diff --git a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeValidator.java b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeValidator.java
index 825bfb07400..3bc89638cb7 100644
--- a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeValidator.java
+++ b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeValidator.java
@@ -142,8 +142,7 @@ protected boolean shouldCheckTopLevelDeclaredOrPrimitiveType(
         if (type.getKind() != TypeKind.DECLARED && !type.getKind().isPrimitive()) {
             return true;
         }
-        return !TreeUtils.isLocalVariable(tree)
-                && (!TreeUtils.isExpressionTree(tree) || TreeUtils.isTypeTree(tree));
+        return !TreeUtils.isExpressionTree(tree) || TreeUtils.isTypeTree(tree);
     }
 
     /**