(a) No person shall, without first having obtained a permit or letter of approval from the Department, undertake any activity:

(1) To construct, modify, or reconstruct any structure or facility on any beach seaward of the building line.

(2) To alter, dig, mine, move, remove or deposit any substantial amount of beach or other materials, or cause the significant removal of vegetation, on any beach seaward of the building line which may affect the enhancement, preservation or protection of beaches.

(b) No dune buggy, truck, automobile, motorized bicycle, mechanized vehicle or machine shall be operated on any beach owned in fee simple by the State except in areas designated for such use and then only in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Department. Vehicles utilized for emergency or health and safety measures are excepted from this subsection.

(c) Construction activities landward of the building line on any beach, including construction of any structure or the alteration, digging, mining, moving, removal or deposition of any substantial amount of beach or other materials, shall be permitted only under a letter of approval from the Department.

(d) The Department shall grant or deny a permit or letter of approval required by subsections (a) and (c) of this section in accordance with duly promulgated regulations. If any structure proposed to be built seaward of the building line could reasonably be reduced in size or otherwise altered in order to eliminate or diminish the amount of encroachment over the building line, the Department shall require such reduction or alteration as a condition of granting the permit or letter of approval. Notwithstanding any provision of this section or regulations adopted by the Department, no property owner shall be prevented within the regulated area from repairing, modifying, modernizing, updating, or improving their existing structure, or, by performing such actions, be required to relocate or reduce in size so long as these repairs, modifications, or improvements are within the existing structure’s foot print.

64 Del. Laws, c. 361, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 398, § 1; 75 Del. Laws, c. 435, §§ 5, 6; 76 Del. Laws, c. 236, § 1.