WallDockDeck
Lake Worth Beach · Palm Beach County

What are the boat lift rules in Lake Worth Beach?

Allowed by right in SF-R; engineer designstate and federal approvals first

In Lake Worth Beach's single-family residential district, boat docks and boat lifts are accessory uses allowed by right. Dockage facilities must be designed by a registered engineer, all state and federal approvals must be in hand before the city building permit, docks must stay 10 feet from other residential lot lines, and boathouses are prohibited.

Source: City of Lake Worth Beach Code (LDR) Secs. 23.3-7, 23.4-2 (Supp. 156); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

AllowedBoat docks and boat lifts are accessory uses permitted by right in SF-R - LDR Sec. 23.3-7
DesignDockage facilities designed by a registered engineer and built to the building code - LDR Sec. 23.4-2(b)
ApprovalsAll state and federal approvals before the city building permit - Sec. 23.4-2(b)
Side setbackNo dock nearer than 10 feet to the lot line of other residentially zoned property - Sec. 23.4-2(c)
ProhibitedLiving aboard, boathouses, fueling facilities and any commercial use - Sec. 23.4-2(d)
Extra conditionsThe city may add conditions to protect the area or the estuary, such as water circulation - Sec. 23.4-2(e)
DefinitionThe city's waterways chapter defines a boat to include seaplanes when not airborne and boats docked, moored or upon boat lifts in any city waterway - Code Sec. 22-2
Who may use the dockDockage is an accessory use where the boats are used by the occupants of the premises; the zoning use table lists 'Boat Docks and Boat Lifts' as a use category - Secs. 23.4-2(a), 23.3-6
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 Palm Beach County, and where each city departs from it.

Palm Beach 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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