diff --git a/docs/developer/README.md b/docs/developer/README.md
index 860140a96..7519da7a9 100644
--- a/docs/developer/README.md
+++ b/docs/developer/README.md
@@ -405,3 +405,9 @@ This function is triggered by the post_save event on the User model, designed to
 1. For New Users: Upon the creation of a new user, it checks for an existing `Contact` by email. If no matching contact is found, it creates a new Contact using the user's details from Login.gov. If a matching contact is found, it associates this contact with the user. In cases where multiple contacts with the same email exist, it logs a warning and associates the first contact found.
 
 2. For Existing Users: For users logging in subsequent times, the function ensures that any updates from Login.gov are applied to the associated User record. However, it does not alter any existing Contact records.
+
+## Disable email sending (toggling the disable_email_sending flag)
+1. On the app, navigate to `\admin`.
+2. Under models, click `Waffle flags`.
+3. Click the `disable_email_sending` record. This should exist by default, if not - create one with that name.
+4. (Important) Set the field `everyone` to `Yes`. This field overrides all other settings 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/registrar/admin.py b/src/registrar/admin.py
index 2d6559570..54f5e0dbb 100644
--- a/src/registrar/admin.py
+++ b/src/registrar/admin.py
@@ -2305,6 +2305,8 @@ class UserGroupAdmin(AuditedAdmin):
 
 
 class WaffleFlagAdmin(FlagAdmin):
+    """Custom admin implementation of django-waffle's Flag class"""
+
     class Meta:
         """Contains meta information about this class"""
 
@@ -2338,6 +2340,6 @@ admin.site.register(models.VerifiedByStaff, VerifiedByStaffAdmin)
 # Register our custom waffle implementations
 admin.site.register(models.WaffleFlag, WaffleFlagAdmin)
 
-# Unregister Sample and Switch from the waffle library
-admin.site.unregister(Sample)
+# Unregister Switch and Sample from the waffle library
 admin.site.unregister(Switch)
+admin.site.unregister(Sample)
diff --git a/src/registrar/config/settings.py b/src/registrar/config/settings.py
index 9f31ffc2c..3f3af135a 100644
--- a/src/registrar/config/settings.py
+++ b/src/registrar/config/settings.py
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ SERVER_EMAIL = "root@get.gov"
 # endregion
 
 # region: Waffle feature flags-----------------------------------------------------------###
-# If Waffle encounters a reference to a flag that is not in the database, should Waffle create the flag?
+# If Waffle encounters a reference to a flag that is not in the database, create the flag automagically.
 WAFFLE_CREATE_MISSING_FLAGS = True
 
 # The model that will be used to keep track of flags. Extends AbstractUserFlag.
diff --git a/src/registrar/tests/test_emails.py b/src/registrar/tests/test_emails.py
index 19e695932..52cbccb60 100644
--- a/src/registrar/tests/test_emails.py
+++ b/src/registrar/tests/test_emails.py
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 from django.test import TestCase
+from waffle.testutils import override_flag
+from registrar.utility import email
+from registrar.utility.email import send_templated_email
 from .common import completed_domain_request, less_console_noise
 
 from datetime import datetime
-from registrar.utility import email
 import boto3_mocking  # type: ignore
 
 
@@ -15,6 +17,24 @@ class TestEmails(TestCase):
         self.mock_client_class = MagicMock()
         self.mock_client = self.mock_client_class.return_value
 
+    @boto3_mocking.patching
+    @override_flag("disable_email_sending", active=True)
+    def test_disable_email_flag(self):
+        """Test if the 'disable_email_sending' stops emails from being sent"""
+        with boto3_mocking.clients.handler_for("sesv2", self.mock_client_class):
+            expected_message = "Email sending is disabled due to"
+            with self.assertRaisesRegex(email.EmailSendingError, expected_message):
+                send_templated_email(
+                    "test content",
+                    "test subject",
+                    "doesnotexist@igorville.com",
+                    context={"domain_request": self},
+                    bcc_address=None,
+                )
+
+        # Assert that an email wasn't sent
+        self.assertFalse(self.mock_client.send_email.called)
+
     @boto3_mocking.patching
     def test_submission_confirmation(self):
         """Submission confirmation email works."""
diff --git a/src/registrar/utility/email.py b/src/registrar/utility/email.py
index 51d61355a..2959e1499 100644
--- a/src/registrar/utility/email.py
+++ b/src/registrar/utility/email.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from django.template.loader import get_template
 from email.mime.application import MIMEApplication
 from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
 from email.mime.text import MIMEText
+from waffle import flag_is_active
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -35,6 +36,11 @@ def send_templated_email(
 
     Raises EmailSendingError if SES client could not be accessed
     """
+
+    if flag_is_active(None, "disable_email_sending") and not settings.IS_PRODUCTION:  # type: ignore
+        message = "Could not send email. Email sending is disabled due to flag 'disable_email_sending'."
+        raise EmailSendingError(message)
+
     template = get_template(template_name)
     email_body = template.render(context=context)