Building permits in Antigua: CNPAG and Decree 60-69

The legal basis is Decree 60-69, the Protective Act for the City of La Antigua Guatemala; the authority is the National Council for the Protection of La Antigua Guatemala (CNPAG, 2ª avenida norte and 2ª calle oriente, tel. 7873-4646, Mon–Fri 7:30–16:00). Article 23 requires a prior license from the Council for any new construction or alteration inside the conservation area or its area of influence, subject to the Regulating Plan, and prohibits buildings of two or more stories; article 24 requires drawings in duplicate signed by architects or engineers in good standing with their professional association, and the Council or the Conservator may suspend works at any stage. CNPAG has jurisdiction within the maximum-conservation polygon and the conservation islands in the villages; outside them, the municipal Control Urbano office applies. The file includes property details, a sworn declaration, existing and proposed construction, 2 sets of drawings and professional liability; anything under 30 m² requires a preliminary design. Antigua has been a World Heritage Site since 1979. The amounts of penalties and the real licensing timelines were not found. Implication: a boutique hotel in the historic center requires a CNPAG license in addition to the municipal one.

The research is written in English; quoted figures, source names and the titles of legal instruments stay in the language their source published them in.