diff --git a/eng/common/scripts/Create-APIReview.ps1 b/eng/common/scripts/Create-APIReview.ps1
index e4a4d2a83..c3c8f4a46 100644
--- a/eng/common/scripts/Create-APIReview.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/scripts/Create-APIReview.ps1
@@ -130,6 +130,13 @@ if ($packages)
             }
             elseif ($version.IsPrerelease)
             {
+                # Check if package name is approved. Preview version cannot be released without package name approval
+                if ($respCode -eq '202' -and $pkgInfo.ReleaseStatus -and $pkgInfo.ReleaseStatus -ne "Unreleased")
+                {
+                    Write-Host "Package name is not yet approved on APIView for $($PackageName). Package name must be approved by an API approver for a beta release if it was never released a stable version."
+                    Write-Host "You can check http://aka.ms/azsdk/engsys/apireview/faq for more details on package name approval."
+                    exit 1
+                }
                 # Ignore API review status for prerelease version
                 Write-Host "Package version is not GA. Ignoring API view approval status"
             }
diff --git a/eng/common/scripts/Helpers/ApiView-Helpers.ps1 b/eng/common/scripts/Helpers/ApiView-Helpers.ps1
index 3be12566e..6400d3aa0 100644
--- a/eng/common/scripts/Helpers/ApiView-Helpers.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/scripts/Helpers/ApiView-Helpers.ps1
@@ -42,9 +42,19 @@ function Check-ApiReviewStatus($packageName, $packageVersion, $language, $url, $
     {
       Write-Host "API Review is approved for package $($packageName)"
     }
+    else if ($response.StatusCode -eq '202')
+    {
+      Write-Host "Package name $($packageName) is not yet approved by an SDK API approver. Package name must be approved to release a beta version if $($packageName) was never released a stable version."
+      Write-Host "You can check http://aka.ms/azsdk/engsys/apireview/faq for more details on package name Approval."
+    }
+    else if ($response.StatusCode -eq '201')
+    {
+      Write-Warning "API Review is not approved for package $($packageName). Release pipeline will fail if API review is not approved for a stable version release."
+      Write-Host "You can check http://aka.ms/azsdk/engsys/apireview/faq for more details on API Approval."
+    }
     else
     {
-      Write-Warning "API Review is not approved for package $($packageName). Release pipeline will fail if API review is not approved."
+      Write-Warning "API review status check returned unexpected response. $($response)"
       Write-Host "You can check http://aka.ms/azsdk/engsys/apireview/faq for more details on API Approval."
     }
   }
diff --git a/eng/common/scripts/Prepare-Release.ps1 b/eng/common/scripts/Prepare-Release.ps1
index 64a70e54b..63038872b 100644
--- a/eng/common/scripts/Prepare-Release.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/scripts/Prepare-Release.ps1
@@ -152,24 +152,21 @@ if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
   exit 1
 }
 
-# Check API status if version is GA
-if (!$newVersionParsed.IsPrerelease)
+# Check API status
+try
 {
-  try
-  {
-    az account show *> $null
-    if (!$?) {
-      Write-Host 'Running az login...'
-      az login *> $null
-    }
-    $url = az keyvault secret show --name "APIURL" --vault-name "AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV" --query "value" --output "tsv"
-    $apiKey = az keyvault secret show --name "APIKEY" --vault-name "AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV" --query "value" --output "tsv"
-    Check-ApiReviewStatus -PackageName $packageProperties.Name -packageVersion $newVersion -Language $LanguageDisplayName -url $url -apiKey $apiKey
-  }
-  catch
-  {
-    Write-Warning "Failed to get APIView URL and API Key from Keyvault AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV. Please check and ensure you have access to this Keyvault as reader."
+  az account show *> $null
+  if (!$?) {
+    Write-Host 'Running az login...'
+    az login *> $null
   }
+  $url = az keyvault secret show --name "APIURL" --vault-name "AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV" --query "value" --output "tsv"
+  $apiKey = az keyvault secret show --name "APIKEY" --vault-name "AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV" --query "value" --output "tsv"
+  Check-ApiReviewStatus -PackageName $packageProperties.Name -packageVersion $newVersion -Language $LanguageDisplayName -url $url -apiKey $apiKey
+}
+catch
+{
+  Write-Warning "Failed to get APIView URL and API Key from Keyvault AzureSDKPrepRelease-KV. Please check and ensure you have access to this Keyvault as reader."
 }
 
 if ($releaseTrackingOnly)