diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_animated_reference.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_animated_reference.py
index 8bf9c61d0d..0034599976 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_animated_reference.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_animated_reference.py
@@ -18,9 +18,15 @@ class ValidateAnimatedReferenceRig(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
     families = ["animation.fbx"]
     label = "Animated Reference Rig"
     actions = [openpype.hosts.maya.api.action.SelectInvalidAction]
+    accepted_controllers = ["transform", "locator"]
 
     def process(self, instance):
         animated_sets = instance.data["animated_skeleton"]
+        if not animated_sets:
+            self.log.debug(
+                "No nodes found in skeleton_Anim_SET..Skipping..")
+            return
+
         for animated_reference in animated_sets:
             is_referenced = cmds.referenceQuery(
                 animated_reference, isNodeReferenced=True)
@@ -29,3 +35,30 @@ class ValidateAnimatedReferenceRig(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
                     "All the content in skeleton_Anim_SET"
                     " should be reference nodes"
                 )
+        invalid_controls = self.validate_controls(animated_sets)
+        if invalid_controls:
+            raise PublishValidationError(
+                    "All the content in skeleton_Anim_SET"
+                    " should be the transforms"
+                )
+    def validate_controls(self, set_members):
+        """Check if the controller set passes the validations
+
+        Checks if all its set members are within the hierarchy of the root
+        Checks if the node types of the set members valid
+
+        Args:
+            set_members: list of nodes of the skeleton_anim_set
+            hierarchy: list of nodes which reside under the root node
+
+        Returns:
+            errors (list)
+        """
+
+        # Validate control types
+        invalid = []
+        for node in set_members:
+            if cmds.nodeType(node) not in self.accepted_controllers:
+                invalid.append(node)
+
+        return invalid