Are docks private property in idaho

Encroachment Permits

The permitting process in the State of Idaho is not a difficult one, however, we often assist homeowners in obtaining their permits at project initiation. The process starts with a plan and application to the Idaho Department of Lands . Permits help the State to identify environmental impact and are recorded with your county seat. Filing fees are required for encroachment permits including docks, boat lifts, mooring buoys, erosion control, etc. and fees are cumulative in nature.

Below are guidelines provided in the Encroachment Permit Packet

  1. Encroachments shall be installed to protrude as near as possible perpendicular to the general shoreline.
  2. Encroachments shall not extend beyond a water depth necessary for customary navigation or beyond the established line of navigation.
  3. Dock encroachments, excluding slip cutout, shall not exceed 700 square feet in size or 10 feet in width; two-family docks shall not exceed 1,100 square feet in size.
  4. Ramp encroachments shall not exceed 6 feet in width.
  5. Single- and two-family encroachments shall not exceed four (4) piling, excluding stationary piers.
  6. Encroachments should not be located closer than 10 feet to adjacent property riparian right lines. Riparian right lines extend waterward of ordinary/artificial high water mark perpendicular from the general shoreline.
  7. All mooring covers used on encroachments must be removable.
  8. For protection of the public trust rights of navigation, structure dimensions will be limited to size actually needed in aid to navigation. Encroachments proposed in rivers shall be held as close as possible to shore to avoid interfering with navigation.

Regional Idaho Department of Lands Offices