Executive Order 13006: Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation's Central Cities
President: Bill Clinton
Gave historic properties in central-city historic districts first consideration when federal agencies choose space and facilities.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13006 still in effect? Yes. Active; federal real-property guidance continues to cite its historic-property location priorities.
What does Executive Order 13006 do?
EO 13006 reaffirmed the policy of locating federal facilities in central business areas and added a hierarchy favoring historic properties. When operationally appropriate and economically prudent, agencies must first consider historic buildings in historic districts, then other sites in those districts, and then historic properties outside them. Agencies were also told to remove procedural barriers, seek partnerships and preserve health, safety and environmental protections. The order has not been revoked and remains part of federal real-property and preservation policy.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 12072 favored central business areas, while federal preservation policy lacked this explicit property hierarchy.
After the order
Location decisions had to give historic central-city properties an early, documented opportunity.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Federal agencies | Apply the historic-property hierarchy | For applicable location decisions |
| GSA | Assist agencies and address procedural barriers | Continuing |
| Agencies | Build partnerships with states, localities and private owners | Where useful |
What happened next
EO 13006 established the siting hierarchy.
The official disposition table showed no revocation.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order operates alongside the National Historic Preservation Act, EO 12072, appropriations and real-property law. It preserves agency mission, economic-prudence, safety and environmental judgments and creates no private cause of action.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13006 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- GSA — location policy (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →