diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 46fcb82..d815814 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ commands:
   reviewer:
     enabled: false
   transfer:
+    allowTriage: false # allow TRIAGE permission on either repository
+    allowedTeamSlugs: [] # allow members of any listed org team slug
     enabled: false
 ```
 
@@ -134,6 +136,8 @@ _Note: If a team exists but the team doesn't have read access to the repository
 ### /transfer <destination_repo>
 
 Transfers a GitHub issue to another repository in the same organization.
+Only users with committer access on either the source or destination repository can use this command by default.
+This can be extended via configuration to also allow users with triage permission and/or users in specific org teams.
 
 #### Permissions required
 
diff --git a/app/commands/transfer-command.js b/app/commands/transfer-command.js
index 18cd95f..24fe7a9 100644
--- a/app/commands/transfer-command.js
+++ b/app/commands/transfer-command.js
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ export class TransferCommand extends Command {
     return transferEnabled(config);
   }
 
-  async run(authToken) {
+  async run(authToken, config) {
     const targetRepo = this.matches()[1];
     const sourceRepo = this.payload.repository.name;
+    const transferConfig = config.commands.transfer;
 
     const logger = classLogger.child({
       user: this.payload.sender.login,
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ export class TransferCommand extends Command {
         sourceRepo,
         targetRepo,
         extractLabelableId(this.payload),
+        this.payload.sender.login,
+        transferConfig,
       );
     } catch (error) {
       logger.error(
diff --git a/app/default-config.js b/app/default-config.js
index 21d20b1..03238f7 100644
--- a/app/default-config.js
+++ b/app/default-config.js
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ export const defaultConfig = {
     },
     transfer: {
       enabled: false,
+      allowTriage: false,
+      allowedTeamSlugs: [],
     },
   },
 };
diff --git a/app/github.js b/app/github.js
index 7e25477..c9459ec 100644
--- a/app/github.js
+++ b/app/github.js
@@ -1,5 +1,90 @@
 import { graphql } from "@octokit/graphql";
 
+const committerPermissions = new Set(["WRITE", "MAINTAIN", "ADMIN"]);
+const triagePermission = "TRIAGE";
+
+function getTransferAuthorizationConfig(transferConfig) {
+  return {
+    allowTriage: transferConfig?.allowTriage ?? false,
+    allowedTeamSlugs: (transferConfig?.allowedTeamSlugs ?? [])
+      .map((slug) => slug.trim())
+      .filter((slug) => slug.length > 0),
+  };
+}
+
+function getCollaboratorPermission(repository, username) {
+  const collaborator = repository?.collaborators?.edges?.find(
+    (edge) => edge?.node?.login?.toLowerCase() === username.toLowerCase(),
+  );
+
+  return collaborator?.permission;
+}
+
+export function hasCommitterAccess(
+  sourcePermission,
+  targetPermission,
+  allowTriage,
+) {
+  const allowedPermissions = allowTriage
+    ? new Set([...committerPermissions, triagePermission])
+    : committerPermissions;
+
+  return (
+    allowedPermissions.has(sourcePermission) ||
+    allowedPermissions.has(targetPermission)
+  );
+}
+
+export function hasTransferAccess(
+  sourcePermission,
+  targetPermission,
+  allowTriage,
+  allowedByTeam,
+) {
+  return (
+    allowedByTeam ||
+    hasCommitterAccess(sourcePermission, targetPermission, allowTriage)
+  );
+}
+
+async function hasAllowedTeamMembership(token, owner, username, teamSlugs) {
+  const memberships = await Promise.all(
+    teamSlugs.map(async (teamSlug) => {
+      const result = await graphql(
+        `
+          query ($owner: String!, $teamSlug: String!, $username: String!) {
+            organization(login: $owner) {
+              team(slug: $teamSlug) {
+                members(query: $username, first: 1) {
+                  nodes {
+                    login
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        `,
+        {
+          owner,
+          teamSlug,
+          username,
+          headers: {
+            authorization: `token ${token}`,
+          },
+        },
+      );
+
+      return (
+        result.organization?.team?.members?.nodes?.some(
+          (node) => node.login.toLowerCase() === username.toLowerCase(),
+        ) ?? false
+      );
+    }),
+  );
+
+  return memberships.some(Boolean);
+}
+
 async function convertLabelsToIds(labels, token, login, repository) {
   const convertedLabels = await Promise.all(
     labels.map(
@@ -391,24 +476,75 @@ export async function transferIssue(
   sourceRepo,
   targetRepo,
   issueId,
+  username,
+  transferConfig,
 ) {
-  const { target } = await graphql(
+  const authorizationConfig = getTransferAuthorizationConfig(transferConfig);
+  const { source, target } = await graphql(
     `
-      query ($owner: String!, $targetRepo: String!) {
+      query (
+        $owner: String!
+        $sourceRepo: String!
+        $targetRepo: String!
+        $username: String!
+      ) {
+        source: repository(owner: $owner, name: $sourceRepo) {
+          collaborators(query: $username, first: 1) {
+            edges {
+              permission
+              node {
+                login
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
         target: repository(owner: $owner, name: $targetRepo) {
           id
+          collaborators(query: $username, first: 1) {
+            edges {
+              permission
+              node {
+                login
+              }
+            }
+          }
         }
       }
     `,
     {
       owner,
+      sourceRepo,
       targetRepo,
+      username,
       headers: {
         authorization: `token ${token}`,
       },
     },
   );
 
+  const allowedByTeam =
+    authorizationConfig.allowedTeamSlugs.length > 0
+      ? await hasAllowedTeamMembership(
+          token,
+          owner,
+          username,
+          authorizationConfig.allowedTeamSlugs,
+        )
+      : false;
+
+  if (
+    !hasTransferAccess(
+      getCollaboratorPermission(source, username),
+      getCollaboratorPermission(target, username),
+      authorizationConfig.allowTriage,
+      allowedByTeam,
+    )
+  ) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `User ${username} requires committer access on ${sourceRepo} or ${targetRepo} to transfer issues`,
+    );
+  }
+
   await graphql(
     `
       mutation ($issue: ID!, $repo: ID!) {
diff --git a/app/github.test.js b/app/github.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5593c0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/github.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { hasCommitterAccess, hasTransferAccess } from "./github.js";
+
+describe("github", () => {
+  describe("hasCommitterAccess", () => {
+    test("returns true when source permission is write", () => {
+      const result = hasCommitterAccess("WRITE", "READ", false);
+
+      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+
+    test("returns true when target permission is maintain", () => {
+      const result = hasCommitterAccess("READ", "MAINTAIN", false);
+
+      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+
+    test("returns true when target permission is admin", () => {
+      const result = hasCommitterAccess("READ", "ADMIN", false);
+
+      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+
+    test("returns false when neither side has committer access", () => {
+      const result = hasCommitterAccess("TRIAGE", "READ", false);
+
+      expect(result).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+
+    test("returns true when triage is enabled and source has triage", () => {
+      const result = hasCommitterAccess("TRIAGE", "READ", true);
+
+      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("hasTransferAccess", () => {
+    test("returns true when allowed by team", () => {
+      const result = hasTransferAccess("READ", "READ", false, true);
+
+      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+
+    test("returns false when no repository permission and no team access", () => {
+      const result = hasTransferAccess("READ", "READ", false, false);
+
+      expect(result).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/app/router.js b/app/router.js
index f70673b..e2277dd 100644
--- a/app/router.js
+++ b/app/router.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export async function router(auth, id, payload, verbose) {
     for (const command of commands) {
       const result = command.enabled(config);
       await (result.enabled
-        ? command.run(authToken)
+        ? command.run(authToken, config)
         : reportError(authToken, extractLabelableId(payload), result.error));
     }
   } catch (error) {