Apply for Listing

How do I get a building or site listed?

Step 1 - Check if the building or site is already listed

Find out whether the building or site you are nominating is already on, or being assessed for inclusion on the National Heritage List for England: 

• Search the National Heritage List for England (try using our map search or advanced search). 
• Check with your local Historic England Office to find out whether we’ve already received an application. 
• Check on Heritage Gateway to see if we have considered it before. 

Step 2 - Make sure that it is eligible

Check that the building or site you are nominating is eligible. We can only take forward applications where the building or site is something capable of being listed, scheduled or registered and it falls under one of the following: 

• Threat: it is under serious threat of demolition or major alteration  
• Priority: it supports one or more of our current listing priorities  
• Potential: it has very strong potential for being listed, scheduled or registered – this can be understood by looking at the following: 

Step 3 - Create an account

Once you have confirmed that the building or site you are nominating is eligible, you’ll need to set up a Historic England Account, if you do not already have one. This is quick and easy to do and will allow you to submit as many applications as you like. 

Step 4 - Gather information about the building or site

Before starting your application, read our checklist to see what information you will need. Get as much information as you can about the building or site before beginning your application.

• Find the address of the building or site (or location information for sites without a postal address, for example, the National Grid Reference (NGR).
• Find out who owns the building or site, including contact details.
• Get the details of any current planning applications, permissions or marine consents.
• Take photographs of the building as it looks now.
• Find photographs, plans and information about the site's history or architectural features, if possible, including old plans or historic photographs.
• Create a list of any books, articles, websites or other sources that you used for your research.

Step 5 - Complete your application

Complete the application form using our step-by-step guidance. You can edit, save and return to your application as often as you want.

The application form can be used regardless of the type of application (listed buildings, scheduled monuments etc) and it can also be used to apply for a Certificate of Immunity or to notify us about a Building Preservation Notice. You can use the same form to ask us to consider amending or removing entries that appear on the National Heritage List for England. Find more information in our De-listing Guidance.

Building Preservation Notices and Certificate of Immunity

Find out how Local Planning Authorities can protect a building at risk by serving a Building Preservation Notice (BPN) and understand how to get clarity about whether a building will be listed through the Certificate of Immunity (COI) process.

Find out more

Do I need to pay to have somewhere listed?

We offer both a free and a paid-for service. You will be asked which service you would like to choose at the start of the application process.

For more details on our paid-for service see our Fast-track Listing, and Listing Enhancement webpages:

• Fast-Track Listing
• Listing Enhancement

These are carried out on a cost-recovery basis as part of our Enhanced Advisory Services.

What happens next?

To understand the next steps, including how an application is assessed, please see our page on the Listing Process. 

Where can I get advice and support?

Please email the Listing Helpdesk: [email protected] 

You can also contact your Local Historic England Office. 

Listing Application Form