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Florida · Okaloosa County

Okaloosa County

county Allowed with registration Verified · last verified 2026-07-02

Short-term rentals are legal by right throughout unincorporated Okaloosa County; the county is preempted by Fla. Stat. 509.032(7) from prohibiting STRs or regulating rental duration/frequency, but may require vacation rentals to register with the county, limit occupancy, and impose inspection/posting requirements. Operators need a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license and must collect/remit the 6% state sales tax + 1% discretionary surtax + 6% county Tourist Development Tax. The only prohibition is a grandfathered (pre-2011) covenant restriction in the B-1 Private Residential Area of Okaloosa Island barring transient rental.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-02 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • state Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License Required
    Fee: $170 / year · Renewal: annual · Applies to: Any owner renting an entire dwelling or condo unit for periods of less than 30 days (or 1 calendar month) more than three times in a calendar year, or advertising it as regularly rented to guests. · official page ↗
  • county Okaloosa County STR Registration Not required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Unincorporated Okaloosa County short-term rentals. The county states it MAY require vacation rentals to register; the published one-pager does not assert an active mandatory countywide registration program, so this is listed as county-permissive rather than a confirmed active mandate. · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Florida State Sales Tax (Transient Rentals) 6% Florida Department of Revenue Yes No
Okaloosa County Discretionary Sales Surtax 1% Florida Department of Revenue Yes No
Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax 6% Okaloosa County (Clerk of Courts & Comptroller) — self-administered No No

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~13.0%) on a stay in Okaloosa County. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Operating rules

Primary residence
No
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
County may limit occupancy per unit; no specific numeric cap is published in the county STR one-pager.
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
—

Grandfathering: Okaloosa Island Zone B-1 protective covenants and restrictions prohibit transient rental within the B-1 Private Residential Area; this restriction predates the 2011 legislative preemption and is grandfathered and enforceable.

Zoning: Countywide, STRs are not restricted by zoning — the county is preempted from prohibiting them or regulating duration/frequency (Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)). The sole exception is the B-1 Private Residential Area of Okaloosa Island, where a pre-2011 covenant prohibits transient rental and is grandfathered/exempt from the preemption. Operators should contact Growth Management (850-651-7180) to confirm whether a specific parcel falls in a restricted area.

  • State preemption (Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)(b)) bars the county from prohibiting STRs or regulating rental duration/frequency; local laws/ordinances/regulations adopted on or before June 1, 2011 are grandfathered.
  • SB 280 (2024 statewide STR registry) passed the legislature but was vetoed by Gov. DeSantis on 2024-06-27, so no statewide registry is in effect.
  • The Okaloosa Island Zone B-1 covenant is the only area where transient rental is prohibited in the county.

Enforcement

Active enforcement
low
Fines
—
Notes
The county's published STR one-pager describes only permissive regulatory tools (occupancy limits, registration, posting, inspection) and does not publish a schedule of STR-specific fines. State preemption limits county enforcement to non-duration/non-frequency matters. No specific fine amounts were found on an official source; left null rather than guessed. Tourist Development Tax non-compliance is enforced by the Clerk of Courts (late penalties after the 20th of the month).

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Okaloosa County?
Short-term rentals are legal by right throughout unincorporated Okaloosa County; the county is preempted by Fla. Stat. 509.032(7) from prohibiting STRs or regulating rental duration/frequency, but may require vacation rentals to register with the county, limit occupancy, and impose inspection/posting requirements. Operators need a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license and must collect/remit the 6% state sales tax + 1% discretionary surtax + 6% county Tourist Development Tax. The only prohibition is a grandfathered (pre-2011) covenant restriction in the B-1 Private Residential Area of Okaloosa Island barring transient rental.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Okaloosa County?
Yes — Okaloosa County requires: Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Okaloosa County?
Florida State Sales Tax (Transient Rentals) (6%), Okaloosa County Discretionary Sales Surtax (1%), Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax (6%) — roughly 13.0% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.
Does Airbnb or Vrbo collect the taxes for me in Okaloosa County?
It varies by tax and platform in Okaloosa County — see the "Airbnb remits" / "Vrbo remits" columns in the tax table. Where a platform does not remit, the host registers and remits directly.

Official sources

Related coverage

In Florida

Cities in this county Destin · Fort Walton Beach

Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.