diff --git a/src/spdx/validation/file_validator.py b/src/spdx/validation/file_validator.py
index a21f28f..745131b 100644
--- a/src/spdx/validation/file_validator.py
+++ b/src/spdx/validation/file_validator.py
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ def validate_file_within_document(file: File, spdx_version: str, document: Docum
     for message in validate_spdx_id(file.spdx_id, document):
         validation_messages.append(ValidationMessage(message, context))
 
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(file.license_concluded, document, file.spdx_id))
+
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(file.license_info_in_file, document, file.spdx_id))
+
     validation_messages.extend(validate_file(file, spdx_version, context))
 
     return validation_messages
@@ -67,10 +71,6 @@ def validate_file(file: File, spdx_version: str, context: Optional[ValidationCon
 
     validation_messages.extend(validate_checksums(file.checksums, file.spdx_id, spdx_version))
 
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(file.license_concluded))
-
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(file.license_info_in_file))
-
     if spdx_version == "SPDX-2.2":
         if file.license_concluded is None:
             validation_messages.append(
diff --git a/src/spdx/validation/license_expression_validator.py b/src/spdx/validation/license_expression_validator.py
index 0d6d0e6..f2c8ddf 100644
--- a/src/spdx/validation/license_expression_validator.py
+++ b/src/spdx/validation/license_expression_validator.py
@@ -11,25 +11,60 @@
 
 from typing import List, Optional, Union
 
-from license_expression import LicenseExpression
+from license_expression import LicenseExpression, get_spdx_licensing, ExpressionError, ExpressionParseError
+from spdx.model.document import Document
+
 from spdx.model.spdx_no_assertion import SpdxNoAssertion
 from spdx.model.spdx_none import SpdxNone
-from spdx.validation.validation_message import ValidationMessage
+from spdx.validation.validation_message import ValidationMessage, ValidationContext, SpdxElementType
 
 
 def validate_license_expressions(license_expressions: Optional[
-    Union[List[LicenseExpression], SpdxNoAssertion, SpdxNone]]) -> List[ValidationMessage]:
+    Union[List[LicenseExpression], SpdxNoAssertion, SpdxNone]], document: Document, parent_id: str) -> List[ValidationMessage]:
     if license_expressions in [SpdxNoAssertion(), SpdxNone(), None]:
         return []
 
-    error_messages = []
+    context = ValidationContext(parent_id=parent_id, element_type=SpdxElementType.LICENSE_EXPRESSION, full_element=license_expressions)
+    validation_messages = []
 
     for license_expression in license_expressions:
-        error_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(license_expression))
+        validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(license_expression, document, parent_id, context))
+
+    return validation_messages
+
+
+def validate_license_expression(license_expression: Optional[
+    Union[LicenseExpression, SpdxNoAssertion, SpdxNone]], document: Document, parent_id: str, context: ValidationContext = None) -> List[ValidationMessage]:
+    if license_expression in [SpdxNoAssertion(), SpdxNone(), None]:
+        return []
+
+    if not context:
+        context = ValidationContext(parent_id=parent_id, element_type=SpdxElementType.LICENSE_EXPRESSION, full_element=license_expression)
+
+    validation_messages = []
+    license_ref_ids: List[str] = [license_ref.license_id for license_ref in document.extracted_licensing_info]
 
-    return error_messages
+    for non_spdx_token in get_spdx_licensing().validate(license_expression).invalid_symbols:
+        if non_spdx_token not in license_ref_ids:
+            validation_messages.append(
+                ValidationMessage(
+                    f"Unrecognized license reference: {non_spdx_token}. license_expression must only use IDs from the license list or extracted licensing info, but is: {license_expression}",
+                    context)
+            )
 
+    try:
+        get_spdx_licensing().parse(str(license_expression), validate=True, strict=True)
+    except ExpressionParseError as err:
+        # This error is raised when an exception symbol is used as a license symbol and vice versa.
+        # So far, it only catches the first such error in the provided string.
+        validation_messages.append(
+            ValidationMessage(
+                f"{err}. for license_expression: {license_expression}",
+                context)
+        )
+    except ExpressionError:
+        # This error is raised for invalid symbols within the license_expression, but it provides only a string of these.
+        # On the other hand, get_spdx_licensing().validate() gives an actual list of invalid symbols, so this is handled above.
+        pass
 
-def validate_license_expression(license_expression: LicenseExpression) -> List[ValidationMessage]:
-    # TODO: implement this once we have a better license expression model: https://github.com/spdx/tools-python/issues/374
-    return []
+    return validation_messages
diff --git a/src/spdx/validation/package_validator.py b/src/spdx/validation/package_validator.py
index 8889110..4cd850f 100644
--- a/src/spdx/validation/package_validator.py
+++ b/src/spdx/validation/package_validator.py
@@ -61,6 +61,21 @@ def validate_package_within_document(package: Package, spdx_version: str, docume
                     context)
             )
 
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(package.license_concluded, document, package.spdx_id))
+
+    license_info_from_files = package.license_info_from_files
+    if license_info_from_files:
+        if not package.files_analyzed:
+            validation_messages.append(
+                ValidationMessage(
+                    f"license_info_from_files must be None if files_analyzed is False, but is: {license_info_from_files}",
+                    context)
+            )
+        else:
+            validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(license_info_from_files, document, package.spdx_id))
+
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(package.license_declared, document, package.spdx_id))
+
     validation_messages.extend(validate_package(package, spdx_version, context))
 
     return validation_messages
@@ -94,21 +109,6 @@ def validate_package(package: Package, spdx_version: str, context: Optional[Vali
 
     validation_messages.extend(validate_checksums(package.checksums, package.spdx_id, spdx_version))
 
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(package.license_concluded))
-
-    license_info_from_files = package.license_info_from_files
-    if license_info_from_files:
-        if not package.files_analyzed:
-            validation_messages.append(
-                ValidationMessage(
-                    f"license_info_from_files must be None if files_analyzed is False, but is: {license_info_from_files}",
-                    context)
-            )
-        else:
-            validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(license_info_from_files))
-
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(package.license_declared))
-
     validation_messages.extend(
         validate_external_package_refs(package.external_references, package.spdx_id, spdx_version))
 
diff --git a/src/spdx/validation/snippet_validator.py b/src/spdx/validation/snippet_validator.py
index 21d2e0d..90a110f 100644
--- a/src/spdx/validation/snippet_validator.py
+++ b/src/spdx/validation/snippet_validator.py
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ def validate_snippet_within_document(snippet: Snippet, spdx_version: str, docume
     for message in messages:
         validation_messages.append(ValidationMessage(message, context))
 
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(snippet.license_concluded, document, snippet.spdx_id))
+
+    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(snippet.license_info_in_snippet, document, snippet.spdx_id))
+
     validation_messages.extend(validate_snippet(snippet, spdx_version, context))
 
     return validation_messages
@@ -86,10 +90,6 @@ def validate_snippet(snippet: Snippet, spdx_version: str, context: Optional[Vali
                     context)
             )
 
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expression(snippet.license_concluded))
-
-    validation_messages.extend(validate_license_expressions(snippet.license_info_in_snippet))
-
     if spdx_version == "SPDX-2.2":
         if snippet.license_concluded is None:
             validation_messages.append(
diff --git a/src/spdx/validation/validation_message.py b/src/spdx/validation/validation_message.py
index bf14901..70001b7 100644
--- a/src/spdx/validation/validation_message.py
+++ b/src/spdx/validation/validation_message.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from typing import Optional, Any
 
 
 class SpdxElementType(Enum):
+    LICENSE_EXPRESSION = auto()
     PACKAGE_VERIFICATION_CODE = auto()
     EXTERNAL_DOCUMENT_REF = auto()
     CHECKSUM = auto()
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ class SpdxElementType(Enum):
     PACKAGE = auto()
     FILE = auto()
     SNIPPET = auto()
-    LICENSE = auto()
     ANNOTATION = auto()
     RELATIONSHIP = auto()
     EXTRACTED_LICENSING_INFO = auto()

diff --git a/tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py b/tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py
index 458a98a..b6b89ba 100644
--- a/tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py
+++ b/tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py
@@ -10,14 +10,94 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from typing import List
+from unittest import TestCase
 
-from license_expression import Licensing
-from spdx.validation.license_expression_validator import validate_license_expression
-from spdx.validation.validation_message import ValidationMessage
+import pytest
+from license_expression import get_spdx_licensing, LicenseExpression
 
+from spdx.model.document import Document
+from spdx.model.spdx_no_assertion import SpdxNoAssertion
+from spdx.model.spdx_none import SpdxNone
+from spdx.validation.license_expression_validator import validate_license_expression, validate_license_expressions
+from spdx.validation.validation_message import ValidationMessage, ValidationContext, SpdxElementType
+from tests.spdx.fixtures import document_fixture, extracted_licensing_info_fixture
 
-def test_valid_license_expression():
-    license_expression = Licensing().parse("something")
-    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expression(license_expression)
 
+FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID = extracted_licensing_info_fixture().license_id
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expression_string",
+                         ["MIT", FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID,
+                          f"GPL-2.0-only with GPL-CC-1.0 and {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} with 389-exception or Beerware"])
+def test_valid_license_expression(expression_string):
+    document: Document = document_fixture()
+    license_expression: LicenseExpression = get_spdx_licensing().parse(expression_string)
+    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expression(license_expression, document,
+                                                                               parent_id="SPDXRef-File")
+
+    assert validation_messages == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expression", [SpdxNone(), SpdxNoAssertion()])
+def test_none_and_no_assertion(expression):
+    document: Document = document_fixture()
+    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expression(expression, document,
+                                                                               parent_id="SPDXRef-File")
+    assert validation_messages == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expression_list",
+                         [SpdxNone(), SpdxNoAssertion(),
+                          [get_spdx_licensing().parse("MIT and GPL-3.0-only"),
+                           get_spdx_licensing().parse(FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID)]
+                          ])
+def test_valid_license_expressions(expression_list):
+    document: Document = document_fixture()
+    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expressions(expression_list, document,
+                                                                                parent_id="SPDXRef-File")
     assert validation_messages == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expression_string, unknown_symbols",
+                         [(f"{FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} or LicenseRef-22", ["LicenseRef-22"]),
+                          ("nope with 389-exception and _.- or LicenseRef-10", ["nope", "_.-", "LicenseRef-10"])
+                          ])
+def test_invalid_license_expression_with_unknown_symbols(expression_string, unknown_symbols):
+    document: Document = document_fixture()
+    license_expression: LicenseExpression = get_spdx_licensing().parse(expression_string)
+    parent_id = "SPDXRef-File"
+    context = ValidationContext(parent_id=parent_id, element_type=SpdxElementType.LICENSE_EXPRESSION,
+                                full_element=license_expression)
+
+    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expression(license_expression, document, parent_id)
+    expected_messages = [ValidationMessage(
+        f"Unrecognized license reference: {symbol}. license_expression must only use IDs from the license list or extracted licensing info, but is: {license_expression}",
+        context
+    ) for symbol in unknown_symbols]
+
+    TestCase().assertCountEqual(validation_messages, expected_messages)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("expression_string, expected_message",
+                         [("MIT with MIT",
+                           'A plain license symbol cannot be used as an exception in a "WITH symbol" statement. for token: "MIT" at position: 9. for license_expression: MIT WITH MIT'),
+                          (f"GPL-2.0-or-later and {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} with {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID}",
+                           f'A plain license symbol cannot be used as an exception in a "WITH symbol" statement. for token: "{FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID}" at position: 39. for license_expression: GPL-2.0-or-later AND {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} WITH {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID}'),
+                          (f"GPL-2.0-or-later with MIT and {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} with GPL-2.0-or-later",
+                           f'A plain license symbol cannot be used as an exception in a "WITH symbol" statement. for token: "MIT" at position: 22. for license_expression: GPL-2.0-or-later WITH MIT AND {FIXTURE_LICENSE_ID} WITH GPL-2.0-or-later'),
+                          ("389-exception with 389-exception",
+                           'A license exception symbol can only be used as an exception in a "WITH exception" statement. for token: "389-exception". for license_expression: 389-exception WITH 389-exception'),
+                          ("389-exception with MIT",
+                           'A license exception symbol can only be used as an exception in a "WITH exception" statement. for token: "389-exception". for license_expression: 389-exception WITH MIT'),
+                          ])
+def test_invalid_license_expression_with_invalid_exceptions(expression_string, expected_message):
+    document: Document = document_fixture()
+    license_expression: LicenseExpression = get_spdx_licensing().parse(expression_string)
+    parent_id = "SPDXRef-File"
+    context = ValidationContext(parent_id=parent_id, element_type=SpdxElementType.LICENSE_EXPRESSION,
+                                full_element=license_expression)
+
+    validation_messages: List[ValidationMessage] = validate_license_expression(license_expression, document, parent_id)
+    expected_messages = [ValidationMessage(expected_message, context)]
+
+    assert validation_messages == expected_messages

Implement license expression validation
can be done after #10 
part of #307 

Also add more tests for this
tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expression[MIT] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expression[LicenseRef-1] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expression[GPL-2.0-only tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_none_and_no_assertion[expression0] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_none_and_no_assertion[expression1] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expressions[expression_list0] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expressions[expression_list1] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_valid_license_expressions[expression_list2] tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_invalid_license_expression_with_unknown_symbols[LicenseRef-1 tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_invalid_license_expression_with_unknown_symbols[nope tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_invalid_license_expression_with_invalid_exceptions[MIT tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_invalid_license_expression_with_invalid_exceptions[GPL-2.0-or-later tests/spdx/validation/test_license_expression_validator.py::test_invalid_license_expression_with_invalid_exceptions[389-exception