate.$metadata) &&
+      (candidate.$fault === "client" || candidate.$fault === "server")
+    );
+  }
+
+  public static [Symbol.hasInstance](instance: unknown) {
+    return ServiceException.isInstance(instance);
+  }
 }
 
 /**