For a dock, seawall or dredging project in Pinellas County, start with County Water and Navigation even if the property is inside a city. The County explicitly includes both incorporated and unincorporated locations. Its shoreline review is not a determination that every other approval is unnecessary. County program and application instructions
Which shoreline work goes to the County?
The County lists private single-family docks, multi-use and commercial docks, marinas, seawalls, riprap, tie poles, and dredging or filling in County waters. Its review considers environmental impacts, navigation, construction requirements and consistency with the Water and Navigation Code. Describe the actual work when asking about the application: replacing decking is a different scope description from moving pilings, changing dimensions or adding fill. The program page does not establish an exemption for a project merely because the estimate calls it a repair. Covered projects
Ask Water and Navigation which record applies to the proposed scope and which other agencies need to be involved. A city location is not a reason to skip the County; conversely, County coverage does not settle municipal building, state, federal, ownership or private restrictions for a particular property.
Find the old permit before treating the existing dock as approved
The County’s downloadable instructions, revised October 2020 and still linked from its current program page, give a specific search method:
- Open the Pinellas County Access Portal and choose Search Applications under Water and Navigation.
- Change the search Start Date to 01/01/1960. A recent default date range can exclude the record you need.
- Enter the street number and street name, then search.
- Open the relevant record. Under Record Info, choose Attachments to retrieve the previous permit.
These steps come from the County’s two-page search instructions, not a search performed by LSL. Portal labels may change. If the route no longer matches the screen, return to the County instructions landing page or ask Water and Navigation for help.
Compare the retrieved permit’s address, project description, approved drawings and conditions with the proposed work. An old permit is evidence of what that record authorized; it is not permission to enlarge a dock or change its configuration. No search result is not proof that a permit never existed.
Three different questions need three different records
| Your question | Start here | What remains unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| What was previously permitted? | The old permit and its attachments | Whether the existing structure matches it, and whether new work needs approval |
| Are nearby coastal resources mapped? | The County’s coastal environmental resource zone map, linked from its program page | Site-specific resource conditions and the project’s environmental determination |
| Where is my current application? | The individual application and a status inquiry using its permit number and address | Whether every condition and separate approval has been satisfied |
The resource map uses the County’s most recent available information about nearby seagrass and mangroves. It is a screening aid, not a parcel-specific clearance. The permit-times dashboard reports overall review activity; its average or trend cannot establish an individual application’s status. County tools and status guidance
Submit a new application or ask about an existing one
New dock and dredge/fill applications must be submitted through the Pinellas County Access Portal. For a specific application status, email WaterNavPermits@pinellas.gov with the permit number and address. To request the current paper application, the County lists 727-464-4170 and WNPermitIntake@pinellas.gov. The availability of a paper copy does not establish an alternative to the stated online submission requirement. Application routes
Keep the issued permit and its conditions separate from the application receipt. Ask which inspections or completion documents your particular permit requires; this guide does not invent a universal closeout sequence.
If old pilings are coming out, arrange disposal before loading
The County provides specific instructions for CCA-treated dock pilings, telephone poles and railroad ties: use a permitted landfill, not household trash. Its listed disposal appointment requires at least 48 hours’ notice at 727-464-7500. Pieces must be four feet or shorter, in a separate load without other trash, and free of electrical wires, metal attachments and decking. The page lists a $110 special-handling fee per load in addition to the disposal fee. Confirm the receiving arrangement and current charges before transporting material. These are the County’s listed conditions for these materials, not a universal rule for all demolition waste. Disposal instructions
Verification scope
LSL compared the County program page with its linked historical-permit instructions on September 21, 2026 and organized the distinctions above for a property owner planning shoreline work. We did not submit an application, search an individual parcel, inspect a shoreline or determine property rights. The previously cited code deep link displayed an unavailable-content message, so this revision does not rely on it for ordinance-specific requirements. Obtain the current applicable provisions and project conditions from Water and Navigation rather than treating this guide as a code interpretation.