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/STAY · LOCAL RULES · DESTIN, FL

Destin short-term rental rules

Every house, townhome, duplex or triplex rented short-term in Destin is registered with the city every year, starting January 1. Before the first guest arrives, an 18-by-18-inch sign goes up out front with the responsible party, guest limit and parking.

Checked on Nov 11 2026 against the official pages below

The three things to know

PERMIT

Yearly city registration, opening Jan 1: $500 up to 2,499 sq ft, $600 to 4,999, $700 for 5,000 and up (city FAQ), late fees after March 31. You need a city and county business tax receipt, your DBPR license and state tax number. Short stays are allowed only in listed zones. Condos register under a separate article.

DOOR NOTICE

Outside, before any guest stays: an 18-by-18-inch sign readable from the street (not in it) with the local responsible party's name and 24/7 phone (and the rental phone if different), the guest limit, the most parking, and the city's yearly decal in the top right corner.

TAX

6% Okaloosa County tourist tax, filed with the county Clerk of Court, which says it is "NOT contracted with ANY platform," so you collect and file it. Plus 6% Florida sales tax and Okaloosa's 1% surtax.

Print the door notice

This lays out the outside sign from City Code sec. 13-114. The city wants it 18 by 18 inches, so print this as your proof and have a sign shop make it that size, leaving the top right corner clear for the city's yearly decal.

Type what you know. Anything left empty prints as a line to write on, so it works as a blank form too. What you type stays on this phone.

CITY OF DESTIN

Short-term rental

Sign required by City of Destin Code sec. 13-114.

    City of Destin Code sec. 13-114. Layout made free at headedin.com/stay/rules/destin/

    Prints a letter-size proof. Have the sign made 18 by 18 inches, placed on the property so it reads from the street (never in the right-of-way), with the city decal in the top right corner.

    What the rules say

    Who registers, and what it costs
    "unlawful ... to allow another person to occupy any single-family detached dwelling unit as a seasonal resident ... unless ... registered"Sec. 13-105
    • Single-family includes townhomes, duplexes and triplexes. Condos register under article VI(A).
    • Fees are set by resolution (sec. 13-110); the city's FAQ lists $500 up to 2,499 sq ft, $600 for 2,500 to 4,999, $700 for 5,000 and up. Registration opens Jan 1; late fees after March 31 and June 1.
    • Every year, through the city's online portal. Registration doesn't transfer.
    • Zones: the city lists BRMU, CBR, CMU, GRMU, HIMU, NHMU, ROI-TD, SHMU, CBN, LDR-HI, MDR-HI and HDR-HI.
    • Turning a long-term or owner-occupied home into a short-term rental needs a $2,000 change-of-use application and an interior housing inspection first.
    The sign out front
    "Prior to the owner of the single-family dwelling unit allowing another person to occupy the single-family dwelling unit as a seasonal resident, owner shall post a sign on the property"Sec. 13-114
    • Readable from the public right-of-way, but not placed in it.
    • 18 by 18 inches.
    • The local responsible party's name and 24/7 emergency phone; the rental phone too if it's different.
    • The occupancy limit and maximum parking.
    • Up the whole time the registration or business tax is current.
    • The current city decal in the top right corner, provided at registration.

    "No guest may stay in the residence until the sign is erected" (sec. 13-108(4)). The city's FAQ: post within 7 days of registering, no rider signs, not in windows, on trees or on fences. These sign rules override HOA rules (sec. 13-115).

    Responsible party, guests and ads
    • Responsible party: within 30 miles, "available with authority to address and correct violations... twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven days a week," and tells guests the noise, parking, garbage and common-area rules before they arrive (sec. 13-108).
    • Guests (sec. 13-117): the lesser of 2 per bedroom plus 4, or 24; from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. no more than the overnight limit. Verify the count within 36 hours of arrival.
    • Ads state the occupancy limit and maximum parking (sec. 13-117(d)).
    • Rental agreement states the guest and vehicle limits and that guests evacuate on any official order.
    • After-hours noise complaints go to the Sheriff, 850-651-7400.
    Taxes
    • Okaloosa County tourist development tax, 6%, collected by the Okaloosa County Clerk of Court since 2022. The Clerk: "Okaloosa County is NOT contracted with ANY platform ... it is your responsibility to collect & remit." File monthly, zero returns too.
    • Florida sales tax 6% plus Okaloosa's 1% surtax to the Department of Revenue.

    House rules go in your listing

    For bookings made from Nov 20 2026, Airbnb wants every house rule in the listing itself; signs in the house can only repeat them. This notice only carries what Destin requires, so it adds no new rules. Put quiet hours, parking and the rest in your listing first.

    Official sources, read Nov 11 2026

    Plain-words summary, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, and the official page always wins. Checked Nov 11 2026.

    Help us get it right

    Host in Destin? If a rule, fee or form here has changed, or we missed something, tell us. We check every note against the official source before we change a page, and we put the new checked date on it.

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