diff --git a/pyaccuwage/fields.py b/pyaccuwage/fields.py
index 18aaabf..8291d63 100644
--- a/pyaccuwage/fields.py
+++ b/pyaccuwage/fields.py
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ class Field(object):
     is_read_only = False
     _value = None
 
-    def __init__(self, name=None, max_length=0, blank=False, required=True, uppercase=True, creation_counter=None):
+    def __init__(self, name=None, min_length=0, max_length=0, blank=False, required=True, uppercase=True, creation_counter=None):
         self.name = name
         self._value = None
         self._orig_value = None
+        self.min_length = min_length
         self.max_length = max_length
         self.blank = blank
         self.required = required
@@ -120,10 +121,13 @@ class TextField(Field):
     def validate(self):
         if self.value is None and self.required:
             raise ValidationError("value required", field=self)
-        if len(self.get_data()) > self.max_length:
+        data = self.get_data()
+        if len(data) > self.max_length:
             raise ValidationError("value is too long", field=self)
-        if len(self.get_data().strip()) == 0 and (not self.blank and self.required):
-            print(self.name, 'blank', self.blank, self.required)
+        stripped_data_length = len(data.strip())
+        if stripped_data_length < self.min_length:
+            raise ValidationError("value is too short", field=self)
+        if stripped_data_length == 0 and (not self.blank and self.required):
             raise ValidationError("field cannot be blank", field=self)
 
     def get_data(self):
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c3d830a..ca6d8c5 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ def pyaccuwage_tests():
     return test_suite
 
 setup(name='pyaccuwage',
-    version='0.2024.1',
+    version='0.2024.2',
     packages=['pyaccuwage'],
     scripts=[
 		'scripts/pyaccuwage-checkseq',
diff --git a/tests/test_fields.py b/tests/test_fields.py
index 050285e..2707e6f 100644
--- a/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -38,6 +38,29 @@ class TestTextField(unittest.TestCase):
         field.validate()
         self.assertEqual(field.get_data(), b' ' * 6)
 
+    def testStringRequiredUnassigned(self):
+        field = TextField(max_length=6)
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, lambda: field.validate())
+
+    def testStringRequiredNonBlank(self):
+        field = TextField(max_length=6)
+        field.value = ''
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, lambda: field.validate())
+
+    def testStringRequiredBlank(self):
+        field = TextField(max_length=6, blank=True)
+        field.value = ''
+        field.validate()
+        self.assertEqual(len(field.get_data()), 6)
+
+    def testStringMinimumLength(self):
+        field = TextField(max_length=6, min_length=6, blank=True) # blank has no effect
+        field.value = '' # one character too short
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, lambda: field.validate())
+        field.value = '12345' # one character too short
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, lambda: field.validate())
+        field.value = '123456' # one character too short
+
 class TestStaticField(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_static_field(self):
         field = StaticField(value='TEST')