How to Submit

Prepare to Submit

The CFA reviews Shipstead-Luce Act projects in two stages: concept and permit.

Decide if you are submitting your project for concept or final review, then gather the necessary drawings and materials for submission.

Make the Submission

For concept or permit review, email a completed CFA referral form and all required submission materials, including complete drawings showing existing conditions and proposed construction, to the D.C. Historic Preservation Office (HPO) at historic.preservation@dc.gov. Submissions will not be accepted in person at the D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB) (formerly the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs) Permit Service Center nor directly to CFA staff.

For permit review, you must also file a DOB building permit application prior to submitting for CFA review. DOB accepts applications electronically and more information can be found on their website.  For projects including work in D.C. public space, you must file an associated DDOT public space permit application in addition to the DOB building permit application. DDOT accepts applications electronically and more information can be found on their website. 

• Applications must be submitted by the filing deadline, two weeks prior to the CFA meeting. Please check the CFA meeting schedule for meeting dates and submission deadlines.
• To be complete, a submission must include all required submission materials for concept or permit review as appropriate.
• Contact DOB for information about filing fees and any other questions on the filing process at (202) 442-4589.

Provide Additional Materials

This step may not be necessary and only occurs if materials are requested

Upon receipt of the submissions, CFA staff may contact you to request additional or revised materials. Submit any necessary supplemental materials directly to CFA staff upon request.

If a proposed project is insufficiently documented for review, the CFA staff may recommend that the case be denied, or may recommend that the review of the case be postponed until a later CFA meeting.

Present Project

This step may not be necessary and only occurs if the project is placed on the CFA meeting agenda

Depending on the scope, size, prominence, and design of a proposed project, it will be either be reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts in its monthly public meeting, or reviewed by CFA staff and placed on the Shipstead-Luce Act Appendix for approval by the CFA in its meeting.

CFA staff will notify applicants whose cases have been placed on the agenda for the public meeting. Projects requiring review by the Commission in its public meeting must be presented by the applicant or applicant’s representative at the Commission of Fine Arts meeting. The draft agenda is available online the Friday afternoon before the Commission meeting. Final digital presentation files must be provided to CFA staff no later than the Monday before the meeting. Presentation files will not be accepted the day of the meeting.

Smaller-scale or less complex projects may be placed on the Shipstead-Luce Appendix of staff recommendations, which is subject to approval by the Commission of Fine Arts in its meeting.

The draft appendix is available online the Friday afternoon before the Commission meeting. If your project is on the Shipstead-Luce Appendix, you do not need to attend the meeting.