Destin & 30A Short-Term Rental Laws (2026)

Permits, taxes, caps, and penalties for Airbnb & vacation rentals in Destin & 30A, Florida — from official sources, with citations. Reviewed 2026-07-02.

STRs Permitted

Short-term rentals are legal across Destin and the 30A corridor, but you'll stack a state DBPR license, county registration, tourist tax accounts, and (inside Destin city limits) a city registration.

Can you operate a short-term rental in Destin & 30A?

Florida law allows vacation rentals statewide and limits how far local governments can go, so nothing here bans STRs. But this market spans two counties plus the City of Destin, and each layer runs its own registration and tax program. Where your property sits determines exactly which programs apply.

State vacation rental license

Florida requires a state vacation rental (lodging) license from DBPR before you rent short-term. Both Okaloosa County and area cities check for it during local registration.

§ FL DBPR Vacation Rental License (myfloridalicense.com)

Walton County registration (30A side)

Short-term rentals in Walton County (Santa Rosa Beach, the 30A beach communities) must register annually with the county's Vacation Rental Registration Program: $300/property for individual properties, $227/property for community properties, effective February 1, 2025.

§ Walton County BCC Resolution 2024-57

City of Destin registration

Inside Destin city limits, STRs register with the city every year. Fees are tiered by size: $500 under 2,500 sq ft, $600 for 2,500-4,999 sq ft, $700 over 5,000 sq ft, with a $500 tier added for small condos.

§ City of Destin Code of Ordinances â Short-Term Rentals

Okaloosa County requirements

Okaloosa County directs vacation rental owners to get the state DBPR license and register for tourist tax, and the county may require rental registration, inspections, and per-unit occupancy limits (check with Growth Management, especially for Okaloosa Island Zone B-1).

§ Okaloosa County Short Term Rental Information

Permits & licenses in Destin & 30A

Plan on a state license first, then the county or city registration for your specific location, then tax accounts. Renewal is annual at every layer.

1
Get the DBPR license
Apply for the Florida vacation rental license through myfloridalicense.com before anything else â local programs ask for proof of it.
2
Open tourist tax accounts
Register with the Walton Clerk (waltontdt.munirevs.com) or Okaloosa Clerk (okaloosatouristtax.munirevs.com) depending on which county the property is in, plus a Florida DOR sales tax account.
3
Register locally
Walton County properties register through the county's online vacation rental portal (renews by May 31 each year). Destin properties register with the city (registration year starts January 1, expires end of February).
4
Keep renewals on calendar
Walton recommends renewing 60 days before expiration. Destin charges late fees of $100 after March 31 and $500 after June 1.

Fees: Walton County: $300/yr per property ($227 community). Destin: $500-$700/yr by square footage. DBPR license fee varies by license type (see DBPR).

Short-term rental taxes in Destin & 30A

Rentals of six months or less carry Florida sales tax plus county surtax plus a county tourist development tax. Walton and Okaloosa both administer their own TDT â platforms do not reliably cover it, so confirm before assuming Airbnb has you covered.

Level	Tax	Rate	Collected by	Filing
State	Florida sales tax on transient rentals	6%	Varies	Per FL DOR schedule
County	Discretionary sales surtax (Walton or Okaloosa)	1%	Varies	With sales tax return
District	Walton County Tourist Development Tax	5% south of Choctawhatchee Bay (30A/Destin-adjacent zips); 3% north per Walton Clerk	Host	Via GovOS portal (waltontdt.munirevs.com)
County	Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax	6%	Host	Monthly to Okaloosa Clerk

These rules change — Destin & 30A can amend them any month.

Compliance Watch monitors Destin & 30A's official sources and emails you the day permits, caps, or taxes change: what changed, old vs. new, and what to do. $49/yr per property, 100% credited toward Tenby.

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Operating rules

TDT applies to fees, not just rent

Walton and Okaloosa both tax the full amount the guest pays â cleaning fees, pet fees, resort fees included â not just the nightly rate.

§ Walton Clerk Tourist Development Tax; Okaloosa Clerk TDT

Don't count on platforms for TDT

Walton County states it is not contracted with any booking platform â even if Airbnb or Vrbo collects state tax, the county TDT is your responsibility to collect and remit.

§ Walton Clerk Tourist Development Tax

Local responsible party (Walton)

Walton County's registration includes designated agent/local responsible party filings, with $125 (managing agent) and $25 (responsible party) modification fees when they change.

§ Walton County Vacation Rental Registration Program

Occupancy limits possible (Okaloosa)

Okaloosa County reserves the right to limit occupancy per unit and require inspections â verify current rules with Growth Management before listing.

§ Okaloosa County Short Term Rental Information

Penalties for illegal short-term rentals in Destin & 30A

The sharpest teeth are in Walton County's registration program and Destin's late fees. Tax delinquency adds penalties and interest at the clerk level.

⚠Walton County: $500/day for operating a short-term rental without registration
⚠City of Destin: $100 late fee after March 31, rising to $500 after June 1
⚠Okaloosa TDT: late filing penalties apply after the 20th of the month
⚠Operating without the state DBPR license exposes you to state enforcement (see DBPR)

Official sources

Summarized from the official sources above as of 2026-07-02. Informational, not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the jurisdiction before acting.

Running the numbers on an STR here? Try the free Airbnb Fee Calculator — or see STR laws in 14 other markets. And when you're ready, Tenby runs your whole rental — rent, maintenance, taxes, compliance — from one app.

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