diff --git a/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel.hpp b/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel.hpp
index 4ed17448c..da3ec1731 100644
--- a/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel.hpp
@@ -650,13 +650,16 @@ public:
     otError SetMacFrameCounter(uint32_t aMacFrameCounter);
 
     /**
-     * This method checks whether the spinel interface is radio-only
+     * This method checks whether the spinel interface is radio-only.
+     *
+     * @param[out] aSupportsRcpApiVersion   A reference to a boolean variable to update whether the list of spinel
+     *                                      capabilities include `SPINEL_CAP_RCP_API_VERSION`.
      *
      * @retval  TRUE    The radio chip is in radio-only mode.
      * @retval  FALSE   Otherwise.
      *
      */
-    bool IsRcp(void);
+    bool IsRcp(bool &aSupportsRcpApiVersion);
 
     /**
      * This method checks whether there is pending frame in the buffer.
@@ -726,6 +729,7 @@ private:
 
     otError CheckSpinelVersion(void);
     otError CheckRadioCapabilities(void);
+    otError CheckRcpApiVersion(bool aSupportsRcpApiVersion);
 
     /**
      * This method triggers a state transfer of the state machine.
diff --git a/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel_impl.hpp b/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel_impl.hpp
index d0bbc3d3f..58dce3c6f 100644
--- a/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/spinel/radio_spinel_impl.hpp
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ template <typename InterfaceType, typename ProcessContextType>
 void RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::Init(bool aResetRadio, bool aRestoreDatasetFromNcp)
 {
     otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
+    bool    supportsRcpApiVersion;
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_SPINEL_CONFIG_RCP_RESTORATION_MAX_COUNT > 0
     mResetRadioOnStartup = aResetRadio;
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ void RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::Init(bool aResetRadio, bool
     SuccessOrExit(error = Get(SPINEL_PROP_NCP_VERSION, SPINEL_DATATYPE_UTF8_S, mVersion, sizeof(mVersion)));
     SuccessOrExit(error = Get(SPINEL_PROP_HWADDR, SPINEL_DATATYPE_EUI64_S, mIeeeEui64.m8));
 
-    if (!IsRcp())
+    if (!IsRcp(supportsRcpApiVersion))
     {
         uint8_t exitCode = OT_EXIT_RADIO_SPINEL_INCOMPATIBLE;
 
@@ -251,6 +252,7 @@ void RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::Init(bool aResetRadio, bool
         DieNow(exitCode);
     }
 
+    SuccessOrDie(CheckRcpApiVersion(supportsRcpApiVersion));
     SuccessOrDie(CheckRadioCapabilities());
 
     mRxRadioFrame.mPsdu  = mRxPsdu;
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ exit:
 }
 
 template <typename InterfaceType, typename ProcessContextType>
-bool RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::IsRcp(void)
+bool RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::IsRcp(bool &aSupportsRcpApiVersion)
 {
     uint8_t        capsBuffer[kCapsBufferSize];
     const uint8_t *capsData         = capsBuffer;
@@ -293,6 +295,8 @@ bool RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::IsRcp(void)
     bool           supportsRawRadio = false;
     bool           isRcp            = false;
 
+    aSupportsRcpApiVersion = false;
+
     SuccessOrDie(Get(SPINEL_PROP_CAPS, SPINEL_DATATYPE_DATA_S, capsBuffer, &capsLength));
 
     while (capsLength > 0)
@@ -318,6 +322,11 @@ bool RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::IsRcp(void)
             mSupportsLogStream = true;
         }
 
+        if (capability == SPINEL_CAP_RCP_API_VERSION)
+        {
+            aSupportsRcpApiVersion = true;
+        }
+
         capsData += unpacked;
         capsLength -= static_cast<spinel_size_t>(unpacked);
     }
@@ -364,6 +373,36 @@ exit:
     return error;
 }
 
+template <typename InterfaceType, typename ProcessContextType>
+otError RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::CheckRcpApiVersion(bool aSupportsRcpApiVersion)
+{
+    otError      error         = OT_ERROR_NONE;
+    unsigned int rcpApiVersion = 1;
+
+    // Use RCP API Version value 1, when the RCP capability
+    // list does not contain `SPINEL_CAP_RCP_API_VERSION`.
+
+    if (aSupportsRcpApiVersion)
+    {
+        SuccessOrExit(error = Get(SPINEL_PROP_RCP_API_VERSION, SPINEL_DATATYPE_UINT_PACKED_S, &rcpApiVersion));
+    }
+
+    otLogNotePlat("RCP API Version: %u", rcpApiVersion);
+
+    static_assert(SPINEL_MIN_HOST_SUPPORTED_RCP_API_VERSION <= SPINEL_RCP_API_VERSION,
+                  "MIN_HOST_SUPPORTED_RCP_API_VERSION must be smaller than or equal to RCP_API_VERSION");
+
+    if ((rcpApiVersion < SPINEL_MIN_HOST_SUPPORTED_RCP_API_VERSION) || (rcpApiVersion > SPINEL_RCP_API_VERSION))
+    {
+        otLogCritPlat("RCP API Version %u is not in the supported range [%u-%u]", rcpApiVersion,
+                      SPINEL_MIN_HOST_SUPPORTED_RCP_API_VERSION, SPINEL_RCP_API_VERSION);
+        DieNow(OT_EXIT_RADIO_SPINEL_INCOMPATIBLE);
+    }
+
+exit:
+    return error;
+}
+
 template <typename InterfaceType, typename ProcessContextType>
 otError RadioSpinel<InterfaceType, ProcessContextType>::RestoreDatasetFromNcp(void)
 {