The formal process begins with submission to this department of an application packet. For more detailed information, see Application Process.

To qualify for a state historical marker, the topic must be about a person, place, event or institution that has statewide or national significance. To see whether a potential topic would be eligible for the marker program, see information about marker criteria by opening the marker application at the top of Marker Application process page.

There are several sources for lists of Virginia historical highway markers. If you follow the link External Database Search, it will take you to a page offering three options for searching Virginia’s highway markers online. Also, A Guidebook to Virginia’s Historical Markers, compiled by Scott Arnold and published in 2007, is available from most bookstores or directly from the University of Virginia Press.

To report a marker that is missing or damaged, please contact Jennifer Loux at Jennifer.Loux@dhr.virginia.gov. Please, if possible, provide the title of the marker, the location, and when you noticed the marker was missing or damaged.

These represent the unique code assigned to each marker to identify it. When the marker program was created in the late 1920s, the letter on the sign usually referenced a specific road (for instance, the letter “E” was assigned to markers installed along U.S. Route 1) and the number differentiated each sign within a letter grouping. Today the department assigns an alpha-numeric code based on what letter is most prominently affixed on current signs in the region where a new marker is to be erected. The number given is the next available one. Please note, however, in a few cases during the history of the program, the same alpha-numeric code was mistakenly assigned to different signs.

There are more than 2,500 roadside markers that carry approved historical inscriptions, highlighting sites, individuals, buildings, and events of statewide or national interest.

Virginia historical highway markers are in most cases approximately 42-by-40 inches. The markers are painted silver and currently cast in aluminum with black lettering for the text, which appears on both sides of the sign. The signs also include each marker’s unique topic title and assigned alpha-numeric identification code; the Seal of the Commonwealth within an upside down equilateral triangle positioned at the top of the sign; and the following signature line along the bottom: “Department of Historic Resources, [and the year in which the marker was created].” Alternative signature lines on Virginia markers include the names of other agencies that once managed the program, specifically, the Department of Conservation and Historic Resources; the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission; the Virginia State Library; and the Conservation & Development Commission.

Markers with the Z letter followed by a number at the top of the sign represent markers that are placed at a county or state line. Unlike other markers, each side of a Z marker has different texts–one side of the marker provides information on the jurisdiction a traveler is entering, while the other side gives information about the jurisdiction one is leaving. The 1948 edition of State Historical Markers of Virginia has a list of these signs and their locations. DHR hopes to be able to provide the public an updated list online of these marker locations in the future.

Historical societies or organizations, fraternal organizations, colleges and universities, local governments, private organizations, or individuals able to fund the marker can propose a new marker by submitting an application packet to DHR. Ultimately, a new marker must be presented to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, the body authorized to approve all historical markers. Markers currently cost $3,000. In localities where VDOT does not maintain the roadways, there is an additional $400 charge for the post on which the marker is installed. In some jurisdictions, there may be additional costs associated with installation. For more information about nominating a new marker, see Application Process.

Historic resources listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register or the National Register of Historic Places may qualify for a historical marker only if the level of significance is regional, state or national. That is, listing on either the state or national register does not automatically qualify a site or building for a marker.

A house of worship may qualify for a state historical marker if it: (1) was founded in the colonial period, (2) was founded by African Americans in the Emancipation/Reconstruction era, (3) was the first of a denomination in a locality, or (4) presents significant architectural qualities. Most other houses of worship would more appropriately be noted on a local marker. Cemeteries should be listed on the state or national historic registers or be the final resting place of someone significant in state or national history.