Palm Coast, FL Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Palm Coast's path to STR regulation runs through three Florida law layers. The 2011-vintage FS § 509.032(7)(b) preemption forecloses cities that did not adopt STR ordinances on or before June 1, 2011 from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating their duration or frequency. Palm Coast did not adopt a pre-2011 ordinance (only Flagler County's own ordinance and the City of Flagler Beach's regulations received that carve-out), so Palm Coast cannot ban STRs or impose night caps. The 2023 Florida legislative session amended FS § 509.032 to permit local governments to (a) require vacation rental registration and renewal, (b) require designation of a responsible party available to respond to issues, (c) impose maximum occupancy limits at the lesser of two persons per bedroom plus two in a common area, and (d) require posting of the maximum occupancy. Governor DeSantis vetoed the 2024 SB 280, which would have moved registration to a state-administered DBPR framework, so the 2023 amended local-registration authority remains the operative grant. Under that authority, the Palm Coast City Council passed Ordinance 2025-01 on January 7, 2025 with an effective date of March 3, 2025, amending City Code Chapter 17 to add Section 17-68 (Short-Term Rentals). The ordinance: requires every STR (defined as a dwelling rented for periods of less than 30 days) to register annually with the City of Palm Coast through the cdpservices.palmcoast.gov/btr portal; requires a Sample Lease Agreement containing the terms specified in Section 17-68(A)(2)(A-H); requires designation of a Responsible Party (up to three people may be named); requires upload of the Florida DBPR Transient Public Lodging license and the Florida Department of Revenue Certificate of Registration for tourist development taxes; requires payment of an annual registration fee of $375 and an annual inspection fee of $75 (established by City Council Resolution 2025-05); requires an Executed Affidavit certifying compliance with the ordinance and that no guests are registered sex offenders; and requires that all advertising disclose the property is located in a residential community. The ordinance permits STRs in ALL residential zoning districts in Palm Coast - the city did not (and could not) restrict STRs to any subset of zones. Separately, every STR operator must hold (1) the Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling or Condo license under FS § 509.241/509.242, (2) a Florida Department of Revenue sales tax account for the 6% state sales tax and 1% Flagler County discretionary surtax, (3) a Flagler County Tax Collector tourist development tax account for the 5% Flagler TDT under Flagler County Ordinance 2018-10, and (4) annual registration with Flagler County itself (the county is grandfathered and operates its own registration program). Operators should verify HOA/CC&R compliance before registering - the FS § 509.032 preemption does not preempt private deed restrictions.