Throughout the last two centuries, industrial development has been essential for the economic and sociocultural development of Latvia. Industrialization has had an immense impact on the society in general and on urban development in particular during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wave of industrialization. The paper is the first attempt to outline the current situation in listing and protection of industrial heritage in Latvia in the general context of cultural heritage protection. The aim is to highlight and analyze listed industrial heritage cases in Latvia, in order to provide the first overview of the actual level of awareness and legal protection this part of the cultural heritage can expect to enjoy. To reach this goal, the article examines listing practices in the past and at the present, it touches upon publications and activities of heritage enthusiasts who created the basis for industrial heritage recognition in Latvia, while also draws attention to the complex institutional and legal circumstances influencing the entire process of research and listing. The current situation concerning direct and indirect listing of industrial heritage is also examined based upon the listing information available on-line. Historically, the architectural and artistic quality have been crucial for a listing of any building or structure in Latvia; rarity or historical importance, either on national or on a local level could contribute to listing, too. It was – and remains – a difficult competition for industrial heritage to be listed. However, from another perspective, quite an amount of structures benefits from indirect listing inside larger urban ensembles, or from protection via urban planning regulations in certain historic areas of cities and towns.