Yolo County, CA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit basis
- County Use Permit or similar entitlement
- Governing definition
- Sec. 9-6.02(F), Permitted Dock/Marina
- Mooring conditions
- Sec. 9-6.11(B), 5 requirements
- Inspection access
- Required during reasonable hours
- Enforcement tool
- Administrative civil penalties, Sec. 9-6.14
- Adoption
- Ord. 1476 (2016), amended Ord. 1513 (2019)
Summary
A dock in Yolo County only counts as a 'Permitted Dock' under Sec. 9-6.02(F) if it has received a County Use Permit or similar entitlement for mooring vessels. Sec. 9-6.11(B) then limits mooring at that dock to vessels that meet seaworthiness, inspection, and navigation requirements.
"Permitted Dock" or "Permitted Marina" is any structure, floating platform or building, attached to land or floating on piles driven into the bottom of the waterway, designed for and used as a place to moor a vessel, and has received a County Use Permit or similar entitlement for that use. ... A vessel may be moored at a permitted dock to the extent permitted by law if all of the following requirements are met: 1. The vessel is in a seaworthy condition in accordance with Yolo County Code section 9-6.02(G), and poses no threat of pollution or sanitation hazard...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The Vessel Sanitation and Mooring Ordinance defines a 'Permitted Dock' or 'Permitted Marina' in Sec. 02(F) as any structure, floating platform, or building, attached to land or floating on piles driven into the bottom of the waterway, that is designed for and used as a place to moor a vessel and has received a County Use Permit or similar entitlement for that use. That definition makes the Use Permit the dividing line between a lawfully permitted dock and an unpermitted one for purposes of the whole chapter.
Sec. 11(B) then conditions mooring at a permitted dock on five requirements: the vessel must be seaworthy under Sec. 02(G) and pose no pollution or sanitation hazard, be capable of self-propelled navigation, allow on-site inspections by law enforcement or County personnel during reasonable hours, not obstruct navigation, and comply with all applicable state and federal law. Mooring lines at docks and marinas must also be installed under Sec. 13(B) so they hold the vessel in its berth and do not create a safety hazard for adjoining vessels. The chapter was adopted by Ord. 1476, effective December 22, 2016, and amended by Ord. 1513, effective October 24, 2019.
Violations & Fines
Mooring a vessel at a dock without the underlying County Use Permit, or mooring in a way that breaches the Sec. 9-6.11(B) seaworthiness, inspection, or navigation conditions, is enforceable through the administrative civil penalties authorized by Sec. 9-6.14 under California Government Code Section 53069.4, in addition to enforcement and vessel-removal remedies elsewhere in Chapter 6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build or operate a dock in Yolo County?
Can any boat moor at a permitted dock in Yolo County?
What happens if a dock or moored vessel violates Yolo County's mooring rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yolo County
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