Every nomination has to meet basic selection criteria before it can be considered. Most importantly, a London building associated with the subject must survive, and they must have been dead for 20 years or have passed the centenary of their birth.

These rules exist to allow a person's reputation to mature and to help ensure that their achievements can be assessed dispassionately, with a proper historical perspective. Once a plaque is erected, it may last for hundreds of years, so consideration of such issues is important.