Bonner County, ID Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Section 12-335, the Public Use Table, lists "Docks and marinas, community, upland accommodations" with a C in the Commercial and Recreation columns only. Under section 12-330 a blank box means the use is not allowed, and a C means the use is permitted subject to the conditional use provisions. Section 12-803 defines a community dock and marina as a structure or structures that provide moorage facilities, together with accessory facilities, operated as a business and open to the public or operated as a private club for members.

Three standards attach to the use. Standard (5) requires enough land to accommodate the proposed use and requires structures to be arranged to minimize adverse effects on surrounding properties. Standard (6) allows conditions on noise, light, glare, smoke, odor, dust, particulate matter, vibrations or hours of operation to be prescribed differently from those required in a given district. Standard (7) requires a traffic plan covering ingress and egress, circulation within the site, and on premises parking and loading/launching areas. Parking under section 12-432 is 0.5 space/boat slip for community docks and marinas.

The permit runs through a Planning Department application under section 12-222, a public hearing before the Zoning Commission or Hearing Examiner under section 12-223, and an appeal to the Board of County Commissioners under section 12-225. Docks that encroach into regulated floodways must meet the limitations of BCRC 14-505, according to section 14-502, subsection J. On the water, section 3-118 bars anyone from allowing a personal dock, float house or waterfowl blind to be released on a public body of water where Bonner County has boater safety responsibility, and section 3-119 forbids users of boat docks from interfering with boats approaching or departing dockage.