Vacation-rental guests follow the same noise rules as residents. In unincorporated Bay County that means the property-line decibel caps and 200-foot audibility limit of Sec. 17-72; owners and managers are jointly liable for a rental's noise.
Florida preempts STR bans but leaves noise authority to local government, so Bay County applies its general noise ordinance to rental guests. The same 60/55 dBA residential caps and 200-foot audibility rule apply, enforced by the Sheriff. Crucially, Sec. 17-73 makes the property owner, possessor, or manager jointly and severally liable for noise even when not present - 'it shall not be a lawful defense to assert that some other person caused the sound.' That puts hosts on the hook for guest parties. Bay County's Ordinance 23-18 and Panama City Beach's rules require a responsible party who can respond quickly to complaints; PCB demands in-person response within one hour.
Guest noise draws the same penalties as any nuisance: $500 first offense, up to $1,000 and 60 days for repeats, each day separate. Owners are jointly liable, and cities can revoke a rental certificate.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bay County, FL
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See how Bay County's noise rules rules stack up against other locations.
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