The quality of national significance is ascribed to collections and historic properties that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the intellectual and cultural heritage and the built environment of the United States, that possess a high degree of integrity and that:

• Are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to, and are identified with, or that outstandingly represent the broad patterns of United States history and culture and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained; or,
• Are associated importantly with the lives of persons nationally significant in the United States history or culture; or,
• Represent great historic, cultural, artistic or scholarly ideas or ideals of the American people; or,
• Embody the distinguishing characteristics of a resource type that:
• Is exceptionally valuable for the study of a period or theme of United States history or culture; or
• Represents a significant, distinctive and exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction but that collectively form an entity of exceptional historical, artistic or cultural significance (e.g., an historic district with national significance), or
• Outstandingly commemorates or illustrates a way of life or culture; or,
• Have yielded or may yield information of major importance by revealing or by shedding light upon periods or themes of United States history or culture.

Questions about listing in the National Register of Historic Places, levels of significance in such listings, and contributing buildings in historic districts should be addressed to the State Historic Preservation Office for the state in which the property is located.