Owning a listed property

Local landmark vs National Register vs National Historic Landmark: the differences

John HarrisonUpdated October 2026

The three designations differ mainly in who grants them and what they bind. A local landmark is designated by a city or county under its own ordinance and is usually the only one that regulates what an owner may change. National Register listing is a federal recognition that restricts nothing under federal law. National Historic Landmark status is a higher federal honour for nationally significant places, with the same hands-off rule for private owners. Facts are as of October 2026.

The three designations at a glance

Who designates

Local landmarks. Municipalities adopt preservation ordinances and appoint commissions that recommend designations to the council. The National Park Service, which keeps the Register, certifies local governments that make what it calls a written, legal commitment to protect and designate historic properties; these Certified Local Governments receive at least 10 percent of each state’s Historic Preservation Fund grant as subgrants. Designation procedures, review standards and penalties are written locally, so two neighbouring cities can differ.

National Register. Nominations normally start at the State Historic Preservation Office. Under 36 CFR 60.6, the state notifies owners and local officials, gives owners at least 30 and not more than 75 days to comment or object before the State Review Board meets, and then forwards the nomination to the NPS, which the NPS says decides within 45 days. See how the National Register works.

National Historic Landmarks. The NPS administers the Landmarks program on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, and the NPS FAQ states that final designation decisions rest with the Secretary. Landmarks are properties of exceptional value to the nation as a whole, which 36 CFR 65.2 contrasts with the Register’s inclusion of properties important to a state or locality.

Legal effect on owners

This is where the three diverge, and where most confusion lives.

Local designation binds. A typical ordinance requires a certificate or permit from the commission before exterior alteration, new construction or demolition on a designated property, and may impose waiting periods on demolition. Because the ordinance is local law, it applies regardless of who pays for the work. If you own a locally designated building, the commission’s guidelines are the rules you live by.

National Register listing does not bind a private owner. 36 CFR 60.2 states that listing private property does not prohibit under federal law or regulation any action the owner may otherwise take. The NPS says listing does not require public access, does not lead to public acquisition and does not automatically create local zoning or landmark status. Federal involvement changes the picture: when a federal agency funds, permits or licenses a project affecting a listed or eligible property, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires the agency to consult and to give the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation a chance to comment. Even then, 36 CFR 60.2 notes the decision rests with the agency. See Section 106 review.

National Historic Landmark status adds one federal duty, on agencies, not owners. 36 CFR 65.2 says Landmark designation lists the property in the Register, repeats that listing restricts no private action, and then adds Section 110(f): before approving a federal undertaking that may directly and adversely affect a Landmark, the agency head must, to the maximum extent possible, plan and act to minimize harm and must give the Advisory Council a chance to comment. The NPS FAQ puts the owner’s position simply: owners are free to make whatever changes they wish if federal funding, licensing or permits are not involved, there is no public-access requirement, and owners are under no obligation to follow NPS preservation guidance.

Benefits

The NPS also says owners of Register-listed properties may be able to grant preservation easements to nonprofit organizations, and that state tax benefits and grants depend on the state. For the credit itself see the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit; for plaques see National Register plaques.

How many there are

• National Historic Landmarks. The NPS Landmarks program page says there are over 2,600 in the United States. The program’s FAQ, written earlier, gives more than 2,500 Landmarks among more than 90,000 Register entries.
• National Register. The NPS publishes a spreadsheet of all listed properties. The copy downloaded for this site has 100,866 rows and 100,793 distinct reference numbers; 2,751 of those reference numbers carry a Landmark designation date. The gap between 2,751 and the program page’s figure of over 2,600 reflects how Landmark districts and multi-part properties are recorded in the spreadsheet, so treat the NPS program figure as the official count.
• Local landmarks. There is no national register of local designations. Each municipality keeps its own list; the city planning office or the SHPO’s Certified Local Government coordinator can point you to it.

Holding all three: examples from the database

A property can be a local landmark, Register-listed and a National Historic Landmark at once, each layer added by a different body on a different date. Four examples where the nomination summary on this site records local recognition alongside the federal designations:

• Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company, Chicago. Louis Sullivan’s department store was listed in the Register on 17 April 1970 and designated a Landmark on 16 June 1978; the nomination summary records that Chicago’s landmarks body cited it in 1957.
• James Charnley House, Chicago. Listed in 1970, designated a Landmark on 5 August 1998, and recorded in the summary as designated a Chicago landmark in 1958.
• Reliance Building, Chicago. Listed on 15 October 1970, a Landmark since 7 January 1976, and cited by Chicago’s landmarks commission in 1958 according to the summary.
• New Bedford Historic District, Massachusetts. Listed and designated a Landmark on 13 November 1966; the summary notes a local historic district ordinance adopted in 1971 to protect its character.

In each case the local designation is the one that governs day-to-day changes, while the two federal designations recognize significance and open the door to incentives.

How to check which designations a property has

1. Use the address lookup on this site. The property page shows the Register listing date and, where the NPS data records it, the Landmark designation date.
2. Confirm against the NPS database or spreadsheet using the reference number.
3. Ask the municipal planning or preservation office, in writing, whether the parcel is locally designated or inside a local district. This is the layer that the federal records will not tell you about.

For what the federal listing means in practice, read what National Register listing means for homeowners; for what to expect if you plan work, see renovating or demolishing a listed building.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Researched from the sources above and drafted with AI assistance; published under the editor's name, corrections welcome. See the editorial policy.