Short-term rental permit rules in Bay County, FL — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Florida preempts local vacation-rental bans under Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)(b), so Bay County can't prohibit STRs or cap their length. Unincorporated Bay County (Ord. 23-18) and Panama City Beach instead require registration, a DBPR license, and safety inspections.
Florida law (Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)(b)) bars local governments from banning vacation rentals or regulating their duration or frequency, and the 2024 preemption-expansion bill SB 280 was vetoed, leaving the 2011 rule in place. Bay County can still register and inspect. Unincorporated Bay County's Ordinance 23-18 (adopted August 1, 2023) requires vacation-rental registration, a posted responsible-party contact, and annual fire/life-safety inspections that began January 2024 - though high-rise condos and apartments are exempt, covering only one-to-four-unit homes. Inside Panama City Beach, Ordinance 1632 requires a Vacation Rental Certificate ($50 application), a DBPR license, Bay County tourist-tax registration, a business tax receipt, and a fire inspection.
Operating without registration, a DBPR license, or a required certificate exposes hosts to code enforcement and state DBPR action. Panama City Beach fines $500, then $1,000, and can revoke the Vacation Rental Certificate.
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