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Key Colony Beach · Monroe County

What are the boat lift rules in Key Colony Beach?

Allowed by type; pontoon lifts banneddavits over 5,500 lb need commission

Key Colony Beach regulates each kind of lift. Davits need a concrete base 5 feet from the property line and an engineer's certificate, and over 5,500 pounds need city commission approval. Elevator lift forks may reach 12 feet into the canal, lift up to 31,000 pounds and never rise above the seawall cap. Other lifts, including cradle lifts, need commission approval, and hydro or pontoon lifts are prohibited.

Source: City of Key Colony Beach Code Ch. 5, Secs. 5-38, 5-41 to 5-44, 5-60 (Supp. 36; Ord. 2023-484, 2025-502); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

PermitA city building permit for davits and lifting devices - Code Sec. 5-60
DavitsConcrete base 5 feet from the side property line; over 5,500 lb rated capacity needs city commission approval; an engineer must certify the base carries 120% of rated capacity plus the davit - Sec. 5-42
Elevator liftsManufacturer capacity up to 31,000 lb and forks up to 12 feet into the waterway without commission approval; forks never above the seawall cap, or 2 feet above a wooden dock if mounted on its pilings; engineer certification at 120% of combined weight; commission approval where the usable waterway is under 60 feet - Sec. 5-43(1)-(2), (4)-(5), (7)-(8)
Forks and buoysForks may stay submerged without a boat only with a white marine buoy on a fork end; reflective devices on fork ends - Sec. 5-43(3)
HurricanesIn a hurricane watch, if the owner is away more than a week, boats on elevator lifts must be strapped with lines rated to 120% of gross weight - Sec. 5-43(6)
BoundariesBoats and lifts must stay within the property boundaries and riparian lines - Sec. 5-43(9)
Other liftsAll other boat lifts, including cradle lifts, need city commission approval (installations on 7th Street and in Marina Subdivision No. 2 are excluded from that requirement); hydro or pontoon lifts are prohibited - Sec. 5-44
Hoist heightHoists or equipment used with mooring posts or boat lifts may not exceed the 10-foot height limit for posts - Sec. 5-38(b)
State and federalFloating boat lifts and floating vessel platforms that meet s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (they float at all times, hold the vessel out of the water, and either sit inside a previously permitted slip or total no more than 500 sq ft - 200 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters - beside a qualifying dock or bulkhead) need no state permit; a local government may then ask only for a one-time registration unless the platform is attached to a bulkhead with no dock. Structures in navigable waters otherwise need Army Corps authorization unless exempt or under a general permit - 33 CFR 322.3(a).

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Monroe County, and where each city departs from it.

Monroe CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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