Preparation guidance for nominations

Introduction

National Park Service (NPS) guidance extends beyond the National Register Bulletins. Successful nomination writing involves navigating many intricacies of the process. Our office assists applicants and provides the most up-to-date guidance available. For your convenience, we have collected the following NPS publications and supplemental guidance.

National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Program
National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Program

Is your nomination for a proposed National Historic Landmark instead? This program uses a separate process from National Register nominations.

Supplemental NPS resources

Our office regularly receives guidance from NPS in different formats. Only some of this content is actively hosted on NPS’s Publications page. NPS content is generally in the public domain, so we are sharing it through our own site. If you wish to share any of this content in turn you will need to credit the National Park Service.

E-blasts

State historic preservation offices receive E-blasts through email. These newsletters share a mix of news, updates and guidance. The following issues have content we would like to share with nomination preparers. Any issues listed below with a description had focused topics. Otherwise, these issues cover assorted smaller topics.

E-blasts by date and article(s) of interest.
Date E-blast article titles
December 2014 State Review Board-related questions
February 2019 Inclusion of Federal Buildings in a Historic District
March 2021 National Register Areas of Significance — Additional Themes
December 2021 Some Thoughts on Applying Criterion A to Schools
April 2022 Much Ado about Condos
July 2022 Classification of Cemeteries: Site vs. District
October 2022 National Register Posts Sample Nominations
January 2023 Complete Section 3 of the National Register Form
April 2023
  • Providing Boundary Justifications
  • Works of a Master
  • Review of Criterion C
July 2023 Needed: Revised Maps for Historic Districts
October 2023 A Modest Proposal: Advice on National Register Removal Protocol

Policy Clarifications

The Keeper of the National Register answers policy questions with these statements. Their responses officially adjust or affirm the addressed policy.

Policy Clarifications by date and name.
Date Policy Clarification title
April 2009 Integrity Requirements for Settings and Locations of Locomotives and Other Rolling Stock
February 2018 Additional Guidance Addendum to the National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, on Contributing Buildings Outside the Period of Significance for a Listed Property
May 2021 Areas of Significance, Legacy and Current
November 2021 Letter from the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, Validation of Owner Objection(s) to Listing on the National Register of Historic Places or Designation as a National Historic Landmark
January 2024 National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program, Consolidated and Updated Photograph Policy 2024

Best Practices Review (BPR)

This quarterly publication complements the guidance provided in the National Register Bulletin topics.

Best Practices Review by date and title.
Date BPR title
September 2022 Evaluating Non-Historic Exteriors
January 2023 Evaluating Garages and Outbuildings in Historic Districts
April 2023 Amending National Register Documentation
July 2023 Evaluating Common Resources
September 2023 Concise Significance Statement
January 2024 Nominating Properties for Cultural Significance under Criterion A

Whitepapers

The original versions of the whitepapers in our collection are below. NPS plans to update their whitepaper series as Best Practice Reviews.

Whitepapers by date and title.
Date Whitepaper title
April 2008 Evaluating the Significance of Additions and Accretions
April 2009 The Components of a Historic Context
March 2020 Evaluating Common Resources for National Register of Historic Places Eligibility

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust created a National Register Toolkit video series on YouTube to help preparers understand the National Register process.

National Register Toolkit YouTube playlist