diff --git a/pxr/base/vt/testenv/testVtCpp.cpp b/pxr/base/vt/testenv/testVtCpp.cpp
index d4fce98f6d..47d008b4f4 100644
--- a/pxr/base/vt/testenv/testVtCpp.cpp
+++ b/pxr/base/vt/testenv/testVtCpp.cpp
@@ -1766,6 +1766,46 @@ testVisitValue()
 
 }
 
+template <typename T>
+static void
+AssertIsHoldingKnownType(const VtValue &val)
+{
+    switch (val.GetKnownValueTypeIndex()) {
+    case VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex<T>():
+        break;
+    default:
+        TF_FATAL_ERROR("Expected %s (index=%d); got index %d",
+                       ArchGetDemangled<T>().c_str(),
+                       VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex<T>(),
+                       val.GetKnownValueTypeIndex());
+    }
+}
+
+struct TypeNotKnownToVt {};
+
+static void
+testKnownValueTypeIndex()
+{
+    VtValue iv(123);
+    VtValue dv(1.23);
+    VtValue fv(2.34f);
+    VtValue hv(GfHalf(3.45));
+    VtValue sv(std::string("hello"));
+    VtValue av(VtArray<float>(123));
+
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<int>(iv);
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<double>(dv);
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<float>(fv);
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<GfHalf>(hv);
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<std::string>(sv);
+    AssertIsHoldingKnownType<VtArray<float>>(av);
+
+    TF_AXIOM(VtIsKnownValueType<int>());
+    TF_AXIOM(VtIsKnownValueType<VtArray<GfVec3d>>());
+    TF_AXIOM(!VtIsKnownValueType<void>());
+    TF_AXIOM(!VtIsKnownValueType<TypeNotKnownToVt>());
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     testArray();
@@ -1784,6 +1824,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     testCombinedVtValueProxies();
 
     testVisitValue();
+    testKnownValueTypeIndex();
 
     printf("Test SUCCEEDED\n");
 
diff --git a/pxr/base/vt/types.h b/pxr/base/vt/types.h
index a5a9923b06..9df7ecd0f4 100644
--- a/pxr/base/vt/types.h
+++ b/pxr/base/vt/types.h
@@ -190,32 +190,64 @@ VT_ARRAY_VALUE_TYPES VT_SCALAR_CLASS_VALUE_TYPES VT_NONARRAY_VALUE_TYPES
 #define VT_VALUE_TYPES \
     VT_BUILTIN_VALUE_TYPES VT_CLASS_VALUE_TYPES
 
-// Provide compile-time value type indexes for types that are "known" to Vt --
-// specifically, those types that appear in VT_VALUE_TYPES.  Note that VtArray
-// and VtValue can work with other types that are not these "known" types.
+namespace Vt_KnownValueTypeDetail
+{
+
+// Implement compile-time value type indexes.
 //
 // Base case -- unknown types get index -1.
 template <class T>
 constexpr int
-VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex() {
+GetIndex() {
     return -1;
 }
 
 // Set indexes for known types.
 #define VT_SET_VALUE_TYPE_INDEX(r, unused, i, elem)                       \
     template <> constexpr int                                             \
-    VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex< VT_TYPE(elem) >() {                         \
+    GetIndex< VT_TYPE(elem) >() {                                         \
         return i;                                                         \
     }
 BOOST_PP_SEQ_FOR_EACH_I(VT_SET_VALUE_TYPE_INDEX, ~, VT_VALUE_TYPES)
 #undef VT_SET_VALUE_TYPE_INDEX
 
+} // Vt_KnownValueTypeDetail
+
 // Total number of 'known' value types.
 constexpr int
 VtGetNumKnownValueTypes() {
     return BOOST_PP_SEQ_SIZE(VT_VALUE_TYPES);
 }
 
+/// Provide compile-time value type indexes for types that are "known" to Vt --
+/// specifically, those types that appear in VT_VALUE_TYPES.  Note that VtArray
+/// and VtValue can work with other types that are not these "known" types.
+///
+/// VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex can only be used with known types.  Querying a
+/// type that is not known to Vt results in a compilation error.  The set of
+/// known types and their indexes are not guaranteed to be stable across
+/// releases of the library.
+///
+/// Most clients should prefer VtVisitValue over direct use of the type index
+/// as VtVisitValue provides convenient and efficient access to the held
+/// value.
+template <class T>
+constexpr int
+VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex()
+{
+    constexpr int index = Vt_KnownValueTypeDetail::GetIndex<T>();
+    static_assert(index != -1, "T is not one of the known VT_VALUE_TYPES.");
+    return index;
+}
+
+/// Returns true if `T` is a type that appears in VT_VALUE_TYPES.
+template <class T>
+constexpr bool
+VtIsKnownValueType()
+{
+    return Vt_KnownValueTypeDetail::GetIndex<T>() != -1;
+}
+
 // None of the VT_VALUE_TYPES are value proxies.  We want to specialize these
 // templates here, since otherwise the VtIsTypedValueProxy will require a
 // complete type to check if it derives VtTypedValueProxyBase.
diff --git a/pxr/base/vt/value.h b/pxr/base/vt/value.h
index 7e3529b8ed..1584a93fe3 100644
--- a/pxr/base/vt/value.h
+++ b/pxr/base/vt/value.h
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ class VtValue
         constexpr _TypeInfoImpl()
             : _TypeInfo(typeid(T),
                         _ArrayHelper<T>::GetElementTypeid(),
-                        VtGetKnownValueTypeIndex<T>(),
+                        Vt_KnownValueTypeDetail::GetIndex<T>(),
                         VtIsArray<T>::value,
                         VtIsHashable<T>(),
                         IsProxy,