Clark County, NV Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Eligibility
- Register-eligible or 40+ years old
- Neighborhood petition
- 51% of property owners must sign
- Neighborhood minimum size
- 10 dwelling units, two-thirds historic
- Required before work
- Design Review application (§30.06.05B)
- Waivers
- None allowed, no variances permitted
Summary
Clark County's Historic Designation Overlay protects neighborhoods, structures, and sites with historical, architectural, cultural, paleontological, or archeological value, and requires a Design Review application before any new construction, major addition, demolition, or significant exterior alteration within the overlay.
The Historic Designation Overlay (HDO) is established to preserve and protect properties and sites that represent distinctive historical, architectural, cultural, paleontological, or archeological character and value.
2. Applicability None of the standards in this Section may be waived or varied.
3. Establishment of HDO
i. Criteria for Establishment
(a) A neighborhood, structure, or site may be eligible for an HDO designation upon a finding that such resource(s) have exceptional historical significance by meeting the following criteria:
(1) Conformance to the requirements for listing on the State or National Register of Historic Places; or
(2) A significant portion of the neighborhood, structure, or site is at least 40 years old; and reflective of the cultural, social, political, or economic past of Clark County such as association with a person or event significant in local, state, or national history; or it represents an established and familiar visual feature of an area of the County because of its location or physical appearance.
(b) A proposed neighborhood shall contain a minimum of 10 residential dwelling units with at
Full Breakdown
Clark County's Historic Designation Overlay (HDO), created under Title 30 §30.02.26(D), safeguards neighborhoods, structures, or sites with distinctive historical, architectural, cultural, paleontological, or archeological value. A site qualifies if it's eligible for State or National Register listing, or is at least 40 years old and tied to the county's cultural, social, political, or economic past. The Board of County Commissioners designates an HDO on petition by 51% of a neighborhood's property owners or by a neighborhood association board member; any zoning-map change requires rezoning per §30.06.04B. Once designated, new construction, major additions, demolition, or significant exterior alteration requires a Design Review application first. This applies only in unincorporated Clark County, including the Strip resort corridor in Paradise and Winchester, not inside Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, or Mesquite.
Violations & Fines
Proceeding with new construction, a major addition, demolition, or significant exterior alteration inside an HDO without first securing the required Design Review approval violates Title 30's overlay standards, which admit no waivers or variances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a property eligible for Clark County's Historic Designation Overlay?
Do I need approval to renovate a home inside an HDO?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
Compare Clark County to another location·View the Nevada historic preservation overview
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