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Who reviews Florida marine projects
A waterfront project can be reviewed by several agencies at once. This curated reference explains who the main players are — federal, state, regional and local — and what each one typically looks at.
Federal
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Jacksonville District
USACEFederal review of work in or over navigable waters of the United States.
- Structures and work in navigable waters (docks, seawalls, dredging and more)
- Often handled through the State Programmatic General Permit (SPGP) for qualifying projects
- Coordinates with federal resource agencies on protected species and habitat
State
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
FDEPState environmental review and submerged-lands authorization across much of Florida.
- Environmental Resource Permits (ERP) and exemptions for many marine projects
- Authorization to use state-owned sovereign submerged lands (on behalf of the Board of Trustees)
- Water-quality considerations for activities like dredging
Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund
Owner of state sovereign submerged lands; authorizations are administered through FDEP.
- Consent, lease or easement to place structures over state-owned submerged lands
- Applies where a dock, lift, seawall or shoreline work extends waterward onto state lands
Regional — water management districts
Northwest Florida Water Management District
NWFWMDEnvironmental Resource Permitting in the Florida Panhandle region.
- ERP review and exemptions within its boundary
- Coordinates with FDEP on submerged-lands matters
Suwannee River Water Management District
SRWMDEnvironmental Resource Permitting in the north-central Gulf region.
- ERP review and exemptions within its boundary
- Coordinates with FDEP on submerged-lands matters
St. Johns River Water Management District
SJRWMDEnvironmental Resource Permitting across much of northeast and east-central Florida.
- ERP review and exemptions within its boundary
- Coordinates with FDEP on submerged-lands matters
Southwest Florida Water Management District
SWFWMDEnvironmental Resource Permitting along much of the central Gulf coast.
- ERP review and exemptions within its boundary
- Coordinates with FDEP on submerged-lands matters
South Florida Water Management District
SFWMDEnvironmental Resource Permitting across South Florida.
- ERP review and exemptions within its boundary
- Coordinates with FDEP on submerged-lands matters
Local
County & municipal building departments
Local review of the structural, zoning and land-development aspects of a project.
- Building permits for docks, seawalls, lifts and shoreline structures
- Zoning, setback and land-development compliance
- Coastal counties may apply additional shoreline or floodplain rules
About this directory
This is a curated, educational overview of the agencies most commonly involved in Florida marine permitting. Jurisdiction depends on your county, waterbody and project, and agency roles and programs change over time. Which agencies apply to a specific project should be confirmed with the agencies themselves or a qualified professional. Nothing here is a determination, legal advice or a guarantee of any outcome.
Which agencies apply to your property?
The Free Property Permit Check gives you a plain-language look at which agencies are likely to review a project like yours — no cost, no obligation.