diff --git a/datatypes/epc/domain/historic_epc_matching.py b/datatypes/epc/domain/historic_epc_matching.py
index ce6d84f79..d31c918fd 100644
--- a/datatypes/epc/domain/historic_epc_matching.py
+++ b/datatypes/epc/domain/historic_epc_matching.py
@@ -56,6 +56,19 @@ class HistoricEpcMatches:
         return next(iter(uprns)) if len(uprns) == 1 else None
 
 
+def rank_historic_epc(
+    records: list[HistoricEpc],
+    user_address: str,
+    *,
+    address_column: str = "ADDRESS",
+    uprn_column: str = "UPRN",
+) -> list[ScoredHistoricEpc]:
+    """Score ``records`` against ``user_address`` (best first), keeping every
+    record — including hard-zero non-matches. The pure scoring half of the
+    historic-EPC lookup: no I/O, so it is unit-testable without S3."""
+    raise NotImplementedError
+
+
 def _sanitise_postcode(postcode: str) -> str:
     cleaned = (postcode or "").upper().replace(" ", "")
     if not cleaned:
diff --git a/datatypes/epc/domain/tests/test_rank_historic_epc.py b/datatypes/epc/domain/tests/test_rank_historic_epc.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8cf102a30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datatypes/epc/domain/tests/test_rank_historic_epc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+"""rank_historic_epc scores already-fetched HistoricEpc records by address.
+
+The pure scoring half of the historic-EPC lookup — it takes records (not a
+postcode) so it runs with no S3, and is the piece the HistoricEpcResolver plugs
+on top of the repository.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import dataclasses
+
+import pytest
+
+from datatypes.epc.domain.historic_epc import HistoricEpc
+from datatypes.epc.domain.historic_epc_matching import (
+    ScoredHistoricEpc,
+    rank_historic_epc,
+)
+
+
+def _hist(address: str, uprn: str) -> HistoricEpc:
+    fields = {f.name: "" for f in dataclasses.fields(HistoricEpc)}
+    fields["address"] = address
+    fields["uprn"] = uprn
+    return HistoricEpc(**fields)
+
+
+def test_ranks_records_best_first_keeping_zero_score_rows():
+    # Arrange — a near-disjoint non-match (kept) and the exact match (second).
+    records = [
+        _hist("999 SOMEWHERE ELSE", "200"),
+        _hist("47 GORDON ROAD", "100"),
+    ]
+
+    # Act
+    result = rank_historic_epc(records, "47 Gordon Road")
+
+    # Assert
+    assert all(isinstance(s, ScoredHistoricEpc) for s in result)
+    assert result[0].record.address == "47 GORDON ROAD"
+    assert result[0].lexirank == 1
+    assert len(result) == 2  # zero-score row is kept, not dropped
+    scores = [s.lexiscore for s in result]
+    assert scores == sorted(scores, reverse=True)
+
+
+def test_empty_records_returns_empty_list():
+    # Act / Assert
+    assert rank_historic_epc([], "47 Gordon Road") == []
+
+
+def test_empty_user_address_raises():
+    # Act / Assert
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="user_address"):
+        rank_historic_epc([_hist("47 GORDON ROAD", "100")], "")