GRDA dock permit: Grand Lake, Lake Hudson and W.R. Holway

On Grand Lake, OK water, the lake operator is the real permit gate. Here is who issues it, the rules, the fees and the official sources — before you build or buy.

How to get the permit

• Download the forms from GRDA's permit page. Contact [email protected], (918) 256-0852.
• Attach scaled drawings, driving directions by land and water, your deed, an original survey stamped by an Oklahoma-licensed surveyor showing the property line and GRDA's taking line, and current fees.
• A wired dock needs an electrical certificate signed by an Oklahoma licensed electrical contractor — when built, modified, relocated or transferred.
• No dock may be installed until GRDA sends an approval letter. Notify GRDA when installation is complete.
• GRDA publishes a list of permitted dock installers (56 names, revised April 22, 2026).

Size and placement rules

• No dock may extend more than one-third of the cove, measured from 745 ft Pensacola Datum on Grand Lake or 622 ft msl on Lake Hudson.
• At least 5 ft from the property line. Parallel docks need open space of 1.5 times the slip length.
• Residential docks serve 10 or fewer watercraft.
• Standards approved by the GRDA Board on November 12, 2025, replacing the February 14, 2024 version.

Fees

• Fees are set in GRDA's Rules & Regulations Schedule of Fees and paid through the GRDA Online Payment Center.

Buying or selling a lake house

• The seller's agent files a Notification of Private Dock Sale on or before closing.
• The buyer must still apply to transfer the permit within 14 days of closing — by email to [email protected], fax 918-256-0907, or mail to PO Box 70, Langley, OK 74350.
• A dock may be sold but not leased, rented or sublet.

Other layers that can apply

• Town or county — zoning, shoreland and building permits.
• State — see the state page for your lake.
• Federal — Army Corps Section 10 / Section 404 where the work triggers them.

Official sources

Private Dock application and standards (Nov 12 2025) · GRDA permit applications · Notification of Private Dock Sale · GRDA permitted dock installers (rev. 4/22/26) · Last verified 2026-10-29

Questions? Call 207-600-2705.

Preliminary regulatory path. Ask Dock.AI is an information tool, not a permitting authority. Rules change and every waterbody has its own owner and wrinkles. Confirm your project with the listed authority before you build. You pull your own permit; we show you the path. Ask Dock.AI is powered by Alummikon — engineered aluminum docks, stairs and waterfront access, built in Maine.