Religious Land Use And Institutionalized Persons Act – Department of Justice justice.gov

RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies or institutions absent the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest. This prohibition applies in any situation where: (i) the state or local government entity imposing the substantial burden receives federal funding; (ii) the substantial burden affects, or removal of the substantial burden would affect, interstate commerce; or (iii) the substantial burden arises from the state or local government's formal or informal procedures for making individualized assessments of a property's uses. In addition, RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that:

(1) treat churches or other religious assemblies or institutions on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions;

(2) discriminate against any assemblies or institutions on the basis of religion or religious denomination;

(3) totally exclude religious assemblies from a jurisdiction; or

(4) unreasonably limit religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.