Carlsbad’s history is a field of study that is open to ongoing and changing interpretations – and identifying, preserving, and protecting our resources helps tell these stories. The following includes a list of known legal documents that support and define the city's historic preservation program or relate to its shared goal through State or Federal laws, codes, or regulations.

City of Carlsbad laws, codes, and regulations

• Carlsbad Municipal Code Title 19, Chapter 19.04 (Environmental Protection Procedures)
• Carlsbad Municipal Code Title 22 (Historic Preservation)
• Tribal, Cultural, and Paleotropical Guidelines

State laws, codes, and regulations

• California State Law and Historic Preservation
  
• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• Public Resources Code Section 5020-5029.6
  
• California State Historic Building Code (CHBC)

Federal laws, codes, and regulations

• Federal Historic Preservation Laws, Regulations, and Orders 
  
• Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program
  
• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 
• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended through 2006 
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• 36 CFR Part 60 - National Register of Historic Places
• 36 CFR Part 61 - Procedures for State, Tribal, and Local Government Historic Preservation Programs
  
• 36 CFR Part 67 - Historic Preservation Certifications
• 36 CFR 68 Secretary of Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties
  
• 36 CFR Part 800 - Protection of Historic Properties 
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Citizen's Guide to Section 106

Secretary of the Interior's standards and guidelines

• Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology & Historic Preservation
• Secretary of Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties (36 CFR 68)