diff --git a/modules/utxo-lib/src/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts b/modules/utxo-lib/src/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts
index 7011eb9f2e..eb1c23eba1 100644
--- a/modules/utxo-lib/src/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts
+++ b/modules/utxo-lib/src/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts
@@ -193,3 +193,93 @@ export function toBufferV5<TNumber extends number | bigint>(
   // https://github.com/zcash/zcash/blob/v4.5.1/src/primitives/transaction.h#L1081
   writeEmptyOrchardBundle(bufferWriter);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns `true` if the transaction buffer contains any Sapling or Orchard shielded components.
+ *
+ * This helper is intended as a lightweight preflight check for code paths that only support
+ * fully transparent transactions. It reuses existing parsing/assertion helpers and relies on
+ * try/catch to detect non-empty shielded sections.
+ *
+ * Notes:
+ * - Sapling detection uses `readEmptySaplingBundle()`. This will return `true` for *any* non-empty
+ *   Sapling bundle (spends or outputs). It does not distinguish between shielded inputs vs outputs.
+ * - Orchard detection uses `readEmptyOrchardBundle()` (v5 only).
+ */
+export function hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
+  const bufferReader = new BufferReader(buffer);
+
+  // Split the header into fOverwintered and nVersion
+  const header = bufferReader.readInt32();
+  const overwintered = header >>> 31;
+  const version = header & 0x07fffffff;
+
+  if (!overwintered) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // Overwinter-compatible transactions serialize nVersionGroupId.
+  if (version >= ZcashTransaction.VERSION_OVERWINTER) {
+    bufferReader.readUInt32(); // nVersionGroupId
+  }
+
+  if (version === 5) {
+    // https://github.com/zcash/zcash/blob/v4.5.1/src/primitives/transaction.h#L815
+    bufferReader.readUInt32(); // consensusBranchId
+    bufferReader.readUInt32(); // locktime
+    bufferReader.readUInt32(); // expiryHeight
+
+    // https://github.com/zcash/zcash/blob/v4.5.1/src/primitives/transaction.h#L828
+    readInputs(bufferReader);
+    readOutputs(bufferReader, 'number');
+
+    // https://github.com/zcash/zcash/blob/v4.5.1/src/primitives/transaction.h#L835
+    try {
+      readEmptySaplingBundle(bufferReader);
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof UnsupportedTransactionError) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      throw e;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      readEmptyOrchardBundle(bufferReader);
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof UnsupportedTransactionError) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      throw e;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // v4-style encoding for non-v5 overwintered txs (as used by this library).
+  readInputs(bufferReader);
+  readOutputs(bufferReader, 'number');
+  bufferReader.readUInt32(); // locktime
+
+  // expiryHeight is serialized for overwinter-compatible tx (v3+)
+  bufferReader.readUInt32(); // expiryHeight
+
+  if (version >= ZcashTransaction.VERSION_SAPLING) {
+    const valueBalance = bufferReader.readSlice(8);
+    if (!valueBalance.equals(VALUE_INT64_ZERO)) {
+      // Non-zero valueBalance implies shielded; keep consistent with existing parser behavior.
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      readEmptySaplingBundle(bufferReader);
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof UnsupportedTransactionError) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      throw e;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // No Orchard in pre-v5 encoding.
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/modules/utxo-lib/test/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts b/modules/utxo-lib/test/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2412ed350e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/utxo-lib/test/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import { BufferWriter } from 'bitcoinjs-lib/src/bufferutils';
+
+import { hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer } from '../../../src/bitgo/zcash/ZcashBufferutils';
+
+function finalize(w: BufferWriter): Buffer {
+  return w.buffer.slice(0, w.offset);
+}
+
+describe('ZcashBufferutils.hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer', function () {
+  it('returns false for minimal v4 transparent-only (empty Sapling bundle)', function () {
+    const w = new BufferWriter(Buffer.alloc(256));
+    w.writeInt32((1 << 31) | 4);
+    w.writeUInt32(0x892f2085); // SAPLING_VERSION_GROUP_ID
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vin
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vout
+    w.writeUInt32(0); // locktime
+    w.writeUInt32(0); // expiryHeight
+    w.writeSlice(Buffer.alloc(8, 0)); // valueBalance
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vSpendsSapling
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vOutputsSapling
+    // JoinSplits omitted: this helper does not read them.
+    const tx = finalize(w);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer(tx), false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns true for v4 when Sapling bundle is non-empty', function () {
+    const w = new BufferWriter(Buffer.alloc(256));
+    w.writeInt32((1 << 31) | 4);
+    w.writeUInt32(0x892f2085);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeUInt32(0);
+    w.writeUInt32(0);
+    w.writeSlice(Buffer.alloc(8, 0));
+    w.writeVarInt(1); // vSpendsSapling (non-empty -> readEmptySaplingBundle throws)
+    const tx = finalize(w);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer(tx), true);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false for minimal v5 transparent-only (empty Sapling + Orchard)', function () {
+    const w = new BufferWriter(Buffer.alloc(256));
+    w.writeInt32((1 << 31) | 5);
+    w.writeUInt32(0x26a7270a); // ZIP225_VERSION_GROUP_ID
+    w.writeUInt32(0xc2d6d0b4); // consensusBranchId (NU5; arbitrary for this test)
+    w.writeUInt32(0); // locktime
+    w.writeUInt32(0); // expiryHeight
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vin
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vout
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vSpendsSapling
+    w.writeVarInt(0); // vOutputsSapling
+    w.writeUInt8(0x00); // orchard bundle empty marker
+    const tx = finalize(w);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer(tx), false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns true for v5 when Orchard bundle is non-empty', function () {
+    const w = new BufferWriter(Buffer.alloc(256));
+    w.writeInt32((1 << 31) | 5);
+    w.writeUInt32(0x26a7270a);
+    w.writeUInt32(0xc2d6d0b4);
+    w.writeUInt32(0);
+    w.writeUInt32(0);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeVarInt(0);
+    w.writeUInt8(0x01); // orchard bundle present -> readEmptyOrchardBundle throws
+    const tx = finalize(w);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(hasSaplingOrOrchardShieldedComponentsFromBuffer(tx), true);
+  });
+});