Issues Related to Docks
Docks are commonly used access structures on Minnesota lakes and rivers. No permit is needed to install, construct, or reconstruct a dock on shoreline property if the property owner complies with certain restrictions 
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Design and locate your dock and boat lift to avoid interfering with your neighbor's use of the water. Docks and boat lifts should be placed so that mooring and maneuvering of watercraft can normally be confined within the property lines as if they were extended into the water.
The DNR has regulated docks and other structures in public waters for several decades. In recent years, the DNR has witnessed an increased number of "dock platforms," which are structures over public waters that exceed longstanding statewide rules that limit docks to a maximum of eight feet in width. Following several months of information dissemination and the gathering of public input, a General Permit was issued by the DNR in January 2008 which authorizes, under certain conditions, the installation of a single, temporary platform at the lake end of a dock.
Information Concerning General Permit 2008-0401, Authorization of Dock Platforms
- General Permit 2008-0401
- General Permit 2008-0401, Questions and Answers
- Diagrams of Dock Platforms Meeting the Requirements of General Permit 2008-0401
- Citizen Dock Surveys
- 2008 State Fair Dock Opinion Survey Results
- 2007 DNR Open Houses and Public Input Regarding Docks