Apply for a new pier
A new private pier takes an allocation, then a permit.
The next private allocation window is June 2027. An allocation is not a permit, and it is not something we can obtain over the counter. After that, the pier still has to be designed, reviewed for how the project area conforms with scenic regulations, and permitted by TRPA and the other agencies with a say on the water.
New private piers on Tahoe are limited. Every two years, in June of an odd year, a small number of slots open. The last opening was June 2025. The next is June 2027.
After the allocation
If you get a slot, you still have to show what will be built and how the whole project area conforms with scenic regulations. Visually, a new pier has to be mitigated in the upland, so scenic review can change the upland as well as the pier, and what is viewable from the lake, not just the pier itself. Sister agencies run at the same time. We stay with you through the entire process.
A shared pier is often the stronger path.
In the 2025 drawing, multi-parcel applications were selected at a much higher rate than single-parcel ones (11 of 22 versus 2 of 52). Sharing a pier with neighboring parcels is often the more realistic path, but still not a guarantee.
What we can do before 2027
We review your property and tell you whether a new pier is even eligible, before you wait two years. Then we prepare the application so you are ready if an allocation comes. That is preparation, not a promise of a slot.
New pier every two years, next June 2027. Buoys and lifts: yearly drawing, separate.
Two paths for a new pier
The next private allocation window at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is June 2027. An allocation is not a permit, and it is not available on demand.
In the 2025 drawing, multi-parcel applications were selected 11 of 22; single-parcel, 2 of 52. Sharing is often more realistic. It is not a guarantee.
June 2027: am I eligible, and should I go in with my neighbor?
The next private allocation window at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is June 2027. An allocation is not a permit. If you are drawn, you still have about six months to file a complete shorezone application. Miss that clock and the slot can lapse.
The parcel has to be littoral: it has to touch the lake. New piers are prohibited in a Stream Mouth Protection Zone and in a Shorezone Preservation Area. Deed restrictions can also kill pier rights. Access to an existing HOA pier, recreational association pier, or other shared pier counts against you in the allocation. That is the HOA-pier access penalty.
In the 2025 drawing, multi-parcel applications were selected 11 of 22; single-parcel, 2 of 52. Sharing with a neighbor is often the more realistic path. It is still not a guarantee. We will tell you whether the shore is even eligible before you spend on a 2027 submittal.
For owners who do not have a pier yet, we check whether June 2027 is open to the site, and whether to apply alone or with a neighbor.
A new pier is not available on demand. If you already have a pier and want to move it, that is a transfer: move a pier to another parcel. A boat lift or buoy is a mooring, not a new pier: moorings. If you already have a pier on this shore, that work is a modification: modify an existing pier.
A street address or APN is enough to start. Say if a neighbor might share, and if the lot already has HOA or shared-pier access. Photos of the shore help.
FAQ
Am I eligible for a new pier in June 2027?
Only if the parcel is littoral and is not in a Stream Mouth Protection Zone or a Shorezone Preservation Area, and pier rights are not deed-restricted. HOA or shared-pier access counts against you.
Should I apply with my neighbor?
Often yes. In 2025, multi-parcel applications were selected 11 of 22; single-parcel, 2 of 52. Sharing is the stronger path. It is not a guarantee.
If I win the lottery, is that the permit?
No. An allocation is not a permit. You then have about six months to file the complete shorezone application.
Is this the same drawing as a boat lift or buoy?
No. Moorings have their own annual lottery. See moorings.
I already have a pier on another lot. Can I move it here instead?
That may be a pier transfer (move a pier to another parcel), which does not use the 2027 lottery.