Panama City Beach, FL short-term rental certificate
Hosting in Panama City Beach starts with the city's Vacation Rental Certificate. The state license comes first, because the city asks for proof of it in its own application. Every step of the process is published by the city.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Panama City Beach?
Get the certificate first
What you apply for: Vacation Rental Certificate
- Seasonal homes
- 11,177
- Housing units
- 21,204
- Residents
- 18,971
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCertificate required
- City fee$75
- Tax on each stay12%
- Seasonal homes527 per 1,000
Panama City Beach short-term rental rules
Panama City Beach allows short-term rentals but requires a Vacation Rental Certificate for every one, under Ordinance 1632, in force since February 1, 2024. The city issues the certificate only after the property passes a full life safety inspection. It invoices $75 for that inspection once your registration has been reviewed. Three documents have to be in hand before you apply. They are a Florida DBPR license, proof of registration with the Tourist Development Council and a valid city business tax receipt. A pool inspection is added where there is a pool. Signage visible from outside the property must carry an emergency contact telephone list and the certificate number. Registration is annual: returning owners re-register on the city portal and are re-inspected, for $150 plus $75 where a re-inspection is needed.[6]
What Panama City Beach asks of you
Ordinance 1632 has required a valid Vacation Rental Certificate for every vacation rental in the city since February 1, 2024.[6]
The certificate is issued after a full life safety inspection, and the city invoices $75 for that inspection once your registration has been reviewed.[6]
You apply with proof of your DBPR license, proof of registration with the Tourist Development Council and a valid city business tax receipt. Where there is a pool, the city also asks for a pool inspection.[6]
Signage visible from outside the house or unit must carry an emergency contact telephone list and the certificate number issued once the inspection passes.[6]
Registration is annual: returning owners re-register on the city portal and are re-inspected, for a $150 re-registration fee plus $75 if a re-inspection is needed.[6]
What Florida asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Florida licenses vacation rentals itself. A dwelling license covers houses, townhouses and buildings of up to four units. A condominium or cooperative unit takes a condominium license instead. The license costs $150 plus $10 per rental unit, plus a $10 hospitality education fee.[2]
No Florida city may ban vacation rentals. It may not set how long or how often you rent either. The one exception is a local ordinance already in force on June 1, 2011, which still applies.[1]
State sales tax is due on every rental of six months or less. A bona fide written lease for more than six months of continuous residence is exempt. So is the seventh month onward once a guest has stayed and paid for six.[3]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Panama City Beach
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Florida state sales tax[3] | 6% | The state revenue department |
| Bay County discretionary sales surtax[5] | 1% | The state revenue department |
| Bay County Tourist Development Tax[4] | 5% | The county |
| Total on a taxable stay | 12% |
Bay County's 5% tourist development tax applies only in the ZIP codes the state table lists, the beach codes 32407, 32408 and 32413 among them. It is remitted straight to the county. The 6% state tax and the 1% surtax go to the Department of Revenue instead, on a separate return.[4]
What the census counts
How much of Panama City Beach is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 11,177 of Panama City Beach's 21,204 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 527 out of every 1,000. It ranks Panama City Beach 1st of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 1st of 48
- Share of housing
- 527 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $441,300
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Panama City Beach sits among its neighbors
Mexico Beach, FL
No city ordinance
467 seasonal homes, 354 per 1,000 housing units.
Mexico Beach short-term rental rulesPanama City, FL
Registration required
304 seasonal homes, 18 per 1,000 housing units.
Panama City short-term rental rulesFort Myers Beach, FL
Registration required
4,753 seasonal homes, 481 per 1,000 housing units.
Fort Myers Beach short-term rental rulesIndian Shores, FL
No city ordinance
1,315 seasonal homes, 512 per 1,000 housing units.
Indian Shores short-term rental rulesFAQ
Panama City Beach short-term rental questions
Do I need a city certificate as well as a state license in Panama City Beach?
What does the inspection cover?
How much tax is added to a stay in Panama City Beach?
Sources
- Florida Statutes § 509.032(7), Duties — preemption of vacation rental regulation, The Florida Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- Guide to Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, read on September 20, 2026
- Sales and Use Tax on Rental of Living or Sleeping Accommodations (GT-800034, R. 10/25), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
- Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT, R. 10/26), Florida Department of Revenue, read on October 2, 2026
- Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
- Short-Term Rentals, Fire Department inspections, City of Panama City Beach, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
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