Alabama Historic Preservation — Title 11 Chapter 68 Local Authority Enabling (AL)
Tracked preemption from the Alabama overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsAlabama overlay roll-upAlabama zoning wikiAlabama building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Not flagged
Effective
1989-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:AL
Other Alabama preemptions
Alabama Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (April 2026)Alabama Density / ADU / Inclusionary Zoning / Design Review — No State PreemptionAlabama Black Belt National Heritage Area — Non-Regulatory Heritage DesignationAlabama Land Recycling & Economic Redevelopment Act — Voluntary Brownfield CleanupSelma to Montgomery National Historic Trail — NPS Viewshed Compatible-Use AdvisoryMobile Bay National Estuary Program — CCMP Coordination (Non-Regulatory)Alabama Group-Home Preemption — Multi-Family District InclusionAlabama Manufactured Housing — No Zoning Preemption (Title 40/24 govern taxation, installation)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
city.has_adopted_chapter_68_historic_preservation_ordinance == TruePreempted fields
3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].historic_preservation_authority_enabled | override | True | §11-68-1 et seq. enables every Alabama municipality to establish a Historic Preservation Commission, designate local historic properties and districts, and require approval of exterior alterations. |
base_districts[*].requires_coa_for_exterior_alteration | override | True | Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review required for exterior alteration, addition, new construction, demolition, and relocation in designated local historic districts. |
review_panel.historic_preservation_commission_min_seats | floor_at | 7 | §11-68-3: 7-member commission; at least 3 members with formal training in history, architecture, architectural history, urban planning, archaeology, or law. |
Citation
Authority source
Ala. Code §§11-68-1 through 11-68-15 (Historic Preservation Commissions and Architectural Review Boards); coordinated with the Alabama Historical Commission (Ala. Code §41-9-240 et seq.)
§ §§11-68-1 et seq.; §11-68-3 (commission composition); §11-68-6 (designation criteria); §11-68-13 (architectural review boards)
Research notes
Enabling-act preemption only — Chapter 68 grants municipal authority but does not itself designate any districts. The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) is the state historic preservation office (SHPO) under §41-9-240 et seq. and administers the Certified Local Government (CLG) program. Notable CLG cities with extensive historic preservation overlays: Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, Huntsville (Twickenham, Old Town), Eufaula, Tuscaloosa, Decatur (Old Decatur, Albany), Florence, Mountain Brook (Crestline), Anniston. Federal National Register listing alone does not trigger local regulation.