The State Register of Historic Places includes archeological sites, historic buildings, structures, and landscapes. Buildings, structures, and landscapes are documented either as individual sites or in groups such as farms or village areas. The Historic Sites and Structures Survey is the official list of all such sites that are significant for their historic, architectural, or engineering merit. The survey is consulted by property owners, planners, and government officials as they develop projects or plans that may affect these properties.

The Historic Sites and Structures Survey is based on a survey process begun in 1971 and strengthened by the 1975 Vermont Historic Preservation Act. The survey often proceeds on a town by town basis, but endangered properties are also often surveyed. After a town or endangered property is surveyed, it is added to the Survey and then reviewed by the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which officially votes to enter it on the State Register of Historic Places. The Council is a review board appointed by the governor with expertise in architecture, architectural history, archeology, history, and related fields. Although the survey is not yet complete for many towns, the Survey already contains over 30,000 properties.

The Survey and State Register are used by the Division in assisting towns and individuals in planning for historic sites and in its legally mandated reviews of projects requiring Act 250 permits and those involving state or federal funds, licenses, or permits. Sites listed in or determined eligible for the State Register are considered under criterion 8 of Act 250 for prospered projects that require land use permits. During the permit process the Division makes recommendations to district environmental commissions, who issue permits and may deny them for projects that have an undue adverse effect on historic resources; most often, however, undue adverse effects can be avoided through early planning and coordination with the Division. Other projects using state funds or requiring a state license, permit, or approval must also take into account resources listed in or eligible for the State Register. Properties that are listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places are further protected from adverse impact by projects that are federally funded, licensed, or permitted.