St. Johns County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC § 2.02.04.B.19.e.(5)
- Requirement
- Disclose Noise Ord. 2015-19 in lease
- Registration required since
- November 5, 2021
- Cure period
- 7 days, extendable for good cause
- First enforcement target
- Tenant, lessee, guest or occupant
- Repeat trigger
- 3 violations in 180 days shifts to owner
- Penalty
- Civil penalty set by BCC resolution
Summary
St. Johns County's Land Development Code requires every Short Term Vacation Rental lease to disclose compliance with County Noise Ordinance 2015-19 and hand transient occupants a printed copy of it. The requirement sits in LDC Section 2.02.04.B.19.e.(5), part of the 2021 short-term rental ordinance covering unincorporated homes in Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, Julington Creek and Fruit Cove. Guests who violate noise rules face direct code enforcement action, with the owner liable after repeat offenses.
(5) Noise Compliance with St. Johns County Noise Ordinance 2015-19 shall be disclosed within the lease agreement and a copy of the ordinance provided to all transient occupants. ... Noncompliance with any provision of this Section 2.02.04.B.19 shall constitute a violation this Code and may be enforced as provided in Section 10.05.01; provided, however, that the time period for corrective action for violations under this section shall be no more than seven (7) days, which such time period may be extended by the County Administrator only for good cause, and that the applicable civil penalty shall be in the amount established by the Board of County Commissioners by resolution. In the event of a violation of this Section by a tenant, lessee, guest, or occupant of a Short Term Vacation Rental, the County shall first pursue enforcement against said tenant, lessee, guest, or occupant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
19 of the St. Johns County Land Development Code (Ord. 2021-23) makes Short Term Vacation Rentals an allowable accessory use in residential districts but subjects them to a registration and disclosure scheme administered by the County Administrator through Growth Management. 19, the County Noise Ordinance (Ord. 2015-19), and all other applicable laws. (5) restates the requirement specifically for noise: compliance with Ordinance 2015-19 must be disclosed in the lease, and a copy of that ordinance must be handed to every transient occupant before the stay begins.
The LDC does not set its own decibel or curfew standard; the substantive noise limits live in the freestanding 2015-19 ordinance, and this section's job is to force every renter to see them in writing before check-in. Registration under this section has been mandatory since November 5, 2021, and applies to all unincorporated Short Term Vacation Rentals except units west of the Intracoastal Waterway, owner-occupied homesteaded single-family and duplex homes, and multi-family units governed by an association or with onsite property management. 01. The person cited gets no more than seven days to correct the violation, extendable only by the County Administrator for good cause, and faces a civil penalty set by Board of County Commissioners resolution.
Violations & Fines
A first noise violation at a Short Term Vacation Rental is pursued against the tenant, lessee, guest or occupant, not the owner, under Section 10.05.01's enforcement procedure. The violator gets up to seven days to correct it, extendable only by the County Administrator for good cause, before a civil penalty set by Board of County Commissioners resolution applies. Three violations within 180 days shift enforcement to the owner, and the county may still pursue injunctive relief, liens, or other civil remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St. Johns County set a specific decibel limit for short-term rentals?
Who gets cited first if guests are loud at a St. Johns County rental?
Are all St. Johns County short-term rentals subject to the noise disclosure rule?
How much is the civil penalty for a noise violation at a St. Johns County short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Johns County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Johns County to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview
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