Before obtaining a building permit, you must determine the property’s Historical Significance. To find out if your property is listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, you can search by address here.

Note: This map does not include properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you are listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) must review any potential exterior changes that will be visible from the public right-of-way. You will not be able to obtain a Building Permit until the commission approves your application and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Note: The HPC does not review properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The following is a list of some of the services provided by the Historic Preservation Office of the City Planning and Development Department.

•  Historic Resource Survey Preservation staff works with neighborhoods to perform historic resource surveys with volunteers to identify historic properties.
• Kansas City Register of Historic Places The Kansas City Register is the City’s official list of historic properties, for which any exterior changes have to be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.  Staff prepares nominations for the Kansas City Register of Historic Places and presents them to the Commission, City Planning Commission, and City Council.
• Design Review – Certificate of Appropriateness For those properties listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, staff assists applicants in preparation of the application and prepares assessments to present to the Commission.
• Section 106 Review - Preservation Liaison Many federal agencies and state agencies require review of the effects of a project on historic properties, or a Section 106 Review. As a Certified Local Government, Preservation staff serves as the contact for the City.
• Preservation Easement Administration Preservation staff administers Preservation Easements held by the city chartered Landmarks Historic Trust Corporation.
• Assists Planning Staff and other departments When a project involves historic properties, Preservation staff provides comments and assistance to the Planning department and other departments as needed.

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) oversees the Kansas City Register, which is a list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects significant in Kansas City History.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is there a benefit to being on the Kansas City Register?  Yes, the design review process encourages quality design for proposed alterations to listed properties and gives any person or neighborhood a forum to comment on changes to their neighborhood.
• Can my property be on both the Kansas City and National registers?  Yes, an owner of a property that is both locally designated and listed on the National Register may take advantage of federal and state tax incentives and is expected to conform to national and local historic preservation standards.
• Do I have any say about whether my property is included in a historic district?  Yes, before designation all owners have the opportunity to concur with or object to the listing at public hearings with the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the City Plan Commission (CPC) and the City Council.
• Do I have to restore my property to its “original” appearance?  No, any changes present at the time the property is designated may remain. Any future exterior alterations will have to follow the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
• Do I have to maintain my property? Yes, the ordinance requires that designated properties be kept in good repair and meet the minimum requirements of the Property Maintenance Code.

Applications to designate a landmark or historic district on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places may be submitted by the following:

• Property owner or their designee 
• Historic Preservation Commissioner
• City Councilmember
• Neighborhood association for the area in which the property is located
• Historic Preservation Organization
• Any other person or organization where at least 51% of the owners of the affected parcels in a proposed district do not object to the nomination (exclusive of all publicly owned property, streets, and alleys).

You will need to submit an application on CompassKC. The nomination form is a required upload for the application. You can find the nomination form here. If more continuation sheets are required for your application, you can find the page here. 

It is important that you refer to the National Historic Places Bulletin 16 for information required to complete the nomination form. You can find the bulletin here. Only complete applications can be considered. 

Please contact the Historic Preservation Office for more information.