Broward County, FL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Broward County Code § 5-530 et seq.
- Reviewing body
- Nine-member Historic Preservation Board
- Permit required
- Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)
- Minimum age
- 50 years old for designation
- Scope
- Countywide, except CLG municipalities
Summary
Broward County's Historic Preservation Board designates historic and archaeological cultural resources, and no building permit for construction, demolition, or alteration is issued without a Certificate of Appropriateness: countywide except in municipalities with their own certified historic preservation program.
Unless expressly exempted below, no building permits shall be issued for new construction, demolition, alteration, rehabilitation, signage, or any other physical modification of a designated historic site or resource without the prior issuance of a certificate of appropriateness by the Historic Preservation Board.(b)The following permits are exempt from the regulations of this article:(1)All permits for plumbing, heating, air conditioning, elevators, fire alarms, and fire extinguishing equipment, and all mechanical and electrical equipment that do not involve exterior changes or construction visible from the public right-of-way or navigable waterway, or changes to an interior not previously designated as a historic resource and not visible from the public right-of-way or navigable water.(2)Any permit necessary for compliance with a lawful order issued by the local government having jurisdiction through its building and permitting or code and zoning divisions, unsafe structures board, or fire marshal, including, without limitation, any permit necessary for the immediate preservation of public health or safety. (Ord. No. 93-13, § 1, 6-22-93; Ord. No. 2014-32, § 4, 9-23-14; Ord. No. 2019-28, § 2, 10-15-19)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72 | Administrative Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Broward County designates historic and archaeological cultural resource sites under Code § 5-530 et seq. Once the County Commission designates a site, a building, structure, object, landscape feature, or district at least 50 years old meeting integrity and significance criteria under § 5-533, no permit for demolition, alteration, new construction, or land disturbance issues without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the nine-member Historic Preservation Board or its Historic Preservation Officer. The article applies countywide except where a municipality holds Certified Local Government status with its own qualifying ordinance, in which case the municipal code controls instead.
Violations & Fines
Unauthorized demolition, alteration, or demolition by neglect of a designated historic resource is a public nuisance; the County Attorney can seek an injunction, and work without a required Certificate of Appropriateness triggers a stop-work order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood?
What triggers historic designation?
Can archaeological finds stop construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Broward County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Broward County to another location·View the Florida historic preservation overview
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