Historic Preservation in Texas (2026)
26 rules on the books across Texas, 20 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
HPOZ Rules
How Historic Preservation Overlay Zones regulate exterior alterations, additions, and demolition in designated historic neighborhoods, plus the certificate-of-appropriateness process.
Dallas
Significant RestrictionsInside a Dallas historic overlay district, no one may alter a site or a structure, including additions or expansions…
Read full rule →San Antonio
Significant RestrictionsAny exterior change to a building in a San Antonio historic district, or to a designated landmark, needs a Certificate…
Read full rule →Historic-Cultural Monuments
How buildings, sites, and trees are nominated and designated as Historic-Cultural Monuments, the protections that follow, and the demolition-stay process.
Carrollton
Significant RestrictionsCarrollton designates historic landmarks, districts, and cultural markers through Code of Ordinances section 133.21. A…
Read full rule →Corpus Christi
Significant RestrictionsCorpus Christi's 11-member Landmark Commission must approve any demolition, exterior change, or removal of a property…
Read full rule →Dallas
Significant RestrictionsDallas designates historic and culturally significant places through a Historic Overlay District under Sec. 51A-4.501…
Read full rule →Denton
Significant RestrictionsDenton's City Council can designate buildings, structures, sites, or land as protected Historic Landmarks through a…
Read full rule →El Paso
Significant RestrictionsEl Paso doesn't use the term 'cultural monument': its equivalent is the 'historic landmark' or 'H-overlay' designation…
Read full rule →Farmersville
Significant RestrictionsFarmersville designates local historic landmarks by rezoning the property into the Historical Preservation Overlay…
Read full rule →Fort Worth
Significant RestrictionsFort Worth designates historically, culturally, architecturally, or archeologically significant properties as Highly…
Read full rule →Frisco
Significant RestrictionsFrisco's HL Historic Landmark District designation protects buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects with…
Read full rule →Houston
Significant RestrictionsThe Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission reviews applications to designate buildings, sites, or districts…
Read full rule →Laredo
Significant RestrictionsLaredo's nine-member historic district/landmark board must approve any demolition, removal, alteration, restoration, or…
Read full rule →Lubbock
Significant RestrictionsLubbock defines a historic landmark broadly enough to cover sites of cultural importance and lets the city council…
Read full rule →New Braunfels
Significant RestrictionsNew Braunfels designates historic, architectural, and cultural landmarks through a nine-member Historic Landmark…
Read full rule →Plano
Significant RestrictionsPlano designates cultural and historic landmarks under a Heritage Resource Preservation ordinance run by the Heritage…
Read full rule →San Antonio
Significant RestrictionsSan Antonio can designate a building, site, structure or district a historic and cultural landmark under UDC Sec…
Read full rule →Waco
Significant RestrictionsWaco can designate any building, structure, object, or site as a historic landmark, whether inside or outside a…
Read full rule →Amarillo
Some RestrictionsAmarillo designates buildings, sites and districts of cultural, historical or architectural significance as protected…
Read full rule →Taylor
Some RestrictionsTaylor's Historic Preservation Commission can formally recognize the owners of designated historic landmarks and…
Read full rule →Austin
Light RestrictionsAustin's Historic Landmark Commission can recommend that the City Council confer special historic recognition on an…
Read full rule →Dallas County
Light RestrictionsDallas County designates historic markers and monuments through its 15-member Historical Commission, not through a…
Read full rule →Harris County
Light RestrictionsThe Harris County Historical Commission's bylaws lock down exactly what an official county historical marker looks…
Read full rule →Mills Act Contracts
California Mills Act property-tax reductions for owners of historic properties who agree to maintenance and rehabilitation standards under a 10-year contract.
Dallas
Light RestrictionsTexas does not have a California-style Mills Act property-tax contract program. Instead Texas Tax Code Section 11.24…
Read full rule →Dallas County
Few RestrictionsCalifornia's Mills Act does not exist in Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets cities and counties exempt part or…
Read full rule →Harris County
Few RestrictionsTexas does not have a Mills Act-style property tax program. Instead, Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets local taxing…
Read full rule →HCM Demolition Controls
How designated and nominated historic-cultural monuments are protected from demolition, including the Cultural Heritage Commission review and Council appeal process.