Jonesboro, AR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Jonesboro, AR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Short-term rental defined as
- 29 days or less per rental
- License required from
- City of Jonesboro
- Out-of-county owners need
- a local contact/agent
- Inspection required
- fire marshal, all items satisfied
- Fine for operating unlicensed
- $100.00-$500.00 per day
- Revoked owners barred
- 3 years before relicensing
Summary
Jonesboro requires every short-term rental owner (renting 29 days or less) to hold a privilege license before operating. The application demands owner contact information, a local agent if the owner lives outside Craighead County, and a passed fire marshal inspection; operating without one draws a $100 to $500 daily fine under City Code § 42-147.
It shall be illegal to operate any type of short-term residential rental business in the City of Jonesboro without a privilege license. Owners of a short-term residential rental property shall obtain a privilege license from the city. The application for the privilege license shall contain, but not be limited to, the following: (1)The name, address, and phone number of the owner of the property...(3)If the owner is not a resident of Craighead County, Arkansas, the application must include the name, address, and phone number of a local contact person responsible for the property, and who may serve as a local agent for service of any lawsuits, citations, warnings, or other correspondence regarding the property.(5)A completed fire marshal inspection with all requirements satisfied.(6)Violations of this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100.00, nor more than $500.00. Each day an owner continues to operate the business in violation of this section constitutes a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 42, Article VI defines a short-term residential rental in § 42-146 as renting residential property for 29 days or less per rental. Section 42-147 makes it illegal to operate any short-term residential rental business in Jonesboro without a privilege license issued by the city, and the application must include the owner's name, address, and phone number; a list of every short-term rental address the owner holds in the city; and, if the owner does not live in Craighead County, the name, address, and phone number of a local contact person who can accept lawsuits, citations, or warnings on the owner's behalf.
Applicants must also complete a city checklist with all required documents attached and pass a fire marshal inspection satisfying every listed requirement before the license issues. Section 42-149 requires the current license to be posted on all advertising for the rental unit, including online listings. The license is revocable: § 42-150 lets the mayor or a designee revoke it, place the owner on probation, or issue a civil fine if the property becomes a nuisance, factors including criminal activity, repeated loud-noise complaints, trash or debris, or cars parked on the yard or blocking traffic, or if the license simply is not posted on the advertising.
An owner can appeal a revocation to the city council within ten days under § 42-151, with the public works committee hearing the case and a further appeal available to Craighead County Circuit Court; if the license is revoked, no new short-term rental license can be issued to that owner for three years.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required privilege license is punishable under § 42-147(6) by a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00, and each day the owner continues operating without the license is a separate offense. A license can also be revoked, or the owner placed on probation, for nuisance conditions under § 42-150, and a revoked owner is barred from re-licensing for three years per § 42-151(g).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 45-day rental need a privilege license?
What if I own a Jonesboro rental but live in another state?
Can the city take my license away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jonesboro
How Jonesboro compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Jonesboro to another location·View the Arkansas short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.