A local historic preservation commission, if so empowered by a local ordinance or a local government acting upon the advice of a local historic preservation commission, may approve an application and issue a certificate of appropriateness if it finds that a proposed construction, alteration, demolition, subdivision or relocation is consistent with the design review guidelines established by the commission, would be compatible with the character of a historic district or landmark or landmark site and does not compromise the historic and architectural integrity of the historic district, landmark or landmark site. A governing authority may require that a property owner post a bond to guarantee satisfactory completion of a relocation project. Any local historic preservation ordinance shall specify whether partial demolition shall be considered an alteration or demolition, as it may not be both.

Whenever a local historic preservation commission shall deny or recommend denial of a certificate of appropriateness, the commission must state the reasons for such denial in writing. Thereafter, an applicant may resubmit a new application at any time, except that an applicant must wait six (6) months whenever an application for a certificate of appropriateness is denied for a landmark property of statewide or national significance and notice of any second or subsequent application must be sent to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as well as to the local historic preservation commission.

A governing authority may require that denial of a certificate of appropriateness shall be binding upon a local building inspector or the agency responsible for issuing building permits and shall prevent the issuance of other building permits for the same parcel until a certificate of appropriateness is approved. A certificate of appropriateness may be required for work which does not require a building permit. A certificate of appropriateness may be evidenced by either a written and dated letter to an owner or applicant or such a letter accompanied by a signed and dated stamp on the face of any and all architectural or project drawings prepared for a project. A governing authority may provide by ordinance that a certificate of appropriateness shall expire at the end of a specified time period if work has not begun.