diff --git a/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/aclpolicies.go b/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/aclpolicies.go
index 569a842f62..cfec47f689 100644
--- a/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/aclpolicies.go
+++ b/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/aclpolicies.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ const (
 	edgeXServicePolicyName = "edgex-service-policy"
 
 	consulCreatePolicyAPI     = "/v1/acl/policy"
+	consulPolicyListAPI       = "/v1/acl/policies"
 	consulReadPolicyByNameAPI = "/v1/acl/policy/name/%s"
 
 	aclNotFoundMessage = "ACL not found"
@@ -105,6 +106,10 @@ const (
 	edgeXManagementPolicyName = "edgex-management-policy"
 )
 
+type PolicyListResponse []struct {
+	Name string `json:"Name"`
+}
+
 // getOrCreateRegistryPolicy retrieves or creates a new policy
 // it inserts a new policy if the policy name does not exist and returns a policy
 // it returns the same policy if the policy name already exists
@@ -184,6 +189,15 @@ func (c *cmd) getOrCreateRegistryPolicy(tokenID, policyName, policyRules string)
 
 // getPolicyByName gets policy by policy name, returns nil if not found
 func (c *cmd) getPolicyByName(tokenID, policyName string) (*Policy, error) {
+	policyExists, err := c.checkPolicyExists(tokenID, policyName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if !policyExists {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
 	readPolicyByNameURL, err := c.getRegistryApiUrl(fmt.Sprintf(consulReadPolicyByNameAPI, policyName))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -230,3 +244,43 @@ func (c *cmd) getPolicyByName(tokenID, policyName string) (*Policy, error) {
 			resp.StatusCode, string(readPolicyResp))
 	}
 }
+
+func (c *cmd) checkPolicyExists(tokenID, policyName string) (bool, error) {
+	policyListURL, err := c.getRegistryApiUrl(consulPolicyListAPI)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	policyListReq, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, policyListURL, http.NoBody)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("Failed to prepare policyListReq request for http URL %s: %w", policyListURL, err)
+	}
+
+	policyListReq.Header.Add(share.ConsulTokenHeader, tokenID)
+	policyListResp, err := c.client.Do(policyListReq)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("Failed to GET policy list request for http URL %s: %w", policyListURL, err)
+	}
+	defer policyListResp.Body.Close()
+
+	var policyList PolicyListResponse
+
+	err = json.NewDecoder(policyListResp.Body).Decode(&policyList)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("Failed to decode policy list reponse: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	switch policyListResp.StatusCode {
+	case http.StatusOK:
+		for _, policy := range policyList {
+			// consul is case-sensitive
+			if policy.Name == policyName {
+				return true, nil
+			}
+		}
+	default:
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("Failed to get consul policy list from [%s] and status code= %d", consulPolicyListAPI,
+			policyListResp.StatusCode)
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/stubregistryserver_test.go b/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/stubregistryserver_test.go
index 008dde483a..399217c1ab 100644
--- a/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/stubregistryserver_test.go
+++ b/internal/security/bootstrapper/command/setupacl/stubregistryserver_test.go
@@ -332,6 +332,22 @@ func (registry *registryTestServer) getRegistryServerConf(t *testing.T) *config.
 				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
 				_, _ = w.Write([]byte("Invalid Policy: A Policy with Name " + edgeXServicePolicyName + " already exists"))
 			}
+		case consulPolicyListAPI:
+			require.Equal(t, http.MethodGet, r.Method)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+			jsonResponse := []map[string]interface{}{
+				{
+					"Name": "global-management",
+				},
+				{
+					"Name": "node-read",
+				},
+				{
+					"Name": "test-policy-name",
+				},
+			}
+			err := json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(jsonResponse)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 		default:
 			t.Fatalf("Unexpected call to URL %s", r.URL.EscapedPath())
 		}