Baldwin County seawall permits.
Find the office, the rules and the records.

Which office issues a seawall permit in coastal Baldwin County?

The government that holds your parcel issues the permit, and your mailing address will not tell you which one that is. Six cities, three towns and the unincorporated county all sit on this shoreline, and each runs its own desk. For every office, map and records tool in one place, see the Baldwin County resources page.

Baldwin County's Building Department permits the unincorporated areas plus the Towns of Elberta, Magnolia Springs and Perdido Beach. Land inside any other city goes to that city. County permit jurisdiction The county tells owners to open the Revenue Commission Parcel Viewer and turn on the City Limits and Building Permit Jurisdictions layers. A parcel in neither layer is a county parcel. County parcel guide

Elberta and Magnolia Springs add their own Land Use Certificate, and Orange Beach treats bulkheads as Site Permit work and piers and docks as Building Permits. Foley's number is the Building Department, and its riparian permit comes from the Environmental Department. Daphne's Environmental Programs covers piers, bulkheads and wetland permits.

City fees for the wall itself are small. Orange Beach charges $50 for a one- or two-family bulkhead permit, and Gulf Shores charges $50 plus a $25 application fee. Orange Beach fees Gulf Shores fees Foley's riparian permit is $75 for a new structure and $25 for a repair. Foley fees

Why does my mailing address not match my permit office?

Mailing names follow ZIP areas, and ZIP areas ignore city lines. In coastal Baldwin County the pattern repeats from the Perdido Bay shore to Fairhope, so confirm the parcel before you call a building office.

• Ono Island is unincorporated county land, though it shares a ZIP area with Orange Beach. Census boundary layers ZIP area file
• About 62 of the 135 square kilometers of land in Gulf Shores' ZIP area are in no incorporated place, which covers the Fort Morgan Peninsula. ZIP area file
• Most of Lillian's ZIP area lies outside the Lillian census place, and Elberta's limits do not reach the Perdido Bay shore tested. Census place status Town limits
• Only about half of the Bon Secour ZIP area's land is inside the Bon Secour census place. Census place status
• The lower Magnolia River from the town to Weeks Bay is unincorporated even where addresses say Magnolia Springs. Town boundary layer
• Point Clear shares a ZIP area with downtown Fairhope but is not inside the city. ZIP area file
• Both Oyster Bay map points fall outside Gulf Shores, though the city surrounds much of that area. Census boundary layers

What is the Baldwin County marine flood permit?

In unincorporated Baldwin County, you apply for a bulkhead, seawall, pier, dock, boathouse or boat lift in the CitizenServe portal. The application type is a Flood Permit with the sub-type Marine Accessory. County marine permit The county requires it for work in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Outside one, the county says it does not require a permit, though other agencies may still need to approve. County checklist

The required documents include a Corps of Engineers permit and an Alabama State Lands Division notice of intent. They also include proof of ownership if the deed is new, and a separate electrical permit for any wiring. County marine permit Fees are not collected at submission, and no work may begin until the portal status reads Issued. Complete applications typically take 7 to 10 business days. County portal

• Contractors in the county's permit area must hold an active Alabama business license. Contractor license rule
• An owner doing the work still needs a permit and a sworn exemption statement, and may not sell within one year. Owner exemption
• The contractor verification guide explains how to check licenses.

Which state and federal approvals also apply?

A county or city permit is only one of three. The Corps of Engineers regulates work in navigable water, and Alabama State Lands owns the bottom below mean high tide. State Lands rule A joint application, ADEM Form 166, goes to the Corps Mobile District at (251) 690-2658, with copies to ADEM's coastal office and State Lands. Joint application

• The Corps reissued its nationwide permits on January 8, 2026, and they took effect March 15, 2026. 2026 nationwide permits
• Nationwide Permit 13 covers many bulkheads of up to 500 feet. They must average no more than one cubic yard of fill per running foot below the high tide line. NWP 13
• State Lands charges $100 to apply for a Consent of Use, and replacing a bulkhead at or within two feet waterward of mean high tide can qualify. State Lands fee Replacement rule
• Coastal Section office: 31115 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, (251) 621-1216. State Lands office

ADEM reviews work in the coastal area, defined as land and water seaward of the 10-foot elevation contour. ADEM coastal area State rules prefer non-structural options such as restored dunes and wetlands before armoring. ADEM rule The permit guide walks through the order of approvals.

What applies to Gulf-front lots?

On Alabama's Gulf beaches, state rules bar new structures and removal of primary dune sand between mean high tide and the Coastal Construction Line (CCL). ADEM Division 8 A seawall or bulkhead there is allowed only in narrow cases. ADEM armoring limit ADEM has delegated the permitting to the Cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the Town of Dauphin Island and the Baldwin County Commission. ADEM delegation

• Orange Beach's coastal use fee for a hardened erosion control structure is $700, added to a $50 base fee. Orange Beach coastal fees
• The county's Coastal Area Program covers the Fort Morgan beach and dunes. County program

See the Gulf-front armoring guide and the Gulf-front Orange Beach guide.

Which flood maps and CRS discounts apply?

FEMA lists April 19, 2019 as the effective flood map date for unincorporated Baldwin County. The same date applies to every coastal community, including Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Magnolia Springs, Elberta and Perdido Beach. FEMA Community Status Book The county has 216 map panels, all with that date. FEMA flood layer Coastal high-hazard zones carry base flood elevations from 10 to 18 feet. VE zone elevations Orange Beach uses the county's maps. FEMA note

The FEMA list is effective October 1, 2026. Unincorporated Baldwin County here means Fort Morgan, Bon Secour, Lillian and Ono Island.

The county's floodplain ordinance took effect February 20, 2024, and requires the lowest floor above base flood elevation plus 1 foot. Floodplain ordinance Orange Beach requires 2 feet where base elevations exist. Orange Beach ordinance Gulf Shores requires 1 foot south of State Highway 180. Gulf Shores ordinance A flood policy does not insure seawalls, bulkheads, piers or docks. NFIP policy form Read more in the insurance guide.

Where do I find permit and property records?

Most of what you need is public. Pull these four sets of records before you hire anyone.

1. Revenue Commission: property search by name, parcel or address, plus the Parcel Viewer map, at (251) 937-0245. Its maps are for property tax purposes only. Revenue Commission search Revenue Commission offices
2. Probate Office: deeds and mortgages are indexed from 1899 to today at baldwin.al.publicsearch.us, with offices in Bay Minette, Fairhope, Foley and Robertsdale. Probate recording Probate offices
3. Permit history: after November 1, 2020, search the county's CitizenServe portal. Older permits are on the Delta Computer Systems link. County permit history Orange Beach posts permits issued after 2018. Orange Beach permit search
4. Federal and state files: the Corps Mobile District posts public notices back to 2012, and ADEM's eFile lets you search documents by county. Corps public notices ADEM eFile

Alabama's open records law gives every resident the right to inspect public records. For a standard request, the office must acknowledge within 10 days and respond substantively within 15 business days. Open Records Act Response deadlines A missing permit record is a question for the seller, not proof that work was unpermitted.

What storms shaped the rules?

Baldwin County has taken hit after hit. FEMA lists 39 declarations covering the county from 1969 to October 2026. OpenFEMA declarations

• Frederic in 1979 produced a surge of 12 to 15 feet on the Gulf beaches. NWS Mobile
• Georges in 1998 produced the state's highest surge estimate, 11.9 feet at Fort Morgan. NHC Georges report
• Ivan in 2004 came ashore just west of Gulf Shores, and its surge ran 10 to 15 feet. NHC landfall NHC surge and damage
• Katrina in 2005 pushed surge as high as about 10 feet along the Baldwin coast. NHC Katrina report
• Nate in 2017 damaged just under 200 piers in the county. NWS Mobile Nate report
• Sally in 2020 did its worst damage in the back bays, from east of Gulf Shores to the state line and north into Perdido Bay. NHC Sally report

Isaias came ashore in Florida's Panhandle in October 2026, and Baldwin County reported no injuries or deaths. NWS Mobile Isaias report FEMA had issued an emergency declaration covering the county, and showed no major disaster declaration for it as of October 31, 2026. OpenFEMA See the storm guide for how storm damage shows up on a wall.

Which area guide covers my shore?

Each area guide leads with the facts that apply only there. Pick the one closest to your shoreline.

The Fort Morgan 30-day public notice is for line permits.

Not sure which applies? Start at the area directory or the permit guide.