diff --git a/docs/decisions/019-tagging.md b/docs/decisions/019-tagging.md
index 3772a68..31c19d9 100644
--- a/docs/decisions/019-tagging.md
+++ b/docs/decisions/019-tagging.md
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ keeps building groups from the `group` output field, the single source of truth.
 opt-in/playbook tags. `scripts/check-tags.py` (run by `make lint`, covered by
 `tests/test_check_tags.py`) scans `roles/` and `playbooks/` and fails on any tag
 outside `{role directory names} ∪ {tests/tags.yml entries}`.
+Molecule scenario files (`roles/*/molecule/**`) are excluded from the scan — they are test orchestration, not the production run-targeting surface this standard governs.
 
 ## Extending the vocabulary
 
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ leaves a paper trail.
 - Targeted runs are predictable: only two kinds of tags exist, one of them mechanical.
 - Over-tagging is structurally resisted (closed list + lint enforcement).
 - Intersection targeting is unavailable by design.
-- Authors must keep role tags = role names; the linter enforces it.
+- Authors must keep role tags = role names. The linter enforces the *vocabulary* (every tag must be a known role name or an approved tag); the role-tag-equals-role-name rule itself is a convention the linter does not separately check.
 
 ## Related
 
diff --git a/scripts/check-tags.py b/scripts/check-tags.py
index 74cb20b..e967f8a 100644
--- a/scripts/check-tags.py
+++ b/scripts/check-tags.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def role_names(repo=REPO):
 
 def collect_tags(node):
     """Recursively collect every static tag string under any 'tags:' key."""
+    # Matches any dict key literally named `tags`; Ansible-tag semantics assumed.
     tags = set()
     if isinstance(node, dict):
         for key, value in node.items():
@@ -81,7 +82,12 @@ def iter_yaml_files(repo=REPO, scan_dirs=SCAN_DIRS):
         if not base.is_dir():
             continue
         for ext in ("*.yml", "*.yaml"):
-            yield from sorted(base.rglob(ext))
+            for path in sorted(base.rglob(ext)):
+                # Molecule scenarios are test orchestration, not the production
+                # run-targeting surface this standard governs (ADR-019). Skip them.
+                if "molecule" in path.relative_to(base).parts:
+                    continue
+                yield path
 
 
 def find_violations(used, allowed):
diff --git a/tests/test_check_tags.py b/tests/test_check_tags.py
index e25ed4e..e288cf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_check_tags.py
+++ b/tests/test_check_tags.py
@@ -70,3 +70,16 @@ def test_find_violations_flags_unknown_tag():
 
 def test_find_violations_empty_when_all_allowed():
     assert ct.find_violations({"base", "firewall"}, {"base", "firewall"}) == []
+
+
+def test_iter_yaml_files_skips_molecule(tmp_path):
+    role = tmp_path / "roles" / "demo"
+    (role / "tasks").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (role / "tasks" / "main.yml").write_text("---\n")
+    mol = role / "molecule" / "default"
+    mol.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (mol / "verify.yml").write_text("---\n")
+    found = list(ct.iter_yaml_files(repo=tmp_path, scan_dirs=("roles",)))
+    names = [p.name for p in found]
+    assert "main.yml" in names
+    assert "verify.yml" not in names