Registration and Permitting of Existing Moorings

Phase 1 of  the Shoreline Plan focuses on registration and permitting of existing moorings. All moorings with access to Lake Tahoe are required to pay annual registration fees to TRPA. In addition, all existing mooring buoys are required to be authorized through a TRPA permit or be removed from the lake. Failure to permit and register moorings and pay annual fees will result in enforcement actions such as  assessment of late fees, penalties, or removal of moorings

Steps to register and permit (if applicable) an existing mooring

 1.  Create an account with the Mooring Permitting and Registration System

Click "Create an Account" button to the upper right of this page to create a new account or log in as an existing user. Once logged in, proceed to Step 2.

 2.  Search for your property to determine if the moorings are registered with TRPA.

• If the moorings have previously been registered (2019 onward), renew the registration.
• If the moorings have not been previously permitted or registered with TRPA, proceed to step 3.

 3.  Review the tables below for eligibility information, application and registration requirements.

 4.  Gather information about the existing moorings and their associated parcels:

• Address or Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 
• Contact information for all property owners
• Signed owner authorization form
• Copies of all recorded deed restrictions
• Copies of permits/leases for existing moorings (if applicable)
• Other supporting documentation to demonstrate legal existence

 5. Click here to begin an existing mooring submittal. Follow the prompts in the online system to complete your submittal. Application fees can be viewed below under Learn More.

EXISTING MOORING PERMIT APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

The following existing moorings are eligible to be registered and permitted (if applicable) during Phase 1:

See TRPA Code of Ordinances 84.3.3 for more information.

¹Mooring registration is not a permit, authorization, or verification of any mooring or shorezone structure. Registration of a mooring is not evidence of its legal existence. Pursuant to Article X of the Rules of Procedure, owners of every mooring on, or with access to, Lake Tahoe shall pay annual fees to TRPA. If in the future, TRPA determines the registered mooring is not legally existing, the owner may be subject to compliance action, including removal of the mooring. Mooring registration fees and buoy scenic mitigation fees are non-refundable.

2024 Mooring Lottery submissions accepted beginning December 1, 2024.

Allocation of New Moorings

As part of the Shoreline Plan, TRPA may permit up to a maximum of 2,116 additional (new) moorings. Allowable moorings include buoys, boat lifts, and boat slips and are distributed from the following pools:

• 1,486 private moorings (buoys or boat lifts)
• 330 marina moorings (buoys or boat slips)
• 300 public agency moorings (buoys or boat slips)

New mooring allocations will be released in accordance with TRPA Code of Ordinances 84.3.2.E.4: a maximum of fifteen (15) percent of the available moorings from each of the three pools can be allocated annually. The estimate number of allocations available for thr 2024 mooring lottery can be found in the Shorezone Allocation Report.

Eligibility Criteria

Private moorings

Single-family parcels:

• Up to two moorings per parcel; existing moorings count towards maximum moorings allowed
• Littoral – single-family parcel must adjoin or abut the high water elevation of Lake Tahoe
• Best Management Practices (BMPs) Certificate - The littoral parcel must have a BMP Certificate of Completion prior to entering the mooring lottery. You can check the BMP compliance status on the TRPA Parcel Tracker. For more information on BMPs or to request assistance from TRPA’s Stormwater Management Program, please visit tahoebmp.org or call the BMP hotline at (775) 589-5202.

Homeowner association parcels:

• Number of mooring structures cannot exceed the total number of residential units in the association or the maximum buoy field size (derived from the littoral HOA parcel's shoreline length) whichever is less
• Littoral – HOA parcel must adjoin or abut the high water elevation of Lake Tahoe
• Best Management Practices (BMP) Certificate - The littoral parcel must have a BMP Certificate of Completion prior to entering the mooring lottery. You can check the BMP compliance status on the TRPA Parcel Tracker. For more information on BMPs or to request assistance from TRPA’s Stormwater Management Program, please visit tahoebmp.org or call the BMP hotline at (775) 589-5202.
• Buoy field is existing and permitted by TRPA, no additional (new) buoy fields are allowed.

In addition, private moorings must comply with all eligibility, capacity, mitigation, development and location standards of TRPA Code of Ordinances Chapters 80-85, which include, but are not limited to:

• Located outside a Stream-mouth Protection Zone
• Boat lifts: one per eligible parcel on an existing pier, up to four 
• Mooring buoys:
  • At least 50 feet from another mooring buoy (50-foot grid spacing for buoy fields)
  • At least 20 feet from adjacent littoral parcel projection line boundaries, unless certain findings are made
  • Buoys not in buoy fields: No greater than 600 feet lakeward from elevation 6,220 feet Lake Tahoe Datum, as measured horizontally, or no farther lakeward than elevation 6,210 feet Lake Tahoe Datum, whichever is less
  • Buoy fields: No greater than 600 feet lakeward from elevation 6,220 feet Lake Tahoe Datum, as measured horizontally, and does not exceed the maximum buoy field size (derived from littoral HOA parcel dimensions)

Marina, Public Agency, and Other Uses: see TRPA Code of Ordinances Chapters 80-85 for requirements.

New Mooring Lottery and Permitting Process

TRPA will conduct an annual lottery for the allocation of additional (new) moorings until the pools are exhausted. Lottery submissions will be accepted December 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm PST. A property owner may only submit once per lottery period and each submission may have as many entries as moorings the property is eligible for.

The lottery drawing will be conducted in February. Should an applicant’s mooring entry be selected to receive a mooring allocation as a result of the lottery, the applicant will be immediately notified and eligible to submit a permit application for the desired mooring(s).

If an applicant does not submit the required documents to complete the mooring application within 6 months of receiving an allocation, the allocation will be forfeited and returned to the pool. If after the complete review TRPA the denies the application, the mooring allocation will be returned to the pool.  

Once a permit is issued, the annual mooring registration fees become due for the new mooring(s).

Steps to apply for new moorings

 1.  Prepare Required Lottery Documents:

• TRPA Owner Authorization Form
• Recorded legal description of property demonstrating parcel is littoral
• Deed restrictions

 2.  Create an account with the Mooring Permitting and Registration System

Click "Create an Account" button to the upper right of this page to create a new account or log in as an existing user. Once logged in, click Start - 2024 Lottery Submission to begin.  

 3.  Enter the new mooring lottery between December 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025, at 5:00 pm PST

Complete submission process and pay the Mooring Lottery Eligibility Review Fee ($350). See Learn More below for fee information.

 4.  TRPA reviews submissions for eligibility

 5.  TRPA conducts lottery in February; parcels receiving allocation(s) are notified

If your submission is selected for a mooring allocation in the lottery, proceed to Step 6. 
If your submission is not selected for a mooring allocation, you can resubmit for future lotteries.

 6.  Within six months, submit permit application and pay application fees

For all moorings submit a Shorezone Project Application. See Learn More below for the applicable filing fees.

 7.  TRPA reviews application and permit issued (if approved)

 8.  Applicant accepts the conditions by signing the permit

 9.  Pay annual mooring registration and mitigation fees

Once fees are paid, mooring buoys will be issued TRPA buoy identification tags. Boat lifts and slips are not issued tags. Fees can be viewed below under Learn More below.

 10.   Obtain all other leases/permits from other agencies and construct moorings

Preconstruction inspections are required for boat lifts and slips.

LOTTERY SUBMISSION AND PERMIT APPLICATION FEES (2024)

To enter the mooring lottery, a nonrefundable Mooring Lottery Eligibility Review Fee of $350 is required. This fee is assessed per submission and not per mooring. If selected in the Mooring Lottery, the fees below are required to submit the complete application.

These are one-time fees that are required for application review as part of the mooring permitting process (for new moorings and legally existing buoys not previously permitted by TRPA). 
Fees are subject to change.

Complete fee schedule can be reviewed on the TRPA Filing Fee Schedule.

⁺ Slips constructed at existing marinas
^* Lifts constructed at existing piers

ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEES

Annual registration fees are charged per mooring and are required to be paid annually. Registration fees are nonrefundable. In the event a property changes ownership, the registration¹ remains with the property. Fees are subject to change.

Registration fees pursuant to Article 16.8 of the Rules of Procedure.

¹Mooring registration is not a permit, authorization, or verification of any mooring or shorezone structure. Registration of a mooring is not evidence of its legal existence. Pursuant to Article 16.8 of the Rules of Procedure, owners of every mooring on, or with access to, Lake Tahoe shall pay annual fees to TRPA. If in the future, TRPA determines the registered mooring is not legally existing, the owner may be subject to compliance action, including removal of the mooring. Mooring registration fees and buoy scenic mitigation fees are non-refundable.

QUESTIONS

For more information please visit trpa.gov/shoreline or contact TRPA at (775) 588-4547.