Columbia County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Columbia County, GA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- STR permit
- None required
- Business license
- Occupation-tax certificate
- Lodging tax
- 5%, must register
- Zoning cap
- None
- State preemption
- None
Summary
Columbia County has no dedicated short-term rental permit or registration ordinance. STRs are legal in unincorporated Evans and Martinez, subject only to a county occupation-tax certificate and registering to remit the 5% lodging tax, with no zoning cap.
Pursuant to the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 48-13-51(a)(3), there is levied and imposed an excise tax at the rate of five percent of the charge to the public for and upon the furnishing for value to the public of any room, lodging or accommodation furnished by any person within the unincorporated areas of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Georgia does not preempt local STR rules, but Columbia County has chosen not to adopt a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. Its zoning code (Chapter 90) contains no short-term or vacation-rental category and defines only owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast facilities. In practice an operator in unincorporated Evans or Martinez needs a county occupation-tax certificate (business license) and must register to remit the 5% hotel/motel excise tax under § 78-66. There is no registration cap, inspection regime or local-contact mandate at the county level. Grovetown and Harlem, the incorporated cities, may apply their own business-license rules inside their limits.
Violations & Fines
Failing to hold a county occupation-tax certificate, or to register and remit the lodging tax, exposes the operator to business-license enforcement and to tax assessments, penalties and interest from Columbia County Finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Columbia County?
Can Columbia County shut down my short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia County
How Columbia County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Columbia County to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
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