WallDockDeck
North Bay Village · Miami-Dade County

What are the boat lift rules in North Bay Village?

Allowed; 50 ft limit, 7.5 ft side setbacksafety light on outer end

North Bay Village limits docks, pilings and boat lifts to 50 feet out from the seawall, with a 7.5-foot setback from each side lot line and a Village building permit. A lift at an existing longer dock may go past 50 feet only if neither it nor the lifted boat sits farther out than the dock already does, and whichever structure is farthest out needs a safety light from dusk to dawn.

Source: North Bay Village Unified Land Development Code Secs. 8.17, 9.12 (Supp. 8); Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48, 24-48.2 (Supp. 136); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

ReachNo dock, piling, boat lift or similar structure more than 50 feet perpendicular from the seawall or shoreline, not counting rip-rap - ULDC Sec. 9.12(B)(1)
Longer existing docksLifts and mooring piles may go beyond 50 feet at existing docks only if they and the lifted boat extend no farther than the existing dock structures - Sec. 9.12(B)(5)
Side setbackAt least 7.5 feet from the lot line on each side - Sec. 9.12(B)(2)
PermitBuilding permit from the Village Building Department to build, repair, extend or alter a boat lift, with written application and detailed plans - Sec. 9.12(B)(3)-(4)
LightA safety light on the part of the dock, mooring pile or boat lift farthest from the seawall, lit from half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise - Sec. 9.12(B)(6)
RepairsExisting lifts may be repaired or rebuilt in the same footprint regardless of the dimensional limits - Sec. 9.12(B)(7)
Floating liftsFloating boat lifts follow Miami-Dade Sec. 24-48 Class 1 permit rules; unencapsulated polystyrene floats are banned - Sec. 8.17(B)(6)-(7)
Miami-Dade CountyAny work in, on or over tidal waters needs a county permit from the Department (DERM). A single-family boat lift, davit or floating dock that protrudes no more than 25% of the waterway width may use the short-form application, as may installing a boat lift or davit on a dock, seawall or bulkhead - Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48(1)(d), 24-48.2(I)(A)(2), (8), (20).
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

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Miami-Dade CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

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

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