diff --git a/lib/commons/aria/get-role.js b/lib/commons/aria/get-role.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06e6f9059f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/commons/aria/get-role.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* global aria, axe */
+
+aria.getRole = function getRole(
+	node,
+	{ noImplicit, tokenList, abstracts, dpub } = {}
+) {
+	const roleAttr = (node.getAttribute('role') || '').trim().toLowerCase();
+	const roleList = tokenList ? axe.utils.tokenList(roleAttr) : [roleAttr];
+
+	// Get the first valid role:
+	const validRoles = roleList.filter(role => {
+		if (!dpub && role.substr(0, 4) === 'doc-') {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return aria.isValidRole(role, { allowAbstract: abstracts });
+	});
+	const role = validRoles[0];
+
+	// Get the impgit licit role, if permitted
+	if (!role && !noImplicit) {
+		return aria.implicitRole(node);
+	}
+
+	return role || null;
+};
diff --git a/test/commons/aria/get-role.js b/test/commons/aria/get-role.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5243a769f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/commons/aria/get-role.js
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+describe('aria.getRole', function() {
+	'use strict';
+	var aria = axe.commons.aria;
+	var roleDefinitions = aria.lookupTable.role;
+
+	var orig;
+	beforeEach(function() {
+		orig = axe.commons.aria.lookupTable.role;
+	});
+
+	afterEach(function() {
+		axe.commons.aria.lookupTable.role = orig;
+	});
+
+	it('returns valid roles', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('div');
+		node.setAttribute('role', 'button');
+		assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'button');
+	});
+
+	it('handles case sensitivity', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('div');
+		node.setAttribute('role', 'BUTTON');
+		assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'button');
+	});
+
+	it('handles whitespacing', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('div');
+		node.setAttribute('role', ' button  ');
+		assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'button');
+	});
+
+	it('returns null when there is no role', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('div');
+		assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node));
+	});
+
+	it('returns the explit role if it is valid and non-abstract', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('li');
+		node.setAttribute('role', 'menuitem');
+		assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'menuitem');
+	});
+
+	it('returns the implicit role if the explicit is invalid', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('li');
+		node.setAttribute('role', 'foobar');
+		assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'listitem');
+	});
+
+	it('ignores tokenlists by default', function() {
+		var node = document.createElement('div');
+		node.setAttribute('role', 'spinbutton button');
+		assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node));
+	});
+
+	describe('noImplicit', function() {
+		it('returns the implicit role by default', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'listitem');
+		});
+
+		it('returns null rather than the implicit role with `noImplicit: true`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node, { noImplicit: true }));
+		});
+
+		it('still returns the explicit role', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li', { noImplicit: true });
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'button');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'button');
+		});
+
+		it('returns the implicit role with `noImplicit: false`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { noImplicit: false }), 'listitem');
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe('abstracts', function() {
+		it('ignores abstract roles by default', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'section');
+			assert.equal(roleDefinitions.section.type, 'abstract');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node), 'listitem');
+		});
+
+		it('returns abstract roles with `abstracts: true`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'section');
+			assert.equal(roleDefinitions.section.type, 'abstract');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { abstracts: true }), 'section');
+		});
+
+		it('does not returns abstract roles with `abstracts: false`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'section');
+			assert.equal(roleDefinitions.section.type, 'abstract');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { abstracts: false }), 'listitem');
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe('dpub', function() {
+		it('ignores DPUB roles by default', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('section');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter');
+			assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node));
+		});
+
+		it('returns DPUB roles with `dpub: true`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('section');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { dpub: true }), 'doc-chapter');
+		});
+
+		it('does not returns DPUB roles with `dpub: false`', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('section');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter');
+			assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node, { dpub: false }));
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe('tokenList', function() {
+		it('returns the first valid item in the list', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('div');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'link button');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true }), 'link');
+		});
+
+		it('skips over invalid roles', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('div');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'foobar button');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true }), 'button');
+		});
+
+		it('returns the null if all roles are invalid and there is no implicit role', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('div');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'foo bar baz');
+			assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true }));
+		});
+
+		it('respects the defaults', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter section');
+			assert.equal(aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true }), 'listitem');
+		});
+
+		it('respect the `noImplicit` option', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter section');
+			assert.isNull(aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true, noImplicit: true }));
+		});
+
+		it('respect the `abstracts` option', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter section');
+			assert.equal(
+				aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true, abstracts: true }),
+				'section'
+			);
+		});
+
+		it('respect the `dpub` option', function() {
+			var node = document.createElement('li');
+			node.setAttribute('role', 'doc-chapter section');
+			assert.equal(
+				aria.getRole(node, { tokenList: true, dpub: true }),
+				'doc-chapter'
+			);
+		});
+	});
+});