Overview
The City of Long Beach historic preservation ordinance provides a process to recognize an individual property or a historic district as a historic landmark. The historic designation that matters for most property owners is landmarking on the local register, since that can make them eligible for the Mills Act tax incentives outlined in the final section below.
Landmarking Process
The Cultural Heritage Commission is responsible for the review of all nominations for the designation of historic landmark properties, pursuant to Chapter 2.63 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.
To be eligible for landmarking, a historic resource must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the City’s history;
- associated with the lives of person(s) significant in the City’s past;
- embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values;
- yields, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
All of these criteria are ultimately derived from the National Register for Historic Places, whose standards of proof are subject to stringent guidelines. To know whether your property is eligible for landmarking, be sure to engage a qualified historian.
For further information on Historic Landmark designation, see the City of Long Beach Landmark Nomination Certificate of Appropriateness Application and Procedures for the Nomination of New Historic Landmark Properties.
Mills Act Incentive
Basics
The main incentive for historic designation in Long Beach is eligibility for Mills Act tax benefits. The Mills Act provides a financial incentive, in the form of property tax relief, in exchange for property owners undertaking restoration, rehabilitation or maintenance of a designated historic property pursuant to the terms of a Mills Act contract with the City.
Owner Requirements
In exchange for the property tax relief realized under Mills Act contracts, property owners must agree to maintain and preserve their properties for at least 10 years in accordance with specific historic preservation standards and conditions and terms of the Mills Act contract.
Who Benefits from the Mills Act Incentive?
Participation in the Mills Act program is voluntary and is restricted to owners of designated historic properties. The Mills Act is especially beneficial for recent buyers of historic sites or owners who may have recently had a property transfer or tax reassessment and are planning on undertaking restoration, rehabilitation or maintenance of that property.
Property owners with comparatively low property taxes, such as those benefitting from Proposition 13 limits on assessed value change over time, will not likely benefit from a Mills Act contract because the assessed value under the Mills Act will likely be higher than the current base-year value of the property.
Eligibility
The property must be in Long Beach. Check the property location by selecting the City of Long Beach Location Map. Eligibility for the Mills Act requires one of the following:
- within a Historic District
- a designated Historic Landmark
- eligible to become a designated Historic Landmark
Mills Act applications are processed on an annual submission cycle. In July 2025 the Cultural Heritage Commission recommended 13 properties forward to City Council.
Valuation Cap
Most properties must be under a certain assessed value to be eligible for Mills Act funding in Long Beach. The valuation caps for 2025 are as follows:
- Single Family Residential (1 dwelling unit): Valuation less than $1,665,435
- Duplex or Triplex Residential (2 or 3 dwelling units): Valuation less than $999,390 per dwelling unit
- Multifamily Residential or Mixed Residential/Commercial (4 or more dwelling units): No valuation limit
Non-Residential (Commercial, Industrial, or Institutional): Valuation less than $4,310,320
Exceptional properties (culturally significant, or properties at risk of demolition): No valuation limit – 2 contracts may be awarded
Other Incentives
Beyond the Mills Act incentives, there are more general benefits to knowing the entire history of a property, including its architects, builders, occupants and renovation history. For instance this knowledge can guide future renovations, and it can be used to advertise the value of the house to future buyers.
I’m a Pasadena-based architectural historian who has written hundreds of assessments for properties throughout Los Angeles County, including work on many homes and commercial properties in the City of Long Beach.
If you own a property that is more than 50 years old, schedule a consultation to find out whether historic designation is right for you.
If any of these links are broken or incorrect, or if you would like to suggest other resources for preservation in Long Beach, please let me know.
Not in Long Beach? Click on a link below for historic designation in
✦Glendale ✦City of Los Angeles ✦Pasadena ✦San Marino ✦Sierra Madre ✦South Pasadena ✦Unincorporated LA County