St. Johns County, FL Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Permitted accessory use, residential & OR districts
- Parking rule
- On-site or within 300 ft of dock parcel
- Beyond 300 ft
- Requires a Special Use Permit
- Grandfather date
- Docks built/permitted before Oct. 30, 2007
- Outside agencies
- SJRWMD and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Summary
Private boat docks, piers and boathouses are a permitted accessory use in St. Johns County's residential and Open Rural districts, but undeveloped waterfront lots need on-site or nearby parking, and every dock still has to satisfy state and federal permitting agencies.
Boat docks, piers, boat houses, boat houses, boat shelters, structures on docks, shall be permissible as accessory structures in residential districts and OR, Open Rural districts. In addition these structures may be located on parcel(s) of land that is not developed with a main use residential structure, provided adequate parking as defined in Section 6.05.02.E is placed on site, or within 300 feet of the dock parcel, unless a Special Use Permit is obtained permitting parking at distances greater than 300 feet from the dock parcel. Boat docks, piers, boathouses, boat shelters and other structures on docks constructed or granted a permit for construction by an appropriate jurisdictional agency prior to October 30, 2007 shall be considered conforming structures ... shall be required to comply with all other jurisdictional agency requirements such as St. Johns River Water Management District, Army Corps of Engineers and shall continue to comply with applicable provisions of Section 4.01.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
3 of the Land Development Code lists boat docks, piers, boathouses, boat shelters and other dock structures as permitted accessory uses in residential districts and the Open Rural (OR) district. E either on the dock site itself or within 300 feet of it; going beyond 300 feet requires a Special Use Permit specifically allowing the greater distance. The county grandfathers docks that were built, or that had obtained a construction permit from a jurisdictional agency, before October 30, 2007: those structures are deemed conforming and can be repaired or replaced without meeting the current parking and siting conditions.
Every dock, whether new or grandfathered, still has to satisfy every other agency with jurisdiction over the water body, and the code names two specifically: the St. S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose permits govern dredging, wetlands impacts and navigable-water construction independent of the county's zoning sign-off. 00, which cover wetlands and environmentally sensitive shoreline. In practice this means a homeowner applies to the county for the zoning accessory-use approval and separately pursues SJRWMD and, where applicable, Army Corps authorization before construction.
Violations & Fines
Building a dock beyond the 300-foot parking allowance without first obtaining a Special Use Permit, or constructing without the required St. Johns River Water Management District or Army Corps of Engineers authorization, exposes the structure to removal or after-the-fact permitting action; the county's accessory-use approval does not substitute for, or waive, the separate state and federal permitting agencies' jurisdiction over the same structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a private boat dock in unincorporated St. Johns County?
Can I build a dock on a waterfront lot with no house on it yet?
Is my older boat dock grandfathered under the current rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Johns County
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