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Florida Panhandle & MS Gulf Coast short-term rental rules

Where to find the official short-term (vacation) rental rules for each area we cover, with links to the government pages we used. Checked October 2026.

Rules change. These are summaries of official pages, not legal or tax advice. Always verify with the city or county before you list a property.

All Florida areas: state license and taxes

Florida's Division of Hotels and Restaurants (DBPR) licenses vacation rentals; see the DBPR guide to vacation rentals. Each county also has its own tourist development tax registration, listed below.

Pensacola Beach (Escambia County)

Escambia County tourist development tax registration with the County Clerk; we found no published Santa Rosa Island Authority short-term rental rules. See the Pensacola Beach summary.

Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa County

Tourist development tax registration with the Okaloosa County Clerk. See the Okaloosa summary.

Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach and 30A (Walton County)

Annual county vacation rental registration, a local responsible party, occupancy and parking limits, signs, and tourist development tax registration with the Walton County Clerk. See the Walton County summary.

Panama City Beach (Bay County)

Bay County tourist development tax registration (now with the Bay County Tax Collector), plus the City of Panama City Beach's own rules inside city limits. See the Panama City Beach summary.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

City short-term rental rules inside Ocean Springs city limits. See the Ocean Springs summary.

Hiring a vacation rental manager?

Ask every manager who handles registration, renewals and tax filing, and get it in writing. Our how to hire a property manager guide and interview checklist can help.

Informational only. Not financial, tax or legal advice.