Who issues seawall and bulkhead permits in St. Johns County?
In unincorporated St. Johns County, the county Building Department issues building permits, in most cases only after a Clearance Sheet is issued, and Development Review makes coastal and CCCL determinations first. The City of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach issue their own permits. State review usually goes to the DEP Northeast District, the Corps handles federal authorization, and bulkheads on county oceanfront rights-of-way follow a separate county process.
Not legal or permitting advice
Permit requirements depend on your exact property, the waterway, the work proposed and every agency with jurisdiction. This guide points you to official sources; confirm requirements with each agency before starting work.
Agencies that may be involved
| Level | Agency | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District | Federal authorization for structures in navigable waters and fill in waters of the United States |
| State | Florida DEP Northeast District | State ERP exemptions and permits for single-family work not part of a larger development, usually with state-lands review |
| State | Florida DEP Coastal Construction Control Line Program | Permits for construction and armoring seaward of the CCCL on the county's Atlantic beaches |
| Regional | St. Johns River Water Management District | ERP review for projects DEP does not handle, such as work within a larger permitted development |
| County | St. Johns County Building Services | Building permits and inspections in unincorporated St. Johns County, in most cases after a Clearance Sheet is issued |
| County | St. Johns County Growth Management, Development Review | Clearance Sheets, flood zone and Coastal Building Zone/CCCL determinations, and oceanfront right-of-way bulkhead applications |
| Municipal | City of St. Augustine Planning and Building | Building permits inside St. Augustine city limits, through the city's Permit Portal |
| Municipal | City of St. Augustine Historic Architectural Review Board | Certificates of Appropriateness for most work in the city's five historic preservation districts |
| Municipal | City of St. Augustine Beach Building Department | Building permits and inspections inside St. Augustine Beach |
Who Issues What in St. Johns County
Outside city limits, St. Johns County's building permits page (opens in a new tab) states that any owner or agent who intends to construct, alter or repair a building or structure must first apply to the building official, and that 'in most cases, building permit applications will be accepted only after a Clearance Sheet is issued.' The same page notes that 'governmental entities such as water management districts, state agencies or federal agencies may require additional permits.' Before building review, the county's Development Review (opens in a new tab) staff handle 'Coastal Building Zone/Coastal Construction Control Line determinations.'
Inside St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, the city is the building permit office. State review generally goes to the DEP Northeast District for a single-family wall not part of a larger development, the St. Johns River Water Management District covers the county for other projects, and the Corps handles federal authorization.
| Where the wall is | Local approvals | State and federal review |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated county, river or Intracoastal | Clearance Sheet, then a Building Services permit | DEP Northeast District or SJRWMD; Corps; state-lands consent if the bottom is state-owned |
| Unincorporated county, oceanfront | Development Review CCCL determination, Clearance Sheet and building permit | DEP CCCL permit for work seaward of the line; DEP handles ERP seaward of the CCCL |
| Across a county-owned oceanfront right-of-way | Section 40.0 process: county owner's authorization, then Building Services review | FDEP permit required before the county's formal review |
| City of St. Augustine | Building permit through the city's Permit Portal; PZB approval if applicable; HARB approval in historic districts | DEP Northeast District or SJRWMD; Corps |
| St. Augustine Beach | Building permit from the city's Building Department | DEP CCCL permit for oceanfront work seaward of the line; DEP or SJRWMD; Corps |
Waterways and Coastal Areas That Shape Review
- Atlantic beaches. The county's Coastal Construction Control Line is described in Rule 62B-26.019, F.A.C. (opens in a new tab). Armoring seaward of the line needs DEP CCCL review, and Chapter 62B-33, including its coastal armoring rule, was amended effective July 7, 2026.
- Tidal rivers and the Intracoastal. Walls on the St. Johns River, the Intracoastal Waterway and tidal creeks fall under ERP, state-lands and federal rules. In estuaries and lagoons, section 373.414(5), F.S. (opens in a new tab) generally calls for repaired or replaced vertical seawalls to be faced with or replaced by riprap unless an exception applies.
- Aquatic preserves. The Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab) lies in St. Johns County between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and the Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab) sits within the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve between Palm Coast and St. Augustine. State aquatic preserve rules bar new seawalls waterward of the mean or ordinary high water line except in limited cases.
- Manatee plans. St. Johns County does not appear on FWC's list of county manatee protection plans, but FWC manatee protection zones and in-water work conditions for listed species can still apply.
Oceanfront Bulkheads on County Rights-of-Way
St. Johns County has a specific process, Section 40.0 of its Development Review Manual (opens in a new tab), for bulkheads built across oceanfront rights-of-way the county owns. It 'only applies to right of way adjacent to ocean front property and does not apply to any other right-of-way in St. Johns County,' and such construction 'requires a Clearance Sheet and Building Permit.' Applications go to the Growth Management Department.
A preliminary submittal of the Clearance Sheet application and engineered plans is reviewed before the county issues the owner's authorization needed for the FDEP permit application. After the FDEP permit is issued, the full package goes to Building Services. The manual lists review 'within 7 working days' and these criteria, among others:
- Design by a Florida Registered Professional Engineer, to the current Florida Building Code, and permitted through Building Services
- Wall sheeting or cribbing of vinyl at a minimum; wood plank cribbing is not permitted
- A concrete cap and tie-backs per the engineered drawings
- Where the wall connects to neighboring bulkheads, the more stringent of the two adjacent designs
- Uniform, continuous construction across the right-of-way, with beach access stairs where a walkover or footpath existed
- No permit for improvements or repairs to an existing improvement the Building Official deems substandard
Required documents include a current topographic survey, a site plan and structural details signed and sealed by the engineer, the FDEP permit, owner's authorizations from the adjacent owners and the county's Land Management Systems Department, and an executed Ocean Bulkhead Release Form. Acceptance of a finished bulkhead by the Board of County Commissioners is discretionary.
City of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach
City of St. Augustine. The city's building permit page (opens in a new tab) lists, for a bulkhead or retaining wall, building plans showing Florida Building Code compliance, Planning and Zoning Board approval if applicable, and a property survey showing the proposed location, dimensions, setbacks and drainage. Docks need plans and Planning and Zoning Board approval. Applications go through the city's Permit Portal.
Historic districts add a step. A Certificate of Appropriateness (opens in a new tab) 'is required for most work within one of St. Augustine's five Historic Preservation (HP) zoning districts,' and it must be issued before a building permit. The city also notes that the state's new $7,500 building permit exemption does not remove HARB, Planning and Zoning Board or archaeology approvals and does not cover structural work or property in a flood hazard area.
St. Augustine Beach. The city's Building Department (opens in a new tab) issues permits and inspects work. It asks applicants to email submittals to onlinepermitting@cityofsab.org as separately labeled PDF attachments. Oceanfront work seaward of the CCCL also needs DEP CCCL review.
Typical Permit Steps in St. Johns County
- Confirm your jurisdictionCheck whether the property is in unincorporated St. Johns County, St. Augustine or St. Augustine Beach, and whether any part of the wall crosses a county oceanfront right-of-way.
- Get the coastal determinationIn the unincorporated county, Development Review makes Coastal Building Zone and CCCL determinations before building review. For oceanfront walls, start the DEP CCCL conversation early.
- Handle the state reviewUse DEP self-certification or exemption verification where the work qualifies, or apply for an ERP, generally with the DEP Northeast District for single-family work.
- Confirm federal authorizationAsk the Corps, or DEP during state review, which federal authorization covers work on tidal rivers and the Intracoastal.
- Clear local reviewsObtain the county Clearance Sheet, or in St. Augustine any Planning and Zoning Board or HARB approval, before applying for the building permit.
- Apply and buildSubmit the building permit with plans and approvals, record a Notice of Commencement where required, and schedule inspections.
Barefoot Marine Construction, based in Jacksonville, serves St. Johns County directly, and Plan & Permit is a standard step in its project process.
Documents and Contacts
Commonly requested for a St. Johns County seawall or bulkhead
- Parcel ID number from the Property Appraiser, needed to start the county permit process
- Clearance Sheet (unincorporated county) or city zoning approvals
- Property or topographic survey and a site plan showing the wall's location
- Construction drawings; signed and sealed engineering where required, as on oceanfront right-of-way bulkheads
- DEP exemption verification, self-certification, ERP or CCCL permit, and federal authorization
- Owner's authorizations, including adjacent owners where walls connect
- Recorded Notice of Commencement before the first county inspection for permitted projects over $5,000, per the county's permit page
Official offices
- St. Johns County Building Services4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine · (904) 827-6800 · bldcodes@sjcfl.us
- St. Johns County Development ReviewClearance Sheets and CCCL determinations
- Section 40.0 Oceanfront Right-of-Way Bulkhead Permits (PDF)Growth Management Department · (904) 209-0660
- City of St. Augustine Building Permit Information75 King St. · buildingpermits@citystaug.com
- City of St. Augustine HARB applications
- City of St. Augustine Beach Building & Zoningonlinepermitting@cityofsab.org
- Florida DEP Northeast District8800 Baymeadows Way West, Suite 100, Jacksonville · 904-256-1700
- Corps Regulatory Request SystemOnline requests to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Frequently asked questions
Does a bulkhead in front of my oceanfront home need county approval?
Yes, a building permit is generally required, and Development Review makes Coastal Building Zone and CCCL determinations before building review. If the wall crosses a county-owned oceanfront right-of-way, the Section 40.0 process applies, including an FDEP permit and county owner's authorization. DEP CCCL review applies to work seaward of the line.
What is a Clearance Sheet?
It is the county's pre-permit review. St. Johns County states that in most cases building permit applications are accepted only after a Clearance Sheet is issued, and you need your parcel ID number to begin. Development Review handles Clearance Sheets and can tell you their status.
I live in a St. Augustine historic district. What changes?
The city says a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for most work in its five Historic Preservation zoning districts, and it must be issued before a building permit. Bulkheads may also need Planning and Zoning Board approval. Ask the city's Planning and Building Department early so board reviews fit your schedule.
Does St. Johns County require a Notice of Commencement?
The county's building permits page says a recorded Notice of Commencement is required before the first Building Services inspection for permitted projects exceeding $5,000. The cities may set out their own requirements, so check with the office issuing your permit.
Is there a county rule on what an oceanfront right-of-way bulkhead must be made of?
Yes. Section 40.0 requires vinyl sheeting or cribbing at a minimum, bans wood plank cribbing, and calls for a concrete cap and tie-backs per the engineer's drawings. It applies only to bulkheads crossing county-owned oceanfront rights-of-way.
Sources and references
- Building Permits — St. Johns County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building Department — St. Johns County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Development Review — St. Johns County Growth Management. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Section 40.0 Oceanfront Right-of-Way Bulkhead Permits, Development Review Manual — St. Johns County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building Permit Information — City of St. Augustine. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Historic Architectural Review Board Applications — City of St. Augustine. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building & Zoning — City of St. Augustine Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Northeast District — Florida DEP. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Chapter 62B-26, F.A.C., Coastal Construction Control Line descriptions — Florida Administrative Code. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve — Florida DEP Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve — Florida DEP Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Manatee Protection Plans — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Regulations, programs and conditions change. Always confirm requirements with the agency that has jurisdiction over your property.