Putnam County, FL Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Under Land Development Code § 45-110(2), a dock or pier is a boardwalk-type structure extending over the water for fishing, swimming or boating access, and may include a boathouse, defined as a structure storing a recreational watercraft. Neither structure may be enclosed or used as a habitable space; both must remain open on all sides per § 45-110(2)b. Dimensionally, the county limits a boathouse to 600 square feet of covered boat slip area unless the owner obtains a special use permit, the main access pier to five feet in width, and catwalks to three feet in width under § 45-110(2)e-g.

A boathouse must sit at least ten feet from any principal structure, and only one boathouse is allowed per lot or parcel, unless a special use permit or county-approved development agreement authorizes more. Section 45-110(2)c requires compliance with all other regulatory agencies covering the electrical and plumbing services in a dock or boathouse, expressly naming the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Elsewhere, docks and unenclosed boathouses are allowed within the required waterfront setback under § 45-105(e)(2), a carve-out from the general setback rules that apply to other accessory structures on riverfront and lakefront lots along the St. Johns River and Putnam's lakes.