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Permits and approvals

Seawall permits in the Keys.
Your parcel picks the office.

A seawall permit in the Lower or Middle Keys starts with one local office, then adds state, federal and sanctuary reviews. This guide shows who handles your address and the order that keeps a job moving.

About 13 min readOfficial sources linked below

Who issues the seawall permit for your address?

Your parcel decides the office, not your mailing address. Key Haven, Rockland Key and the south side of Stock Island have Key West addresses but sit outside the city. Key West floodplain page

Four cities in this area run their own building permits: Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach and Layton. Everything else is unincorporated Monroe County. FloridaCommerce, Keys critical areas

Who issues the local seawall permit
Where your property isLocal permit officePhone
City of Key West, except Key Haven, Rockland Key and south Stock Island
City of Key West Building Department, 1300 White Street
(305) 809-3956 Key West Building Department
Stock Island, Key Haven, Rockland, Big Coppitt and Geiger, Sugarloaf, Cudjoe, Summerland, Ramrod and the Torch Keys
Monroe County Building Department, Stock Island office, 5503 College Road
(305) 295-3990 Monroe County Building offices 2020 Census Gazetteer
Big Pine Key and No Name Key
Monroe County Building Department; Big Pine satellite office at 179 Key Deer Blvd.
(305) 289-2877 Monroe County Building offices
City of Marathon: about MM 47 to 60, Knight Key through Grassy Key and Coco Plum, except Key Colony Beach
City of Marathon Building Department, 9805 Overseas Highway
(305) 289-5052 Marathon Charter Sec. 10 Marathon Building Department
Key Colony Beach
Key Colony Beach Building Department, 600 West Ocean Drive
(305) 289-1212 ext. 3 KCB Building Department
Duck Key, Conch Key and Long Key outside Layton
Monroe County Building Department, Marathon office, 2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 300
(305) 289-2501 Monroe County Building offices Monroe County road projects
City of Layton on Long Key
Layton City Hall; building code work is contracted to a private inspection firm
(305) 664-4667 City of Layton contact City of Layton staff

Confirm the city or county on the Monroe County Property Appraiser record before you call. Marathon's mile markers are approximate. Marathon Charter Sec. 10

Any Monroe County building office can take a county permit, and appointments are recommended. Monroe County Building offices The county's Marathon office serves unincorporated parcels only, not City of Marathon permits. Every office, map and records tool is listed on the Keys resources page.

The permit stack for a Keys seawall

Most seawall jobs here need more than one approval. This table shows each layer and when it applies.

Approvals a Keys seawall project may need
LayerWhoWhen it applies
Local building permit
Your city or Monroe County
Almost always. Key West requires a permit for work over $1,000, and Key Colony Beach for any major structural seawall repair. Key West permits page KCB Code Sec. 6-6
County planning and environmental review
Monroe County Planning & Environmental Resources
Unincorporated seawalls, riprap and docks; the fee applies only when that review is needed. Monroe County Environmental Resources Res. 277-2025 value bands
State environmental approval
DEP, Marathon office
An exemption, general permit or individual permit. Canal seawall work is often exempt, within limits. Rule 62-330.051(12)
State-owned bottom
DEP, for the state
Only on sovereign submerged land. Monroe County is carved out of consent by rule, except seawall and riprap repair. Rule 18-21.005(1)(b)
Federal permit
Army Corps, Keys Permits Section
Work in or over tidal water. A state permit does not replace it. Army Corps office locations Army Corps Florida guidance
Sanctuary review
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Work that could affect coral or the seabed, including seawall repairs and riprap. NOAA sanctuary nearshore permits
Species review
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the county
Parcels in species focus areas, including Big Pine and No Name Keys since July 1, 2026. Monroe County county code 122-12 Key Deer Assessment Guide, July 2026
State land-planning review
FloridaCommerce
Keys development orders rendered to the state take effect after 45 days unless appealed. Ask if your permit type is rendered. FloridaCommerce rendering rules Rule 73C-44

State and federal approvals come first in practice. Monroe County, Marathon and Key Colony Beach all hold construction until those approvals are in hand. Monroe County county code 118-12(k)(9) Marathon code 106.38 KCB Code Sec. 5-30

Monroe County: permit first, then a Notice to Proceed

A county seawall permit can be issued before your state and federal approvals, but no work may start. Construction and inspections wait for a Notice to Proceed from the Building Official. Monroe County Notice to Proceed handout

  1. Apply online. The county takes applications only through its OPAL system; paper is not accepted, and engineers sign digitally. Monroe County online permitting
  2. Pay half the building fee at application, and the rest at issuance. Res. 277-2025 payment rules
  3. Receive the conditioned permit. Code requires state and federal permits before construction and before the Notice to Proceed. Monroe County county code 118-12(k)(9)
  4. File your approvals from DEP, the Army Corps, FWS or the water management district, and pay the $976 Notice to Proceed fee. Res. 277-2025
  5. Watch the 180-day clock. The county’s 2022 handout says the permit expires if the approvals are not filed within 180 days of issuance, unless it is extended. Then you reapply. Notice to Proceed handout
  6. Sign the Work Over the Water Notice with your contractor, notarized, when the permit issues. Monroe County Work Over the Water Notice

Application and fee questions go to permittinghelp@monroecounty-fl.gov; issued-permit and inspection questions go to inspectionshelp@monroecounty-fl.gov. The main line is (305) 294-4641. Monroe County permitting contacts

Once work starts, a county permit expires six months after issuance with no passed inspection, or 180 days after the last one. Monroe County inspections page

Local rules that shape a Keys seawall design

Every office applies the Florida Building Code. The shoreline rules on top of it differ sharply from island to island.

Local seawall design rules
OfficeRuleWhat it means for your wall
Monroe County
county code 118-12(k): cap no more than two feet wide, yard at least six inches below the top, walls landward of mangroves where feasible, riprap at the toe. Monroe County county code 118-12(k)
No new vertical walls on open water, and replacements stay in the footprint. See the repair or replace guide.
Key West
Code Sec. 110-182: hardening only for a critical peril after plants fail, riprap first, generally no vertical walls. Key West Code Sec. 110-182
Minor maintenance and emergency repair of existing walls are exempt from this article. Key West Code Sec. 110-192
Key West historic district
Exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness with the building permit, on one combined application. Key West permits page Key West Historic Preservation
The HARC guidelines name no seawall standards, so ask Historic Preservation staff at (305) 809-3975 if your wall needs one. Key West historic district review See the Old Town guide.
Marathon
Marathon code 106.36: a two-foot cap, a six-inch swale or berm behind the wall, and the bulkhead line at average mean high water. Marathon code 106.36
Reclaiming eroded land by bulkheading and backfill is prohibited. See the Marathon guide.
Key Colony Beach
Code Sec. 5-51 sets cap height: 5.5 feet above mean sea level for the first wall on a canal, otherwise match the neighboring wall. KCB Code Sec. 5-51
Caps 5 to 10 feet wide, the full frontage built at once, no sloping walls. KCB Code Secs. 5-52 to 5-55 See seawall height rules.
Layton
Comprehensive Plan Policy 5.d prefers riprap, plants or cantilevered platforms to vertical bulkheads. Layton Comprehensive Plan
Ask City Hall how the policy applies before you design.
V and Coastal A flood zones
Monroe County, Key West and Marathon require a design professional's analysis that the wall will not divert floodwater or reflect waves onto neighbors. Monroe County county code 122-31(d) Key West Code Sec. 34-139 Marathon code 107.102.11
Budget for this analysis in the engineering fee.

The state layer: DEP's Marathon office

DEP's Marathon branch runs state environmental permits, mangrove compliance and submerged-land authorizations for all of Monroe County. It is at 2796 Overseas Highway, Suite 221, (305) 289-7070. DEP Marathon office

Common seawall exemptions

  • Seawall or riprap work in artificial waterways and legally existing residential canals.
  • Restoring a wall up to 18 inches waterward of its old spot after a discrete event in the last year.
  • Batter piles, king piles or a new cap used only to stabilize and repair a wall, if navigation stays clear. Rule 62-330.051(12)

An exemption is not a free pass. Exempt work on state-owned bottom still needs a separate authorization. Rule 62-330.051(12)

State law says a local government may not demand DEP verification of an exemption. Section 403.813(1) The sanctuary, though, lists a DEP exemption verification as the state approval in a complete submission. So in the Keys, getting the verification is usually the practical path. NOAA sanctuary nearshore permits

Request verifications and permits through DEP's online permitting system. DEP online permitting

Who owns the bottom? The submerged-land question

If the water bottom in front of your wall is state-owned, you also need the state's permission to use it. That is separate from the environmental permit. DEP sovereign submerged lands Many canal bottoms are private, so check before assuming either way.

  • Repairs: seawall and riprap repair or replacement stays eligible for consent by rule, even in Monroe County. Rule 18-21.005(1)(b)
  • Letter of consent: needed for a seawall up to three feet waterward of mean or ordinary high water, or riprap up to ten feet out. Rule 18-21.005(1)(c)
  • New exempt docks: over state-owned bottom in the Keys, these need written authorization.
  • Aquatic preserves: no new seawalls waterward of mean high water, and restoration may move only one foot out without a consent application. Rule 18-20.004

Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve lies in the Atlantic south of Big Pine Key. If your shore is near it, start with the Big Pine Key guide. Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve

The federal layer: the Army Corps Keys Permits Section

The Corps' Keys Permits Section covers Monroe County from Miami. Send applications to SEAppls@usace.army.mil or call (305) 526-7181. Army Corps office locations

The Keys shortcut is gone for now. Regional General Permit SAJ-82 covered minor Keys work such as docks and shoreline stabilization. It expired June 24, 2026, and no reissued version was found. Army Corps permit SAJ-82

  • SPGP VI, the state-issued federal shortcut, expired July 27, 2026. It excluded Monroe County seawalls and docks anyway. SPGP VI
  • The 2026 nationwide permits took effect March 15, 2026. Whether one fits your wall is a project-by-project question. 2026 nationwide permits
  • A proposed statewide emergency permit, SAJ-116, would cover some storm repairs but no new vertical seawalls. Its final status was not confirmed. Draft Army Corps permit SAJ-116
  • Anyone holding a nationwide or general permit must also send it to the sanctuary for a determination. NOAA sanctuary nearshore permits

Apply through the Corps' online Regulatory Request System. Ask the Keys section which permit now covers your work before you set a schedule. Army Corps RRS notice

The sanctuary layer: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The sanctuary's landward edge is the mean high-water mark, so your seawall face sits on its boundary. 15 CFR 922.161

Sanctuary rules allow seawall construction and repair under a valid permit. Injuring or disturbing coral, living or dead, is still prohibited. 15 CFR 922.163

What a complete submission needs

  • Project plans.
  • The state approval, such as a DEP exemption verification or an SFWMD permit.
  • A seafloor (benthic) survey; for dock or seawall work, the sanctuary will likely ask for one.
  • The federal approval, such as an Army Corps permit, if one applies.

Email the package to fknms.authorizations@noaa.gov. A project missing any item is not added to the review queue. NOAA sanctuary nearshore permits

Plan around the survey window

  • Seagrass surveys run June 1 to September 30. A survey outside that window may be rejected.
  • The survey covers at least 10 feet beyond the work area.
  • The biologist needs a sanctuary permit to lay tapes or quadrats on the bottom.
  • If construction slips past three years, a new survey may be required. Sanctuary survey protocol, 2022

Submit at least 90 days before the date you need, and expect the sanctuary permit to wait until every other permit is in hand. NOAA sanctuary permits

Big Pine, No Name and other species areas: the FWS review

The Big Pine Key and No Name Key habitat plan expired in 2023, and its take permit on June 30, 2026. Since July 1, 2026, properties there inside the species focus areas go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review. Monroe County HCP notice Key Deer Assessment Guide, July 2026

  • The county charges $825 when your permit is sent to FWS. Res. 277-2025
  • A "no effect" or "not likely to adversely affect" finding needs no further FWS letters. "May affect" means FWS coordination before the permit issues.
  • A developed lot with only non-native cover, no native habitat removed and no new fencing can reach "not likely to adversely affect." Mangroves and beach berm count as native habitat. Key Deer Assessment Guide
  • When FWS help is needed, the county issues a conditioned permit with a Notice to Proceed, and it expires after 180 days if not activated. Monroe County county code 122-12
  • Species focus areas reach beyond Big Pine. A federal biological opinion covers nine species across unincorporated Monroe County. Monroe County HCP transition boards

The old habitat caps still apply, and eastern indigo snake protections carry over for all construction. See the Big Pine Key and No Name Key guides. Monroe County HCP transition boards

How long does a Keys seawall permit take?

Plan in months, not weeks, for anything beyond an in-place canal repair. The local permit is rarely the slow part.

Time rules that set a Keys permit schedule
StepTime rule
Key West completeness check
A letter within 5 business days, 10 business days to cure, and 10 business days for each correction round Key West application policy
Sanctuary submission
At least 90 days before the date you need NOAA sanctuary permits
Seagrass survey
Only June 1 to September 30 Sanctuary survey protocol, 2022
State land-planning review
45 days after rendering, for permit types the state reviews FloridaCommerce rendering rules
Monroe County conditioned permit
180 days to file state and federal approvals, per the county’s 2022 handout Notice to Proceed handout
Army Corps
No Keys general permit since June 24, 2026; ask the Keys section Army Corps permit SAJ-82
Marathon inspections
An approved inspection at least every 180 days, or the permit is void Marathon inspection list

An exempt repair in place on a manmade canal moves fastest. Moving the wall, adding riprap on open water or building a new dock adds the survey and federal review, so book the survey for summer.

Step by step: the order that keeps a permit moving

  1. Confirm the jurisdiction on the Property Appraiser record.
  2. Find the wall's history. A replacement relies on the wall being lawfully existing. Monroe County county code 118-12(k)(4)
  3. Hire a surveyor and an engineer. Key West's dock checklist, for example, asks for a survey, the mean high-water elevation and sealed drawings. Key West dock checklist
  4. Book the seafloor (benthic) survey for the June to September window if the sanctuary will want one.
  5. File with DEP and the Army Corps.
  6. File the local permit. In unincorporated Monroe County you can file early and wait for the Notice to Proceed.
  7. Send the sanctuary package once state and federal approvals are in hand.
  8. Record a Notice of Commencement before the first inspection; Key West requires one at $5,000 and up. Key West dock checklist
  9. Schedule inspections and keep every permit active.

Ready to plan the paperwork? Talk it through and bring your survey.

Official permit resources

Find the permit office for your property
City or countyPermit officeOfficial source
Monroe County (unincorporated Lower Keys, Stock Island, Key Haven, Big Coppitt to No Name Key)
Building Department, Stock Island office
Building and Permitting · Online Permitting Services
Monroe County (unincorporated Middle Keys: Duck Key, Conch Key, Long Key outside Layton)
Building Department, Marathon office
Building and Permitting · Online Permitting Services · Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)
Monroe County planning, environmental and FWS species review
Planning & Environmental Resources
Environmental Resources · Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 122 - Floodplain Management · Key Deer Assessment Guide (July 2026)
City of Key West
Building Department
Building Department - About Us · Expedited Building Permit Policy & Procedures (Effective 1/01/2025) · Floodplain Management (FEMA)
City of Marathon (about MM 47 to 60, except Key Colony Beach)
Building Department
Building · Permit and Inspection Information · City of Marathon Charter, Sec. 10 Land Description
City of Key Colony Beach
Building Department & Code Enforcement
Building Department and Code Enforcement
City of Layton (Long Key)
City Hall (contracted building code administration)
Contact Us · City Staff
Florida DEP (all of Monroe County)
Southeast District, Marathon office
SED Marathon Office · Rule 62-330.051, F.A.C. (Exempt Activities) · ERP e-Permitting
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Monroe County)
Keys Permits Section
Jacksonville District Regulatory Office Locations · Regional General Permit SAJ-82
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Nearshore construction authorizations
Nearshore Construction Permits · Permits
Show sourcesHide sources
  1. Floodplain Management (FEMA)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  2. City of Key West and the Florida Keys AreasSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  3. Building Department - About UsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  4. Building and PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  5. 2020 Census Gazetteer Files: Places, FloridaSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  6. City of Marathon Charter, Sec. 10 Land DescriptionSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  7. BuildingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  8. Building Department and Code EnforcementSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  9. County Road ProjectsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  10. Contact UsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  11. City StaffSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  12. PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  13. Code of Ordinances Ch. 6 Buildings, Sec. 6-6 Building permitSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  14. Environmental ResourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  15. Resolution No. 277-2025 (Building Department permitting fee schedule)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  16. Rule 62-330.051, F.A.C. (Exempt Activities)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  17. Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C. (Forms of Authorization)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  18. Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  19. USACE South Atlantic Division Florida regulatory guidanceSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  20. Nearshore Construction PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  21. Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 122 - Floodplain ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  22. Key Deer Assessment Guide (July 2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  23. Instruction for Rendering Development Orders and Land Development RegulationsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  24. Chapter 73C-44, Development Order Requirements for Areas of Critical State ConcernSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  25. Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 118 - Environmental ProtectionSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  26. LDR Sec. 106.38 Allowable ActivitiesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  27. Code of Ordinances Ch. 5, Art. III Marine Construction and Improvements, Docking of BoatsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  28. Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)Source reviewed 2026-11-05
  29. Online Permitting ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  30. Work Over the Water NoticeSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  31. InspectionsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  32. Code of Ordinances, Subpart B Land Development Regulations, Ch. 110 Resource Protection, Art. IV Coastal ResourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  33. Historic Preservation Division (HARC)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  34. Is My Property Under HARC Jurisdiction?Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  35. LDR Sec. 106.36 Criteria For Approval (Hardened Shorelines)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  36. Comprehensive Plan Amendment Package (Ord. No. 2022-11-01), adopted June 1, 2023Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  37. Code of Ordinances, Ch. 34 Floods, Sec. 34-139 Other developmentSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  38. LDR Sec. 107.102.11 Other DevelopmentSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  39. SED Marathon OfficeSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  40. 2026 Florida Statutes section 403.813Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  41. ERP e-PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  42. Sovereign Submerged Lands: Proprietary Authority versus Regulatory AuthoritySource reviewed 2026-10-23
  43. Rule 18-20.004, F.A.C. (Management Policies, Standards, and Criteria - Aquatic Preserves)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  44. Coupon Bight Aquatic PreserveSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  45. Regional General Permit SAJ-82Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  46. State Programmatic General Permit (SPGP) VISource reviewed 2026-10-28
  47. US Army Corps of Engineers announces publication of 2026 nationwide permitsSource reviewed 2026-10-23
  48. Public Notice: Proposed Issuance of Regional General Permit SAJ-116 (SAJ-2025-01920)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  49. Advisory Public Notice: Regulatory Request System (RRS)—Permit ApplicationsSource reviewed 2026-10-23
  50. 15 CFR 922.161 and Appendix I to Subpart P (Sanctuary boundary)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  51. 15 CFR 922.163, Prohibited activities - Sanctuary-wideSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  52. Resource Assessment Survey Protocols for Nearshore Construction ProjectsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  53. PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  54. Habitat Conservation Plan Community Meeting - Big Pine Key (May 28, 2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  55. Habitat Conservation Plan transition presentation boardsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  56. Expedited Building Permit Policy & Procedures (Effective 1/01/2025)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
  57. Permit and Inspection InformationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
  58. Checklist for Dock Permit ApplicationSource reviewed 2026-10-28

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Plan your project(786) 644-6444
Plan your project(786) 644-6444