diff --git a/src/rules/code-examples/noAny.examples.ts b/src/rules/code-examples/noAny.examples.ts
index 46fc15ec49c..731678ce80f 100644
--- a/src/rules/code-examples/noAny.examples.ts
+++ b/src/rules/code-examples/noAny.examples.ts
@@ -31,4 +31,16 @@ export const codeExamples = [
             let foo: any;
         `,
     },
+    {
+        description:
+            "Disallows usages of `any` as a type declaration except rest spread parameters.",
+        config: Lint.Utils.dedent`
+            "rules": { "no-any": [true, { "ignore-rest-args": true }] }
+        `,
+        pass: Lint.Utils.dedent`
+            function foo(a: number, ...rest: any[]): void {
+                return;
+            }
+        `,
+    },
 ];
diff --git a/src/rules/noAnyRule.ts b/src/rules/noAnyRule.ts
index 6357fa1b3ab..890ea29adfe 100644
--- a/src/rules/noAnyRule.ts
+++ b/src/rules/noAnyRule.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import { isArrayTypeNode, isParameterDeclaration } from "tsutils";
 import * as ts from "typescript";
 
 import * as Lint from "../index";
 
 import { codeExamples } from "./code-examples/noAny.examples";
 
+const OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS = "ignore-rest-args";
+
 export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
     /* tslint:disable:object-literal-sort-keys */
     public static metadata: Lint.IRuleMetadata = {
@@ -38,9 +41,16 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
 
             Also see the \`no-unsafe-any\` rule.
         `,
-        optionsDescription: "Not configurable.",
-        options: null,
-        optionExamples: [true],
+        optionsDescription: Lint.Utils.dedent`
+            If \`"${OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS}": true\` is provided rest arguments will be ignored.
+        `,
+        options: {
+            type: "object",
+            properties: {
+                [OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS]: { type: "boolean" },
+            },
+        },
+        optionExamples: [true, [true, { [OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS]: true }]],
         type: "typescript",
         typescriptOnly: true,
         codeExamples,
@@ -51,16 +61,41 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
         "Type declaration of 'any' loses type-safety. Consider replacing it with a more precise type.";
 
     public apply(sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): Lint.RuleFailure[] {
-        return this.applyWithFunction(sourceFile, walk);
+        const options: Options = getOptions(this.ruleArguments[0] as Partial<Options> | undefined);
+        return this.applyWithFunction(sourceFile, walk, options);
     }
 }
 
-function walk(ctx: Lint.WalkContext) {
+interface Options {
+    [OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS]: boolean;
+}
+
+function getOptions(options: Partial<Options> | undefined): Options {
+    return {
+        [OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS]: false,
+        ...options,
+    };
+}
+
+function walk(ctx: Lint.WalkContext<Options>) {
     return ts.forEachChild(ctx.sourceFile, function cb(node: ts.Node): void {
         if (node.kind === ts.SyntaxKind.AnyKeyword) {
+            if (ctx.options[OPTION_IGNORE_REST_ARGS] && isRestParameterArrayType(node)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             const start = node.end - 3;
             return ctx.addFailure(start, node.end, Rule.FAILURE_STRING);
         }
+
         return ts.forEachChild(node, cb);
     });
 }
+
+function isRestParameterArrayType(anyTypeNode: ts.Node) {
+    return (
+        isArrayTypeNode(anyTypeNode.parent) &&
+        isParameterDeclaration(anyTypeNode.parent.parent) &&
+        anyTypeNode.parent.parent.getChildAt(0).kind === ts.SyntaxKind.DotDotDotToken
+    );
+}
diff --git a/test/rules/no-any/test.ts.lint b/test/rules/no-any/default/test.ts.lint
similarity index 59%
rename from test/rules/no-any/test.ts.lint
rename to test/rules/no-any/default/test.ts.lint
index 5a1de903ef7..66200e514a1 100644
--- a/test/rules/no-any/test.ts.lint
+++ b/test/rules/no-any/default/test.ts.lint
@@ -7,9 +7,25 @@ function foo(a: any) : any { // 2 errors
     return;
 }
 
+const fooArrow(a: any[]) => {
+                  ~~~                    [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+function bar(...a: any[]) {
+                   ~~~                   [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+const barArrow = (...a: any[]): any => {
+                        ~~~              [0]
+                                ~~~      [0]
+    return;
+}
+
 let a: any = 2, // error
        ~~~               [0]
-    b: any = 4; // error
+    b: any[] = 4; // error
        ~~~               [0]
 
 let {a: c, b: d}: {c: any, d: number} = {c: 99, d: 100};  // error
diff --git a/test/rules/no-any/tslint.json b/test/rules/no-any/default/tslint.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test/rules/no-any/tslint.json
rename to test/rules/no-any/default/tslint.json
diff --git a/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/test.ts.lint b/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/test.ts.lint
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9cf2ae897f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/test.ts.lint
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+var x: any; // error
+       ~~~           [0]
+
+function foo(a: any) : any { // 2 errors
+                ~~~                      [0]
+                       ~~~               [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+const fooArrow(a: any[]) => {
+                  ~~~                    [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+function bar(...a: any[]) {
+    return;
+}
+
+const barArrow = (...a: any[]): any => {
+                                ~~~      [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+const function(...a: { [key: any]: any }[]) {
+                             ~~~         [0]
+                                   ~~~   [0]
+    return;
+}
+
+let a: any = 2, // error
+       ~~~               [0]
+    b: any[] = 4; // error
+       ~~~               [0]
+
+let {a: c, b: d}: {c: any, d: number} = {c: 99, d: 100};  // error
+                      ~~~                                          [0]
+
+[0]: Type declaration of 'any' loses type-safety. Consider replacing it with a more precise type.
diff --git a/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/tslint.json b/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/tslint.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ec5fb037c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rules/no-any/ignore-rest-args/tslint.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "rules": {
+    "no-any": [true, { "ignore-rest-args": true }]
+  }
+}