Marin County, CA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting agency
- Marin County Dept. of Public Works
- Gallinas Creek dock fee
- $85 application fee
- Corte Madera Creek dock fee
- $40 application fee
- Unpermitted work penalty
- Fee doubled for unpermitted work
- Eligibility
- Only abutting property owners qualify
- Permit term
- Revocable on 30 days' notice
Summary
Marin County requires a written encroachment permit from the Department of Public Works before anyone installs a pier, catwalk, dock, float, or gangway on county land bordering Gallinas Creek, or on flood-control district land along Corte Madera Creek. Working without one doubles the fee, and only property owners whose land abuts the waterway ordinarily qualify.
The director of public works may, upon receipt of an application therefor and payment of an application fee as established in the current "Resolution of the Marin County Board of Supervisors Establishing Fees for Permits Administered by the Department of Public Works," issue written permits authorizing the permittee to do any acts within or upon the lands of the county adjacent to Gallinas Creek, including but not limited to, the following: (a)Installation of piers, catwalks or docks;(b)Installation of floats;(c)Installation of gangways;(d)Storage of watercraft. No encroachments shall be allowed unless a permit is secured as provided herein. If any work requiring a permit is begun without a permit, the permit fee shall be doubled to compensate for the extra work involved in inspecting completed or partially completed work.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
24 governs docks on county land adjacent to Gallinas Creek. 020 sets the Gallinas Creek dock permit fee at eighty-five dollars and the Corte Madera Creek dock permit fee at forty dollars. 010 doubles the fee to cover the extra inspection. 015 makes it unlawful to build a "covered berth," a roofed structure for watercraft storage rising six feet or more above water level. 060 limits eligibility: only an applicant whose property abuts county land on Gallinas Creek qualifies, and no permit can cover another owner's water frontage.
070 sets design specifications, including a minimum pier deck elevation of four and one-half feet above mean sea level, three-foot minimum widths for piers and gangways, and a forty-pound-per-square-foot live load for pier decking. S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve the encroachment before the county permit takes effect. Both chapters make permits revocable on thirty days' notice and require the permittee to relocate or remove the structure, at the permittee's own expense, if creek maintenance demands it.
Violations & Fines
Building a pier, dock, float, or gangway on Gallinas Creek or Corte Madera Creek county or district land without a Section 11.24.010 or 11.28.010 permit is an unpermitted encroachment; the public works director doubles the application fee once work starts without one. A defective or unmaintained structure, or one that becomes a navigation hazard, is grounds for revocation under Sections 11.24.050 and 11.28.050, and the board of supervisors can order removal under Section 11.24.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a dock on Gallinas Creek in Marin County?
How much does a Marin County boat dock permit cost?
What happens if I build a dock without a permit?
Can I build a roofed boat shelter over my dock?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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