§ 4001 County Wharf Construction Authority

Harbors and Navigation Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law lets a county let a city, county, or person build a recreational dock on the beach and charge a fee for using it, but only for 20 years.

Key Takeaways

•County board can give permission, but only after the state finance department approves.
•The dock must be for fun or recreation, not for commercial shipping.
•It can’t be built on land that Section 4000 says is off‑limits.
•The builder can charge tolls to people who use the dock.
•The permission lasts for 20 years.

Example

A small town wants to build a boat dock on the shoreline so families can launch their kayaks and boats.

The town asks the county board for permission. If the state finance office says okay, the town gets a license to build the dock and can charge a small toll to boaters for the next 20 years.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 4001 County Wharf Construction Authority

The board of supervisors of each county may upon approval of the Department of Finance through the Chief of the Division of State Lands, grant authority to any city, county or person, to construct a wharf for recreational, pleasure or boating purposes, on any lands bordering the seashore other than lands referred to in section 4000, situated in or bounding the county, with a license to take tolls for its use for a term of twenty years. (Enacted by Stats. 1937, Ch. 368.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

board of supervisors Department of Finance Chief of the Division of State Lands wharf recreational, pleasure or boating purposes license to take tolls twenty years

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Harbors and Navigation Code. Section 4001.

§ 4001 County Wharf Construction Authority

Harbors and Navigation Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 4001 County Wharf Construction Authority

This law lets a county let a city, county, or person build a recreational dock on the beach and charge a fee for using it, but only for 20 years.

Key Takeaways

•County board can give permission, but only after the state finance department approves.
•The dock must be for fun or recreation, not for commercial shipping.
•It can’t be built on land that Section 4000 says is off‑limits.
•The builder can charge tolls to people who use the dock.
•The permission lasts for 20 years.

Example

A small town wants to build a boat dock on the shoreline so families can launch their kayaks and boats.

The town asks the county board for permission. If the state finance office says okay, the town gets a license to build the dock and can charge a small toll to boaters for the next 20 years.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 4001 County Wharf Construction Authority

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

board of supervisors Department of Finance Chief of the Division of State Lands wharf recreational, pleasure or boating purposes license to take tolls twenty years

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Harbors and Navigation Code. Section 4001.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References