San Diego County, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing body
- Historic Site Board, 7 members
- Owner consent
- Required before listing (unincorporated area)
- Effective date
- September 14, 2002
- Significance tests
- 4 criteria; must meet one
- Scope
- Unincorporated San Diego County only
Summary
San Diego County maintains a Local Register of Historical Resources under Administrative Code § 396.7, listing buildings, sites, structures, objects and historic districts that meet Board-reviewed significance criteria, but only with the property owner's written consent.
(a) Authority. On August 14, 2002, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the San Diego County Local Register of Historical Resources. This ordinance, which becomes effective on September 14, 2002, establishes a Local Register of Historical Resources for the County of San Diego, henceforth known as the Local Register.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
The county's Historic Site Board, a seven-member panel appointed by the Board of Supervisors, reviews nominations to the Local Register. A resource qualifies if it meets one of four significance tests -- association with important events, association with significant persons, distinctive design or construction, or research potential -- and retains enough integrity to convey that significance. Nomination requires the owner's written consent (unincorporated area only); the Board cannot list a property over an owner's objection, though it may formally determine a resource eligible. Listing serves mainly as a planning and CEQA-review tool, not an automatic demolition or alteration ban.
Violations & Fines
This section sets no independent penalty; it only lists resources. Actual demolition or alteration limits for designated landmarks come from the Zoning Ordinance's Historic/Archaeological Landmark District (§ 5700 et seq.) and the county's Resource Protection Ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can San Diego County list my property without my consent?
Does Local Register listing stop me from remodeling my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego County to another location·View the California historic preservation overview
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