A couple of key things need to be considered when adding field validation rules.  First, think about adding “OR IS NULL”  to your rule.  With this addition, you will have the added benefit of still being allowed to leave the field blank.  Otherwise, you may find that you cannot leave the field empty once the validation rule is setup.  Another key tip is to consider thoughtfully about whether your validation rule covers 100% of the cases that can be dreamed up.  If your validation rule falls short of handling all cases, then do not add that particular validation rule as it cannot be bypassed once in operation.  A better alternative route would be to add an event to your form that gives a heads-up warning that some criteria may not be met for a particular field.

How to enter a Validation Rule:

The easiest place to set them is in table design view.  Enter the rule using the Validation Rule box found in the lower half.   Validation rules can also be added into the Property Sheet when in datasheet view.

Example Validation Rules for Fields:

This table provides some useful example of field validation rules.  See this post for more examples.

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