Fort Lauderdale, FL Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-144
- Permit granted by
- City commission resolution, not by right
- Eligible applicants
- Owners of a qualifying upland parcel only
- Dock removal deadline
- 3 months after permit expires or revoked
- Revocation notice
- 90 days' advance notice and hearing
- Rent/fees
- Permit holder may not charge dock users
- Enforcement
- Office of marine facilities
Summary
Fort Lauderdale prohibits private docks on city-owned waterway frontage, including street ends, municipal parks and licensed dock areas, unless the city commission grants a dock permit by resolution under Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-144. Only owners of a qualifying upland parcel directly across the street from that public property may apply, and the permit requires an administrative fee, a recorded survey, and a covenant running with the land.
The city commission, by resolution duly adopted, may grant a dock permit for the use by private persons of certain public property abutting or touching a waterway, including some public property described in section 8-143 as set forth herein, except: (i) areas being utilized as municipal docks for which docking fees are being charged and collected and those areas under license by the city; (ii) street ends as more particularly defined herein; (iii) city parks; (iv) upland parcels with property lines that abut or are contiguous to a waterway independent of that described in section 8-143, and (v), certain upland parcels falling within the ambit of the Florida Supreme Court case of Burkart v. City of Fort Lauderdale, 168 So. 2d 65 (Fla. 1964) and more particularly defined below in subsection (17) hereof, said dock permits may be granted under the following conditions and restrictions, to-wit:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 8-144, the city commission may grant dock permits by resolution for private use of certain public property abutting a waterway, but the ordinance carves out five exceptions: existing municipal dock areas that charge docking fees, street ends, city parks, upland parcels with their own waterway frontage under Sec. 8-143, and lots within the Idlewyld plat covered by the 1964 Burkart v. City of Fort Lauderdale ruling. Applicants must submit a survey extending the upland parcel's side property lines into the waterway, pay an administrative fee set by commission resolution, and record a covenant obligating the permit holder to maintain, repair and eventually remove the dock and adjoining seawall.
The permit is not effective until the resolution and covenant are recorded in the Broward County public records and filed with the office of marine facilities. Dock length cannot exceed the width of the upland parcel as measured by extending its side-yard setbacks into the water, and no vessel may be berthed so as to encroach beyond the approved berthing envelope. All new docks must be floating docks able to adapt to sea-level rise, or fixed docks built at the elevation required by Sec. 3(f) or level with the city seawall, whichever is higher.
Permit holders cannot charge rent or fees for use of the dock, may only moor vessels registered on the permit, and must keep the public swale area landscaped and open for public ingress and egress even though the dock area itself may be closed to the public. The city commission can revoke a permit for cause after ninety days' notice, and on expiration the holder has three months to remove the dock and all appurtenances.
Violations & Fines
Berthing an unauthorized vessel at a permitted dock, exceeding the approved dock length or berthing envelope, or violating any dock permit condition is unlawful under Code Sec. 1-6 and can also trigger permit revocation. Failing to remove the dock and seawall improvements within three months of the permit's expiration, termination or revocation leaves the recorded covenant and lien in place against the upland parcel until the city is reimbursed for removal costs it incurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a dock permit for a street end near my house in Fort Lauderdale?
Who can apply for a Fort Lauderdale dock permit on public waterway property?
What happens if I stop maintaining my permitted dock?
Can I charge people to use my permitted dock?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
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Boat Dock Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle boat dock permits.