Step 1
State Licensing
Obtain a Vacation Rental License from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and a Sales Tax Certificate from the Department of Revenue.
14-30 days
Official resourceCross-referenced against 3 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.
Santa Rosa County requires all short-term rentals in unincorporated areas to register with the Development Services Department. While there is currently no county permit fee, hosts must maintain state-level licenses from the DBPR and collect a 5% Tourist Development Tax.
To host an Airbnb in unincorporated Santa Rosa County (like Navarre), you must register your property with the county. You don't have to pay a fee to the county for this registration, but you must first get your state license from Florida's DBPR. You also need to post the house rules, maximum occupancy, and emergency contact info inside the home. Both Airbnb and VRBO handle the tax collection for you, so you don't need to manually remit the 5% local tax for those bookings.
Step-by-step guide for Santa Rosa County
Obtain a Vacation Rental License from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and a Sales Tax Certificate from the Department of Revenue.
Create a Tourist Development Tax account with the Santa Rosa County Tax Collector.
Submit the Santa Rosa County Vacation Rental Registration form online to the Development Services Department. This registration is mandatory but currently has no fee.
Regulatory information is AI-researched from public city/county codes for educational purposes. Details may be outdated or incomplete. Always verify requirements directly with your city/county planning department before operating a short-term rental.
Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM