diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
index a8644f985f2..05511e5d28c 100644
--- a/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@
 /scripts/net/                             @jukkar @pfl
 /scripts/process_gperf.py                 @andrewboie
 /scripts/gen_relocate_app.py              @wentongwu
+/scripts/requirements*.txt                @mbolivar @galak @nashif
 /scripts/tracing/                         @wentongwu
 /scripts/sanity_chk/                      @nashif
 /scripts/sanitycheck                      @nashif
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-base.txt b/scripts/requirements-base.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ced4bd060af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/requirements-base.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# BASE: required to build or create images with zephyr
+#
+# While technically west isn't required it's considered in base since it's
+# part of the recommended workflow
+
+# used by various build scripts
+pyelftools>=0.24
+
+# used by dts generation to parse binding YAMLs, also used by
+# sanitycheck to parse YAMLs
+PyYAML>=5.1
+
+# used by west_commands
+packaging
+
+# intelhex used by mergehex.py
+intelhex
+
+# it's west
+west>=0.6.2
+
+# used for windows based 'menuconfig'
+# "win32" is used for 64-bit Windows as well
+windows-curses; sys_platform == "win32"
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-build-test.txt b/scripts/requirements-build-test.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cb3d68f354b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/requirements-build-test.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# BUILD-TEST: required to do build tests of zephyr
+#
+# things used by sanitycheck or other things like code coverage or python
+# testing
+
+# used by sanitycheck for ansi color
+colorama
+
+# python lex/yex used by sanitycheck
+ply>=3.10
+
+# optional, but used for validation of YAML
+pykwalify
+
+# used for code coverage
+gcovr>=4.2
+
+# used for west-command testing
+pytest
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-doc.txt b/scripts/requirements-doc.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22270937fee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/requirements-doc.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# DOC: used to generate docs
+
+breathe>=4.9.1
+docutils>=0.14
+sphinx>=1.7.5
+sphinx_rtd_theme
+sphinx-tabs
+sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-extras.txt b/scripts/requirements-extras.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e7752758123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/requirements-extras.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# EXTRAS: optional or useful for development/developers workflow
+
+# used by sanitycheck for --test-tree option
+anytree
+
+# helper for developers - check git commit messages
+gitlint
+
+# helper for developers
+junit2html
+
+# used by scripts/gen_cfb_font_header.py - helper script for user
+Pillow
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-run-test.txt b/scripts/requirements-run-test.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..116b8cec316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/requirements-run-test.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# RUN-TEST: required to do run time tests of zephyr
+#
+# things used by sanitycheck or related in run time testing
+
+# used to connect to boards for console IO
+pyserial
+
+# used to flash & debug various boards
+pyocd>=0.24.0
+
+# used by sanitycheck for board/hardware map
+tabulate
diff --git a/scripts/requirements.txt b/scripts/requirements.txt
index 6d48d6e4b6c..ab8e9a14778 100644
--- a/scripts/requirements.txt
+++ b/scripts/requirements.txt
@@ -1,25 +1,5 @@
-Pillow
-PyYAML>=5.1
-anytree
-breathe>=4.9.1
-colorama
-docutils>=0.14
-gcovr>=4.2
-gitlint
-intelhex
-junit2html
-packaging
-ply>=3.10
-pyelftools>=0.24
-pykwalify
-pyocd>=0.24.0
-pyserial
-pytest
-sphinx>=1.7.5
-sphinx_rtd_theme
-sphinx-tabs
-sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter
-tabulate
-west>=0.6.2
-# "win32" is used for 64-bit Windows as well
-windows-curses; sys_platform == "win32"
+-r requirements-base.txt
+-r requirements-build-test.txt
+-r requirements-doc.txt
+-r requirements-run-test.txt
+-r requirements-extras.txt