diff --git a/.coveragerc b/.coveragerc
index 25d85b805..2130ec2ad 100644
--- a/.coveragerc
+++ b/.coveragerc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 exclude_lines =
     if __name__ == .__main__.:
     raise NotImplemented.
+    return NotImplemented
     def __repr__
 
 [run]
diff --git a/moto/emr/responses.py b/moto/emr/responses.py
index 234fbc8e7..a5d98ced4 100644
--- a/moto/emr/responses.py
+++ b/moto/emr/responses.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from moto.core.responses import xml_to_json_response
 from moto.core.utils import tags_from_query_string
 from .exceptions import EmrError
 from .models import emr_backends
-from .utils import steps_from_query_string, Unflattener
+from .utils import steps_from_query_string, Unflattener, ReleaseLabel
 
 
 def generate_boto3_response(operation):
@@ -323,7 +323,9 @@ class ElasticMapReduceResponse(BaseResponse):
         custom_ami_id = self._get_param("CustomAmiId")
         if custom_ami_id:
             kwargs["custom_ami_id"] = custom_ami_id
-            if release_label and release_label < "emr-5.7.0":
+            if release_label and (
+                ReleaseLabel(release_label) < ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0")
+            ):
                 message = "Custom AMI is not allowed"
                 raise EmrError(
                     error_type="ValidationException",
diff --git a/moto/emr/utils.py b/moto/emr/utils.py
index 48f3232fa..506201c1c 100644
--- a/moto/emr/utils.py
+++ b/moto/emr/utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import random
+import re
 import string
 from moto.core.utils import camelcase_to_underscores
 
@@ -144,3 +145,76 @@ class CamelToUnderscoresWalker:
     @staticmethod
     def parse_scalar(x):
         return x
+
+
+class ReleaseLabel(object):
+
+    version_re = re.compile(r"^emr-(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$")
+
+    def __init__(self, release_label):
+        major, minor, patch = self.parse(release_label)
+
+        self.major = major
+        self.minor = minor
+        self.patch = patch
+
+    @classmethod
+    def parse(cls, release_label):
+        if not release_label:
+            raise ValueError("Invalid empty ReleaseLabel: %r" % release_label)
+
+        match = cls.version_re.match(release_label)
+        if not match:
+            raise ValueError("Invalid ReleaseLabel: %r" % release_label)
+
+        major, minor, patch = match.groups()
+
+        major = int(major)
+        minor = int(minor)
+        patch = int(patch)
+
+        return major, minor, patch
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        version = "emr-%d.%d.%d" % (self.major, self.minor, self.patch)
+        return version
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "%s(%r)" % (self.__class__.__name__, str(self))
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter((self.major, self.minor, self.patch))
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return (
+            self.major == other.major
+            and self.minor == other.minor
+            and self.patch == other.patch
+        )
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return tuple(self) != tuple(other)
+
+    def __lt__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return tuple(self) < tuple(other)
+
+    def __le__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return tuple(self) <= tuple(other)
+
+    def __gt__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return tuple(self) > tuple(other)
+
+    def __ge__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return tuple(self) >= tuple(other)
diff --git a/tests/test_emr/test_emr_boto3.py b/tests/test_emr/test_emr_boto3.py
index 8b815e0fa..e2aa49444 100644
--- a/tests/test_emr/test_emr_boto3.py
+++ b/tests/test_emr/test_emr_boto3.py
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ def test_run_job_flow_with_custom_ami():
 
     args = deepcopy(run_job_flow_args)
     args["CustomAmiId"] = "MyEmrCustomAmi"
-    args["ReleaseLabel"] = "emr-5.7.0"
+    args["ReleaseLabel"] = "emr-5.31.0"
     cluster_id = client.run_job_flow(**args)["JobFlowId"]
     resp = client.describe_cluster(ClusterId=cluster_id)
     resp["Cluster"]["CustomAmiId"].should.equal("MyEmrCustomAmi")
diff --git a/tests/test_emr/test_utils.py b/tests/test_emr/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b836ebf48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_emr/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import pytest
+
+from moto.emr.utils import ReleaseLabel
+
+
+def test_invalid_release_labels_raise_exception():
+    invalid_releases = [
+        "",
+        "0",
+        "1.0",
+        "emr-2.0",
+    ]
+    for invalid_release in invalid_releases:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            ReleaseLabel(invalid_release)
+
+
+def test_release_label_comparisons():
+    assert str(ReleaseLabel("emr-5.1.2")) == "emr-5.1.2"
+
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.0.0") != ReleaseLabel("emr-5.0.1")
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.0.0") == ReleaseLabel("emr-5.0.0")
+
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.31.0") > ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0")
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-6.0.0") > ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0")
+
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0") < ReleaseLabel("emr-5.10.0")
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.10.0") < ReleaseLabel("emr-5.10.1")
+
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.60.0") >= ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0")
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-6.0.0") >= ReleaseLabel("emr-6.0.0")
+
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0") <= ReleaseLabel("emr-5.17.0")
+    assert ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0") <= ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.0")
+
+    releases_unsorted = [
+        ReleaseLabel("emr-5.60.2"),
+        ReleaseLabel("emr-4.0.1"),
+        ReleaseLabel("emr-4.0.0"),
+        ReleaseLabel("emr-5.7.3"),
+    ]
+    releases_sorted = [str(label) for label in sorted(releases_unsorted)]
+    expected = [
+        "emr-4.0.0",
+        "emr-4.0.1",
+        "emr-5.7.3",
+        "emr-5.60.2",
+    ]
+    assert releases_sorted == expected