Pursuant to the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act of 1978, DC Law 2-144, as amended, codified at DC Code 5-1001, et seq., the Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation is presently an administrative law judge in the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Adjudication. The Mayor's Agent is delegated the responsibility to monitor historic sites in the District, and following established procedures, reviews applications for demolition, alteration, subdivision, and new construction in historic districts or on the site of a historic landmark.

As the nation's capital city, Washington, DC has many nationally and locally significant historic sites, some of which are designated as individual landmarks. In addition, there are a number of legislatively created historic districts and other buildings throughout the city, which are recognized as specifically contributing to the overall history of the community where they are located Congress recognized certain historically significant districts as early as 1950 and there is some overlap with federal jurisdiction.

Under specifically enumerated guidelines, members of the general public can challenge the actions of the Historic Preservation Review Board, whether it had approved or denied an applicant's request, and receive an administrative hearing before the Mayor's Agent. Appeals from the Mayor's Agent's final orders are to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.