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Wilton Manors · Broward County

What are the boat lift rules in Wilton Manors?

Allowed with a building permit3 ft from side line; guide pole

Wilton Manors counts davits, hoists and boat lifts, including submersible lifts, as mooring devices. They need a building permit from Community Development Services with a notarized ownership statement, must stay 3 feet from the neighbour's projected property line in residential districts, and any submersible part needs a reflective guide pole at least 6 feet above high tide. Boats on mooring devices may reach 30% of the canal width, but vessels at private docks in residential districts only 25%.

Source: City of Wilton Manors Code Sec. 11-7 (Supp. 68); Broward County Code Sec. 27-336 (Supp. 72); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

DefinitionMooring devices include boat davits, submersible boat lifts, hoists and boat lifts erected on or next to a seawall or dock - Code Sec. 11-7(a)(1)
PermitBuilding permit from the Community Development Services Department before work; approval of all authorities on navigable waters; a notarized statement of ownership or notarized owner consent - Sec. 11-7(b)
Side setbackNo mooring structure or device closer than 3 feet (residential) or 5 feet (non-residential) to the adjacent property line projected into the canal - Sec. 11-7(g)
Guide poleAny submersible part needs a vertical guide pole at least 1.5 inches in diameter, at least 6 feet above the water line at high tide, with a reflective colour; an equally safe alternative may be approved - Sec. 11-7(f)
Boats on devicesBoats moored to mooring structures or devices may not extend more than 30% of the canal width from the recorded property line - Sec. 11-7(g)
Unsafe devicesThe owner gets 30 days' written notice to fix an unsafe mooring device - Sec. 11-7(e)
Residential docksNo dock closer than 3 feet to the adjacent property line; mooring pilings no more than 25% of the waterway or 25 feet and 3 feet from the lot line, with night reflectors if more than 5 feet out - Sec. 11-7(c)(1)-(3)
Vessels at private docksIn residential districts, vessels at private docks or pilings may not extend more than 25% of the waterway width - Sec. 11-7(c)(4)
Mooring without permissionNo vessel may tie up to a seawall or mooring device, or be beached, on private property without the owner's permission, except vessels or persons in distress protecting life, limb or property - Sec. 11-7(h)
Broward CountyBoatlifts and davits are listed among the projects that qualify for a county general environmental resource license, which the code says is issued within ten days of a complete application - Broward County Code Sec. 27-336(a)(1)f.
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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