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Key West · Monroe County

What are the boat lift rules in Key West?

No lift-specific rule; permit fee covers davitsbuilding permit

Key West's code does not regulate boat lifts by name. It treats boat davits as a structure that needs a building permit - the fee schedule prices docks and boat davits together - and docks, piers and wharves need Army Corps approval and a channel at least four feet deep at mean low water.

Source: City of Key West Code of Ordinances Secs. 14-2, 118-361, 122-1186 (Supp. 99); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Permit feeNew structures other than buildings, including seawalls, docks and boat davits, are charged $36 per $1,000 of contract price, minimum $100; repairs under $1,000 need no permit - Code Sec. 14-2
Dock permitBulkheads, piers and docks along the shoreline are installed under a permit from the building official - Code Sec. 118-361
Agency approval and depthDocks, piers or wharves require Army Corps approval and/or approval of any other agency with jurisdiction, and are allowed only where a continuous channel at least four feet deep at mean low water links the structure to deep water - Code Sec. 122-1186(b)
Not in the codeNo boat lift projection, height, setback, canopy rule or per-lot count was found (searched lift, boat lift, davit, hoist)
Regular mooringA boat moored to the same shoreline at least eight hours a day for ten days in a month is 'regularly moored'; that needs the riparian landowner's consent, may not be used as a dwelling except in public marinas or on private sites, and must be kept seaworthy - Code Sec. 122-1186(a) (Ord. 97-10)
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).

Your city's height sheet

The elevation your city requires, the datum it is measured in, and the section of code that says so. One page.

Available for the cities whose rule we have verified and sourced.

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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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Other questions about Key West

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

What to look for, where to look for it, and what it means when you find it. Walk your wall in twenty minutes.

A screening sheet for owners, not an engineering inspection.

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