diff --git a/scripts/check/check-docs-counts-sync.mjs b/scripts/check/check-docs-counts-sync.mjs
index 29a42fca2a..07833beed3 100644
--- a/scripts/check/check-docs-counts-sync.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check/check-docs-counts-sync.mjs
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@ function readCodeFacts() {
     "'recurring-credit','keyless']);",
     "const ff=new Set();for(const m of t.perModel)if(FOREVER.has(m.freeType))ff.add(m.provider);",
     'console.log("@@"+JSON.stringify({freeSteady:t.steadyRecurringTokens,entries:t.perModel.length,',
-    "freeFirst:t.firstMonthRealisticTokens,freePools:t.poolCount,engines:ENGINE_IDS.length,",
+    "freeFirst:t.firstMonthRealisticTokens,freeGated:t.gatedRecurringTokens,",
+    "freePools:t.poolCount,engines:ENGINE_IDS.length,",
     "cliTotal:cli.length,cliCode:by('code'),cliAgent:by('agent'),",
     "mcpTools:countUniqueMcpTools(cols),mcpScopes:sc.size,providers:pids.size,freeForever:ff.size,",
     "modePacks:Object.keys(MODE_PACKS),",
@@ -271,6 +272,20 @@ export function extractHeadlineClaims(content) {
   return claims;
 }
 
+// The eligibility-gated figure ("+~6M behind regional identity verification") is validated
+// with its own anchor so it can neither drift nor be silently dropped once it exists.
+const GATED_ANCHOR = /^\s*behind regional identity verification/i;
+
+export function extractGatedClaims(content) {
+  const claims = [];
+  for (const m of content.matchAll(/\+?~?(\d+(?:\.\d+)?)([BM])\b/g)) {
+    const after = content.slice(m.index + m[0].length, m.index + m[0].length + 60);
+    if (!GATED_ANCHOR.test(after)) continue;
+    claims.push({ tokens: Number(m[1]) * (m[2] === "B" ? 1e9 : 1e6), unit: m[2], text: m[0] });
+  }
+  return claims;
+}
+
 export function checkFreeTierHeadline(content, totals) {
   const claims = extractHeadlineClaims(content);
   if (!claims.length) return { ok: true, detail: "no aggregate free-tier headline in this file" };
@@ -279,14 +294,31 @@ export function checkFreeTierHeadline(content, totals) {
   const stale = claims.filter(
     (c) => Math.abs(c.value - steady) >= 0.05 && Math.abs(c.value - first) >= 0.05
   );
-  if (!stale.length)
-    return { ok: true, detail: `${claims.length} headline claim(s) match the live catalog` };
-  return {
-    ok: false,
-    detail:
+  const problems = [];
+  if (stale.length) {
+    problems.push(
       `stale headline ${[...new Set(stale.map((c) => c.text))].join(", ")} — live catalog ` +
-      `computes ~${steady.toFixed(2)}B steady / ~${first.toFixed(2)}B first month`,
-  };
+        `computes ~${steady.toFixed(2)}B steady / ~${first.toFixed(2)}B first month`
+    );
+  }
+  if (totals.g != null && totals.g > 0) {
+    const gated = extractGatedClaims(content);
+    const tol = (c) => (c.unit === "B" ? 0.05e9 : 0.5e6);
+    const gatedStale = gated.filter((c) => Math.abs(c.tokens - totals.g) >= tol(c));
+    if (!gated.length) {
+      problems.push(
+        `missing gated figure — live catalog computes ${Math.round(totals.g / 1e6)}M behind regional identity verification`
+      );
+    } else if (gatedStale.length) {
+      problems.push(
+        `stale gated figure ${[...new Set(gatedStale.map((c) => c.text))].join(", ")} — live catalog ` +
+          `computes ${Math.round(totals.g / 1e6)}M behind regional identity verification`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+  if (!problems.length)
+    return { ok: true, detail: `${claims.length} headline claim(s) match the live catalog` };
+  return { ok: false, detail: problems.join("; ") };
 }
 
 // PURE: docs prose that names the product version ("OmniRoute v3.8.50 ·",
@@ -599,12 +631,12 @@ export function buildChecks() {
         },
         {
           label: "Free-tier headline (live catalog)",
-          actual: `~${(f.freeSteady / 1e9).toFixed(2)}B steady / ${f.freePools} pools`,
+          actual: `~${(f.freeSteady / 1e9).toFixed(2)}B steady / ${f.freePools} pools / ${Math.round(f.freeGated / 1e6)}M gated`,
           docKey: "free-tier headline",
           strict: true,
           files: ["README.md", "docs/reference/FREE_TIERS.md"],
           validate: (content) =>
-            checkFreeTierHeadline(content, { s: f.freeSteady, m: f.freeFirst }),
+            checkFreeTierHeadline(content, { s: f.freeSteady, m: f.freeFirst, g: f.freeGated }),
         },
         claim(
           f.engines,
diff --git a/tests/unit/check-docs-counts-sync.test.ts b/tests/unit/check-docs-counts-sync.test.ts
index 5f786f327a..3b27f5448c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/check-docs-counts-sync.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/check-docs-counts-sync.test.ts
@@ -106,16 +106,20 @@ test("the gate exits 0 against the current (synced) repo state", () => {
 // down to 1.37B, because no gate watched that number.
 import {
   checkFreeTierHeadline,
+  extractGatedClaims,
   extractHeadlineClaims,
 } from "../../scripts/check/check-docs-counts-sync.mjs";
 
 const checkHeadline = checkFreeTierHeadline as (
   content: string,
-  totals: { s: number; m: number; p: number }
+  totals: { s: number; m: number; p: number; g?: number }
 ) => { ok: boolean; detail: string };
 const extractClaims = extractHeadlineClaims as (
   content: string
 ) => { value: number; text: string }[];
+const extractGated = extractGatedClaims as (
+  content: string
+) => { tokens: number; unit: "B" | "M"; text: string }[];
 
 const TOTALS = { s: 1_371_725_000, m: 1_998_225_000, p: 39 };
 
@@ -147,6 +151,45 @@ test("free-tier gate passes when a file carries no headline at all", () => {
   assert.equal(checkHeadline("no figures here", TOTALS).ok, true);
 });
 
+// --- Eligibility-gated bucket ("+~6M behind regional identity verification") --
+// The gated figure sits next to the headline and is validated with its own anchor,
+// so it can neither drift nor be silently dropped once the catalog reports one.
+const TOTALS_G = { s: 1_503_225_000, m: 2_129_725_000, p: 35, g: 6_000_000 };
+
+test("free-tier gate validates the gated figure that sits next to the headline", () => {
+  const ok =
+    "~1.5B free tokens per month … +~6M behind regional identity verification (ModelScope)";
+  assert.equal(checkHeadline(ok, TOTALS_G).ok, true);
+  const stale = "~1.5B free tokens per month … +~60M behind regional identity verification";
+  assert.equal(checkHeadline(stale, TOTALS_G).ok, false);
+  assert.match(checkHeadline(stale, TOTALS_G).detail, /gated/);
+});
+
+test("free-tier gate rejects a file that carries the headline but omits the gated line", () => {
+  assert.equal(checkHeadline("~1.5B free tokens per month", TOTALS_G).ok, false);
+  // a file with no headline at all is still fine (per-provider tables, changelogs)
+  assert.equal(checkHeadline("no figures here", TOTALS_G).ok, true);
+  // and nothing changes for callers that pass no gated total
+  assert.equal(
+    checkHeadline("~1.5B free tokens per month", { s: TOTALS_G.s, m: TOTALS_G.m, p: 35 }).ok,
+    true
+  );
+});
+
+test("gated claims are read in M or B and need the anchor phrase", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(extractGated("~6M of unrelated text"), []);
+  assert.deepEqual(extractGated("+~6M behind regional identity verification"), [
+    { tokens: 6_000_000, unit: "M", text: "+~6M" },
+  ]);
+  assert.equal(
+    checkHeadline("~1.5B free tokens per month · ~1.2B behind regional identity verification", {
+      ...TOTALS_G,
+      g: 1_230_000_000,
+    }).ok,
+    true
+  );
+});
+
 // --- Generic numeric-claim gate (engines / MCP tools / scopes / CLI) --------
 // Extends the same drift guard to the counts that silently drifted in v3.8.49:
 // 11→12 engines, 94→109 MCP tools, 30→33 scopes, 26→33 CLI tools.