Indiana Boat Lift Permit: DNR Temporary Structure Rules

Usually not, on a public lake, as long as the lift is the removable kind. Indiana's Lake Preservation Act says any work at or lakeward of a public lake's shoreline needs the written approval of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). But the rules carve out a "general license" for a temporary structure, and a boat lift can be one. If your lift meets every condition, you do not apply, call or file anything. If it misses even one, you need a written license from the DNR before it goes in.

Two answers get repeated at Indiana lakes. One is "boat lifts are exempt." The other is "anything in the lake needs a DNR permit." Both are half right. The law does require approval for anything in a public lake. The general license is that approval, granted in advance by rule, but only to a lift that passes every test below. The DNR also puts the proof on you. Its page says: "If challenged, it will be the responsibility of the person claiming the exemption or using the general license to prove that the criteria have been met." The federal and local layers every state shares are in boat lift permits. This is general information, not legal advice.

Law: Lake Preservation Act, IC 14-26-2; rules at 312 IAC 11, readopted March 22, 2023
No filing: a lift that counts as a temporary structure and meets the general license in 312 IAC 11-3-1
Lift features: canvas top and sides, poles 3 1/2 in or less across, no concrete, rests on the bed or floats, 10 ft wide and 20 ft long at most
Distance: no more than 150 ft from shore; Bass Lake, Lake of the Woods and Clear Lake allow more in set areas
Neighbors: no infringing on an adjacent owner's access; Commission guidance says at least 10 ft clear in total at the riparian line, 20 ft ideally
Fails a test: written DNR license, $100 application fee, neighbors notified
Lake Michigan: not covered by the general license; state and Army Corps rules apply instead

The terms the answer turns on

Temporary structure. This is the term the whole answer depends on. Rule 312 IAC 11-2-25 defines it as "a structure that can be installed and removed from the waters of a public freshwater lake without using a crane, bulldozer, backhoe, or similar heavy or large machinery." In plain words: if two people and hand tools can put it in and take it out, it may qualify. If it takes a barge crane, it does not.

General license. Permission granted to everyone by the rule itself. Nobody signs it and nobody receives a copy. You hold it for as long as your lift meets the conditions.

Public freshwater lake. A lake "used by the public with the acquiescence of a riparian owner." The DNR keeps a list. Lake Michigan is left out by name, and so are lakes lying partly in East Chicago, Gary or Hammond.

Riparian owner. The owner of land that touches the lake. Only a riparian owner, or someone with their written approval, may place a lift under the general license.

Auger pole. A pipe leg with a screw foot that is turned into the lake bed by hand. The rule uses it as the model for a lift or pier leg.

Group pier and marina. A group pier gives docking space to five or more property owners or rental units, or to an association, condominium, subdivision, campground and the like. A marina serves at least five boats at once and sells fuel, repairs, sales or rentals for a fee. Neither can use the general license.

The five lift features in the rule

After its definition, 11-2-25 gives examples. One of them is "a boat shelter, boat lift, or boat hoist" that:

"has a canvas top and sides";
"is supported by auger poles or other poles that do not exceed three and one-half (3 1/2) inches in diameter";
"is not mounted in or comprised of concrete or cement";
"is designed to float or to rest upon the bed of the lake under its own weight if any structure to which it is attached complies with this section"; and
"is not wider than ten (10) feet nor longer than twenty (20) feet."

The rule frames these as an example. The DNR's own general license page reads them as a checklist: lifts, hoists and shelters "must include the following," followed by the same five items. The DNR enforces the rule, so plan your lift to its checklist.

Three of the five catch more lifts than people expect. The size limit applies to the lift frame. Measure it before you buy, most of all for a wide boat (see pontoon boat lifts). The pole and bed tests rule out a lift on driven pilings, since a piling does not rest on the bed under its own weight. And the canvas line rules out a metal or other hard roof. A fabric canopy on a frame fits it.

The "attached" clause matters too. A lift that hangs from or bolts to a pier only fits if that pier is itself a temporary structure. A lift bolted to a permanent pier falls outside the example.

The general license: nine more conditions

Being a temporary structure is the first step. Rule 312 IAC 11-3-1(b) then says the structure "must satisfy each of the following":

Be easily removable.
Not infringe on the access of an adjacent landowner to the lake.
Not unduly restrict navigation.
Not be unusually wide or long compared with similar structures nearby on the same lake.
Not extend more than 150 ft from the shoreline or water line.
If a pier, not extend over water that is continuously more than 6 ft deep out to 150 ft.
Not be a marina.
Not be a group pier.
Be placed by a riparian owner or with the written approval of a riparian owner.

Item 6 is a pier rule, and the rule spells it out with three drawings. Where the water is 6 ft deep or less all the way to 150 ft, the pier may run 150 ft. Where the water is continuously more than 6 ft deep beyond 75 ft from shore, the pier stops at 75 ft. Where it is not continuously over 6 ft, the limit is back to 150 ft. A lift beside the pier still has the 150 ft limit in item 5. In practice it sits along the pier, so the pier's length sets where it goes. Check your boat's draft against the depth with water depth requirements.

Item 4 has no number. It compares your lift with the others on your stretch of lake. A lift the size of every other lift nearby passes. One far bigger than its neighbors may not.

Indiana lift test at a glance

Does the lift fit Indiana's general license? (312 IAC 11-2-25 and 11-3-1, readopted March 22, 2023)
Lift spec	Test it meets or misses	Result
Set in by hand or with the lift's own wheels, no crane or backhoe	Temporary structure definition, 11-2-25(a)	Pass
Set by a barge crane or driven in with heavy machinery	Temporary structure definition, 11-2-25(a)	Fail
Fabric canopy on a frame	Canvas top and sides	Pass
Metal or other hard roof	Canvas top and sides	Fail
Round legs 3 in across, standing on the bed	Poles 3 1/2 in or less; rests on the bed under its own weight	Pass
Driven pilings, or legs set in concrete	Pole size; no concrete or cement	Fail
Frame 10 ft wide by 20 ft long or less	Size limit	Pass
Frame 11 ft wide, or 22 ft long	Size limit	Fail
Lift 160 ft from shore	150 ft limit, 11-3-1(b)(5)	Fail (except set areas of Bass Lake, Lake of the Woods and Clear Lake)
Lift and the neighbor's boat leave less than 10 ft clear at the riparian line	Adjacent owner's access, 11-3-1(b)(2), read with Information Bulletin #56	At risk: below the typical minimum
Lift on a pier shared by five or more property owners or an association	Group pier, 11-3-1(b)(8)	Fail
Lift placed by a tenant without the owner's written approval	Riparian owner placement, 11-3-1(b)(9)	Fail

One "Fail" anywhere means the lift needs a written license. It does not mean the lift is banned.

Worked example: one lift that passes, and one that does not

Take a lakefront lot on a public lake in northern Indiana. The pier runs 60 ft out. The water is about 4 ft deep at the end and never more than 6 ft inside 150 ft. The owner wants a lift for a runabout beside the end of the pier.

Lift A. Suppose it is a free-standing lift with a frame 9 ft 8 in wide and 14 ft long. It stands on four round legs 3 in across, with flat pads on the bed and no concrete. It has a fabric canopy. Two people roll it in on its wheels. Walked through the rules:

No crane or backhoe: it is a temporary structure.
Canvas top, 3 in legs, no concrete, rests on the bed, 9 ft 8 in by 14 ft: all five lift features met.
60 ft from shore: inside 150 ft. The pier sits in water under 6 ft, so its length is fine too.
The neighbor line: suppose the lift's outer edge sits 12 ft from the riparian line. That leaves the 10 ft minimum on the owner's side alone.

Lift A needs no filing. The owner should keep the maker's spec sheet showing the frame size and leg diameter, plus a dated photo. That is the proof the DNR says the owner must be able to show.

Lift B. Now suppose the owner buys a pontoon instead, and the lift that fits it has a frame 11 ft wide. Every other fact stays the same. The frame is 1 ft over the 10 ft limit, so the lift is not a temporary structure under the rule. It needs a written license. That means a $100 application, plans of the lift, and notice to each adjacent owner. A written license for a temporary structure lapses if the lift is not finished within two years. After that, pulling it out each fall does not end the license, as long as it goes back in the same way.

One more change. Suppose the lift is moved over so its edge sits 4 ft from the line, and the neighbor's boat is moored 4 ft from the line on the other side. That is 8 ft clear in total, short of the 10 ft the Commission's guidance says is typically required. The lift now risks failing the neighbor test, even if it is small enough.

The neighbor test and the riparian zone

The general license fails if a lift "infringe[s] on the access of an adjacent landowner." So where does your side end? The answer is in Information Bulletin #56 from the Natural Resources Commission. It is a nonrule policy on riparian zones, and its third amendment was published in February 2022. Rule 312 IAC 11-1-4 says the DNR, or the Commission on review, "shall consider" it as guidance whenever a riparian boundary has to be set.

Clearance: "there ideally should be 10 feet of clearance on both sides (for a total of 20 feet) of the dividing line between riparian zones. At a minimum, a total of 10 feet is typically required that is clear of piers and moored boats." A boat on a lift is a moored boat, so measure from the boat's widest point, not just the frame.
Straight shore: where the property lines meet the shore at about a right angle, the zone boundaries continue the property lines into the lake.
Angled lines: where the lines meet the shore at a slant, the boundary is usually drawn straight out at a right angle to the shore instead.
Irregular shore: on a curved shore or a round bay, the waterfront is shared in proportion to each owner's shoreline, sometimes with lines running to the lake's center.
HOA papers first: if the lot was bought under an association's bylaws that set riparian rights, those govern.

The bulletin also sets a reasonableness test for pier length. In its words, "Any extension of a pier beyond the point required for the mooring and launching of boats may be considered unreasonable." If owners cannot share the shore, rule 312 IAC 11-3-4 lets the DNR make a license depend on common use of one structure. Dock and slip layout shows how to draw the lift, boat and clearances.

When a neighbor objects

Anyone may ask for administrative review of a structure placed under the general license (312 IAC 11-3-2). The case goes to an administrative law judge, who sends it to mediation first. At least two mediation sessions come before any hearing, unless everyone agrees to skip them.

The lift does not get to stay put while that runs. A structure placed under the general license must come out by the later of two dates: 90 days after the request was filed, or January 1 of the next year. Only an order from the judge or a written agreement of the parties changes that. The DNR's permit guide adds one more step. If a pier dispute needs the DNR to step in, "all parties to the dispute will be required to obtain a permit in order to install their piers."

A lift that fails: the written license

Rule 312 IAC 11-3-3 covers a lift that does not qualify. Any such structure inside the shoreline "requires a written license issued by the department." The DNR's fee table lists $100 for a Lake Preservation Act application. You can apply online through the DNR Division of Water's e-application and pay by credit card.

What you send: plans and specifications detailed enough to judge the lift, a description of the lot it serves, and proof that each adjacent owner was notified.
What the DNR decides: the license must conform to the Act and must not cause "significant environmental harm" to the lake.
How long it lasts: a license for a temporary structure expires if the lift is not finished within two years (312 IAC 11-3.5-2). Once it is in, seasonal removal does not end the license, if the lift matches the license when it goes back. Changing a condition, such as a bigger lift, needs a new license first.
Distance bands: a structure 150 to 200 ft from shore needs a written license under both the lake rules and the boating rules in 312 IAC 5-4. At 200 ft or more, only the boating rules apply, and those license only navigation aids and water recreation structures.

The rule also lists structures that always need a license. Two are close to lifts: a pier on supports "permanently mounted in, or affixed to, the bed of the lake," and a boathouse "totally or partially enclosed on the sides." A lift with walls or set on fixed pilings falls on that side of the line.

Bass Lake, Lake of the Woods and Clear Lake

Three lakes have their own temporary structure rules in 312 IAC 5-6. Each one names the boat lift and lets a temporary pier or boat lift reach farther than 150 ft in shallow water. The other general license conditions still apply.

Lake rules that extend the 150 ft limit for a temporary pier or boat lift (312 IAC 5-6)
Lake	Rule	Longest reach	Where
Bass Lake, Starke County	5-6-3	300 ft if not over water continuously more than 3 ft deep	Whole lake; shoreline at 713.65 ft NGVD-29
Lake of the Woods, Marshall County	5-6-6.5	300 ft if not over water continuously more than 3 ft deep	Two stretches of shore set by map points; shoreline at 803.85 ft NGVD-29
Clear Lake, Steuben County	5-6-3.5 (filed May 10, 2023)	250 ft if not over water continuously more than 3 ft deep	One stretch of shore set by map points; shoreline at 1,037.38 ft NGVD-29

Everywhere else on those lakes the normal 150 ft limit, and the 6 ft depth test for piers, still apply. Each rule also sets an idle speed zone near shore in the extended areas.

Rivers and reservoirs on the navigable waterways roster

Some Indiana waters are "navigable waterways" under a different law, the Navigable Waterways Act (IC 14-29-1). The Commission keeps a roster of them. Rule 312 IAC 6-4-5 gives a general license to a pier on these waters if it:

does not infringe on a neighbor's access or unduly restrict navigation;
is no longer than "the lesser of" 100 ft or one quarter of the width of the waterway;
is not unusually wide or long, not a marina and not a group pier; and
is placed by a riparian owner or with one's written approval.

On a river 160 ft wide, one quarter is 40 ft, so the pier stops at 40 ft. The rule names piers only and says nothing about lifts. On these waters, ask the Division of Water before a lift goes in. At Brookville, Cagles Mill, Cecil M. Harden, Mississinewa, Monroe, Patoka and J. Edward Roush lakes, a pier must also meet the rules of the state property that manages the shore. Piers on Lake Freeman and Lake Shafer are exempt from licensing under this rule.

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is not a public freshwater lake under 312 IAC 11-2-17, so the temporary structure general license does not reach it. The state layer is the Navigable Waterways Act, which requires DNR approval for "placing, filling, or erecting a permanent structure in" a navigable waterway or Lake Michigan. The DNR's fee table lists no fee for that permit.

The federal layer applies too. Under 33 CFR 322.3, Army permits "are required under section 10 for structures and/or work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States," unless an exemption or general permit covers the work. Lake Michigan is one of those waters. Ask the Corps district before the lift is ordered. The general Corps process is covered in boat lift permits.

Where this answer stops applying

This page covers the DNR's lake rules for a private lift. It does not cover several things. A lake not on the DNR's public freshwater lake list is outside the Act. So are Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman (a floodway permit may still apply there) and Wolf Lake and Lake George in Hammond. Passing the general license is not the same as needing no permit at all. Even then, the DNR's own page says you "may still be required to obtain a permit from other local, state, and/or federal entities," and names the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Army Corps, and your local floodplain administrator and planning office. A lake association can add its own rules. The rule's lift example has a canvas top and sides, and it does not say how a lift with no canopy at all is treated. If that is your plan, ask the Division of Water at 317-232-4160 or water_inquiry@dnr.IN.gov. Wiring to a lift is a separate job for a licensed electrician, with the ground-fault protection described in boat lift electrical. Faulty dock wiring can cause electric shock drowning. Nearby states treat the same lift differently. Michigan's exemption needs the lift out every fall (see boat lift permits in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan). In Iowa every hoist needs a dock permit (see Iowa boat lift permits).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a DNR permit for a boat lift on an Indiana lake?

Not if the lift is a temporary structure and meets the general license in 312 IAC 11-3-1. It must go in and out without heavy machinery and have a canvas top and sides. It must stand on poles no more than 3 1/2 in across, with no concrete, and measure no more than 10 by 20 ft. And it must sit within 150 ft of shore without blocking a neighbor. Otherwise you need a written DNR license.

How big can a boat lift be in Indiana without a permit?

No wider than 10 ft and no longer than 20 ft, under 312 IAC 11-2-25. A lift frame past either number is not a temporary structure under the rule, so it needs a written license from the DNR Division of Water. The application fee is $100.

Can I put a metal roof on my boat lift in Indiana?

Not under the general license. Indiana's rule describes a qualifying lift as having a canvas top and sides, and the DNR lists that as a required feature. A hard roof takes the lift outside the general license, so it needs a written DNR license. A boathouse enclosed on the sides is on the rule's list of structures that always need one.

How far out can a boat lift go on an Indiana lake?

150 ft from the shoreline under the general license. A pier stops at 75 ft where the water is continuously more than 6 ft deep beyond 75 ft. Bass Lake and parts of Lake of the Woods allow 300 ft, and part of Clear Lake 250 ft, where the water is no more than 3 ft deep.

How close to my neighbor's line can my boat lift be in Indiana?

No rule sets a fixed setback, but the lift must not infringe on the neighbor's access. The Commission's Information Bulletin #56 says there ideally should be 10 ft clear on each side of the riparian line. At least 10 ft in total is typically required, clear of piers and moored boats.

What happens if my neighbor objects to my boat lift?

They can ask for administrative review under 312 IAC 11-3-2. The case goes to mediation first. Unless the judge orders otherwise or both sides agree in writing, the lift must come out by the later of 90 days after the filing or January 1 of the next year. The DNR may then require both sides to get licenses.

Sources and further reading

Indiana DNR Division of Water, Exemptions and General Licenses (Boat Lift, Temporary Pier, Navigable Waterway Piers, Exempted Lakes) (https://www.in.gov/dnr/water/regulatory-permit-programs/exemptions/)
312 IAC 11-2-25, "Temporary structure" defined, readopted filed March 22, 2023 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-11-2-25)
312 IAC 11-3-1, General licenses for qualified temporary piers and similar temporary structures (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-11-3-1)
312 IAC 11-3-3, Individual licenses for structures that do not qualify for a general license (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-11-3-3)
312 IAC 11-3.5-2, Effectiveness of individual licenses for temporary structures (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-11-3.5-2)
312 IAC 11, Public Freshwater Lakes, Natural Resources Commission compilation (definitions 11-2-11.5, 11-2-12, 11-2-17; disputes 11-3-2; common use 11-3-4) (https://in.gov/nrc/files/312iac11.pdf)
312 IAC 5-6-3, Bass Lake; special boating zones and temporary structure standards (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-5-6-3)
312 IAC 5-6-6.5, Lake of the Woods; special boating zones and temporary structure standards (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-5-6-6.5)
312 IAC 5-6-3.5, Clear Lake; special boating zones and temporary structure standards (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-5-6-3.5)
312 IAC 6-4-5, General licenses for qualified piers (navigable waters) (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/indiana/312-IAC-6-4-5)
Natural Resources Commission, Information Bulletin #56 (Third Amendment), Riparian Zones within Public Freshwater Lakes and Navigable Waters, DIN 20220209-IR-312220025NRA (https://secure.in.gov/nrc/files/IB56.pdf)
Indiana DNR Division of Water, Permit Programs (online e-application) (https://www.in.gov/dnr/water/regulatory-permit-programs/)
Indiana DNR Division of Water, Permit Application Fees (https://www.in.gov/dnr/water/regulatory-permit-programs/permit-application-assistance-manual/permit-application-fees/)
Indiana DNR Division of Water, Permit Application Assistance Manual, Regulatory Programs (https://www.in.gov/dnr/water/regulatory-permit-programs/permit-application-assistance-manual/regulatory-programs/)
Indiana Lakes Management Society, Regulations (https://indianalakesmanagementsociety.wildapricot.org/Regulations)
33 CFR 322.3, Activities requiring permits (https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/322.3)