diff --git a/app/models/validations/local_authority_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/local_authority_validations.rb
index b5f001e64..ae38d5b25 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/local_authority_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/local_authority_validations.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module Validations::LocalAuthorityValidations
         record.la && !record.owning_organisation.local_authorities.include?(record.la)
       la_name = record.form.get_question("la", record).label_from_value(record.la)
       org_name = record.owning_organisation.name
-      postcode = record.postcode_full
+      postcode = UKPostcode.parse(record.postcode_full)
       record.errors.add :la, I18n.t("validations.property.la.la_invalid_for_org", org_name:, la_name:)
       record.errors.add :postcode_known, I18n.t("validations.property.la.postcode_invalid_for_org", org_name:, postcode:)
     end
diff --git a/spec/models/validations/local_authority_validations_spec.rb b/spec/models/validations/local_authority_validations_spec.rb
index 4d9a93dfc..42c816c06 100644
--- a/spec/models/validations/local_authority_validations_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/validations/local_authority_validations_spec.rb
@@ -73,19 +73,15 @@ RSpec.describe Validations::LocalAuthorityValidations do
       end
 
       context "when a postcode is given" do
-        before do
-          stub_request(:get, /api.postcodes.io/)
-            .to_return(status: 200, body: "{\"status\":200,\"result\":{\"admin_district\":\"York\",\"codes\":{\"admin_district\": \"E06000014\"}}}", headers: {})
-        end
-
         it "validates that it matches a local authority the organisation operates in" do
           record.postcode_full = "YO10 3RR"
-          record.save
+          record.la = "E06000014"
+          local_auth_validator.validate_la(record)
           expect(record.errors["postcode_known"])
             .to include(match I18n.t(
               "validations.property.la.postcode_invalid_for_org",
               org_name: organisation.name,
-              postcode: "YO103RR",
+              postcode: "YO10 3RR",
             ))
         end
       end