Dock projectionSeawalled tidal lots: 10% of the water body width; Intracoastal shoreline: 20 ft or as permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers; mangrove-fringe shorelines: 20% of the width - LDC 98-87(d)(3), Table A
Total projectionDock, mooring structure and vessel together may never exceed 25% of the water body's width - 98-87(d)(2)b. Table A caps Intracoastal projection at 25% of the Intracoastal width or 30 ft, whichever is more restrictive
Width measuredLaterally across the water body; seawall to seawall where both banks are walled - 98-87(d)(1)j
Side setbacksDocks 5 ft from the bisecting lines (property lines extended at 90 degrees from the bulkhead); at canal dead ends and non-parallel waterfronts on lots under 100 ft, 5 ft or 10% of the waterfront lot line, whichever is less; boats 5 ft from each bisecting line - Table A, 98-87(d)(2)c
HeightWith a seawall, the dock may not be higher than the seawall and, if built before 2035, at least 4 ft NAVD88 designed to reach 5 ft NAVD88 by 1 January 2050; decking on the cap needs sealed engineering and may sit no more than 6 inches above it. Without a seawall, between 4 ft above mean low water and 5 ft above mean high water - 98-87(d)(1)e-g
DepthAt least 4 ft of water at mean low water at the terminal end, unless a dock at the full allowed percentage reaches 4 ft within 5 ft of its end - 98-87(d)(1)d
Platform sizeWhere there is no mangrove fringe, a terminal platform may be no wider than 8 ft in one dimension and no more than 160 sq ft - 98-87(d)(4)d
One dockOne dock per single-family or two-family dwelling; a principal structure with a certificate of occupancy is required first - 98-87(d)(1)c,h
BoatsMoored parallel to the seawall with no rafting; personal watercraft may sit perpendicular up to 16 ft or 25% of the width, whichever is less - 98-87(d)(2)a
LiftsLots under 100 ft: one lift, 10 ft from the bisecting lines; 100 ft or more: up to two lifts, 25 ft from them - 98-87(d)(3)e
DolphinsNone on waterways under 80 ft wide; 80-100 ft: up to 2, 25 ft or 25%, keeping a 50 ft clear channel; over 100 ft: 30 ft or 25%; 10 ft from bisecting lines; 6-8 ft above mean high water - 98-87(d)(3)f, Table B
LightingDock lights no higher than 48 inches above the decking, no red or green lights - 98-87(d)(4)a
LaddersOne safety ladder to 2 ft below mean low water; two on docks over 50 ft long - 98-87(d)(1)k
Broward County licenseWork in the county's regulated aquatic resources, which include canals and tidal waters, needs a Broward County Environmental Resource License - County Code 27-332, 27-333(a)(1). A new dock, floating dock or other over-water structure of 500 sq ft or less, measured from the seawall's wet face at mean high water, with no dredging or filling beyond the pilings, qualifies for a general license issued within 10 days of a complete application - 27-336(a)(1)e. A county ordinance that sets minimum environmental-protection standards prevails over city ordinances - Broward County Charter Sec. 11.01
State exemptionA private, non-commercial dock on pilings with 1,000 sq ft or less of over-water surface (500 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters), and the only exempt dock along 65 ft of shoreline (or one per lot if the lot is narrower), needs no state environmental permit - Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b). The exemption does not grant permission to use state-owned submerged lands and does not override city or county rules - 403.813(1)
FederalStructures in navigable waters need a Department of the Army permit, general or individual - 33 CFR 322.3(a)