What are the permit fees in Milledgeville?

$500 annual fee for Baldwin County is one of the highest in the state.

What are the key requirements for Milledgeville hosts?

Certificates expire every December 31st and must be manually reapplied for; there is no grace period for 'automatic' renewal.

What are the key requirements for Milledgeville hosts?

A 24-hour local contact must be able to appear on-site within 24 hours of notification of an issue.

What are the permit fees in Milledgeville?

Georgia state tax law adds a $5 nightly hotel-motel fee on top of percentage-based taxes for units with 5+ bedrooms (per some local interpretations of HB 317).

Milledgeville

Permissive

GeorgiaUpdated Apr 12, 2026

Gold-standard verification1% sourced

Cross-referenced against 0 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.

Verified Feb 11, 2026Sources 0

Summary

Plain-english overview

Short-term rentals in Milledgeville require a general business license and tax registration, while unincorporated Baldwin County requires a specific $500 annual STVR certificate.

Restriction level

Severity 3

Classification

Permissive

Severity

Why this classification

Tenants cannot host
Permit required
Reporting required
Safety standards required
No night cap
No primary residence requirement

In plain English

What this means for you

If your property is inside Milledgeville city limits, you must obtain a standard Occupational Tax Certificate (business license) and register to pay local lodging taxes. If your property is in unincorporated Baldwin County (common for lakefront homes), you must apply for a specific Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate which costs $500 per year and requires a safety inspection. Both jurisdictions require an 8% local hotel-motel tax in addition to state sales taxes.

At a glance

Key numbers

Permit requiredYes

Night limitNone

Primary residenceNot required

Total tax rate0.2%

Permit fee$125

Processing time2-4 weeks

Max fine$1,000

4 things hosts often miss

Common compliance gaps

1$500 annual fee for Baldwin County is one of the highest in the state.
2Certificates expire every December 31st and must be manually reapplied for; there is no grace period for 'automatic' renewal.
3A 24-hour local contact must be able to appear on-site within 24 hours of notification of an issue.
4Georgia state tax law adds a $5 nightly hotel-motel fee on top of percentage-based taxes for units with 5+ bedrooms (per some local interpretations of HB 317).

Regulation details

Sourced from official code

Eligibility5 rules

Milledgeville does NOT allow tenants to host STRs. Only property owners may operate short-term rentals.
Milledgeville allows STRs in the following property types: Single Family, Condo, Townhouse, Lake House.
Milledgeville: Your HOA can prohibit short-term rentals even if the city allows them. Check your CC&Rs before applying.

Requirements12 rules

Milledgeville: Certificates expire every December 31st and must be manually reapplied for; there is no grace period for 'automatic' renewal.
Milledgeville: Hosts must report their rental activity monthly to the city, even if platforms collect taxes.
Baldwin County requires STR registration. The permit is called "Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) Certificate". Apply through Planning & Development.

Application process8 rules

Milledgeville STR permit - Step 4: Schedule Safety Inspection. Coordinate with the Building Inspector and Fire Marshal for a property walkthrough. Time: 1 week.

Fees & costs3 rules

Baldwin County charges a registration fee of $500 (annual).
Milledgeville: $500 annual fee for Baldwin County is one of the highest in the state.
Milledgeville charges a registration fee of $125 (annual).

Taxes3 rules

Milledgeville charges a Hotel/Motel Tax of 0.08%. This applies to stays under 31 days. Platforms like Airbnb collect and remit this tax. Note: Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO generally collect and remit the 8% state and local sales tax; however, owners may still be responsible for remitting the local excise tax directly if the platform does not.

Limits & restrictions3 rules

Milledgeville limits stays to a maximum of 30 nights.
Milledgeville: Georgia state tax law adds a $5 nightly hotel-motel fee on top of percentage-based taxes for units with 5+ bedrooms (per some local interpretations of HB 317).
Milledgeville enforces quiet hours: 10pm-7am.

Safety requirements2 rules

Baldwin County requires: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, fire inspection.
Milledgeville requires the following safety measures for STRs: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, posted maximum occupancy, posted emergency contact.

Penalties4 rules

Milledgeville: Serious or repeated STR violations can result in criminal charges, not just fines.
Baldwin County enforces penalties: First offense: $250 minimum fine. Maximum fine: 1000.
Milledgeville: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.

Exemptions2 rules

Milledgeville: Rentals of 30+ days are generally NOT considered short-term rentals and may be exempt from STR regulations (but may have other requirements).
Milledgeville exempts the following from STR regulations: long-term rentals (30+ days), extended stays, long-term rentals 30+ days (county).

How to get permitted

Step-by-step guide for Milledgeville

0/4

steps completed

Step 1

Verify Jurisdiction

Determine if your property is within the Milledgeville city limits or in unincorporated Baldwin County using the Baldwin County GIS map.

1 dayFree

Official resource

Step 2

Obtain Occupational Tax Certificate (City)

If in city limits, apply for a business license from the City of Milledgeville Finance Department.

1-2 weeks$125

Documents needed

Business License Application
Photo ID

Official resource

Step 3

Apply for STVR Certificate (County)

If in unincorporated Baldwin County, submit the notarized STVR Application packet to the Planning & Development office.

2-4 weeks$500

Documents needed

Notarized Application
Insurance Dec Page
Deed
Parking Plan

Official resource

Step 4

Schedule Safety Inspection

Coordinate with the Building Inspector and Fire Marshal for a property walkthrough.

1 weekFree

Frequently asked questions

4 answered

Disclaimer

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

Milledgeville

Permissive

GeorgiaUpdated Apr 12, 2026

Gold-standard verification1% sourced

Cross-referenced against 0 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.

Verified Feb 11, 2026Sources 0

Summary

Plain-english overview

Short-term rentals in Milledgeville require a general business license and tax registration, while unincorporated Baldwin County requires a specific $500 annual STVR certificate.

Restriction level

Severity 3

Classification

Permissive

Severity

Why this classification

Tenants cannot host
Permit required
Reporting required
Safety standards required
No night cap
No primary residence requirement

In plain English

What this means for you

At a glance

Key numbers

Permit requiredYes

Night limitNone

Primary residenceNot required

Total tax rate0.2%

Permit fee$125

Processing time2-4 weeks

Max fine$1,000

4 things hosts often miss

Common compliance gaps

1$500 annual fee for Baldwin County is one of the highest in the state.
2Certificates expire every December 31st and must be manually reapplied for; there is no grace period for 'automatic' renewal.
3A 24-hour local contact must be able to appear on-site within 24 hours of notification of an issue.
4Georgia state tax law adds a $5 nightly hotel-motel fee on top of percentage-based taxes for units with 5+ bedrooms (per some local interpretations of HB 317).

Regulation details

Sourced from official code

Eligibility5 rules

Milledgeville does NOT allow tenants to host STRs. Only property owners may operate short-term rentals.
Milledgeville allows STRs in the following property types: Single Family, Condo, Townhouse, Lake House.
Milledgeville: Your HOA can prohibit short-term rentals even if the city allows them. Check your CC&Rs before applying.

Requirements12 rules

Milledgeville: Certificates expire every December 31st and must be manually reapplied for; there is no grace period for 'automatic' renewal.
Milledgeville: Hosts must report their rental activity monthly to the city, even if platforms collect taxes.
Baldwin County requires STR registration. The permit is called "Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) Certificate". Apply through Planning & Development.

Application process8 rules

Milledgeville STR permit - Step 4: Schedule Safety Inspection. Coordinate with the Building Inspector and Fire Marshal for a property walkthrough. Time: 1 week.

Fees & costs3 rules

Baldwin County charges a registration fee of $500 (annual).
Milledgeville: $500 annual fee for Baldwin County is one of the highest in the state.
Milledgeville charges a registration fee of $125 (annual).

Taxes3 rules

Milledgeville charges a Hotel/Motel Tax of 0.08%. This applies to stays under 31 days. Platforms like Airbnb collect and remit this tax. Note: Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO generally collect and remit the 8% state and local sales tax; however, owners may still be responsible for remitting the local excise tax directly if the platform does not.

Limits & restrictions3 rules

Milledgeville limits stays to a maximum of 30 nights.
Milledgeville: Georgia state tax law adds a $5 nightly hotel-motel fee on top of percentage-based taxes for units with 5+ bedrooms (per some local interpretations of HB 317).
Milledgeville enforces quiet hours: 10pm-7am.

Safety requirements2 rules

Baldwin County requires: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, fire inspection.
Milledgeville requires the following safety measures for STRs: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, posted maximum occupancy, posted emergency contact.

Penalties4 rules

Milledgeville: Serious or repeated STR violations can result in criminal charges, not just fines.
Baldwin County enforces penalties: First offense: $250 minimum fine. Maximum fine: 1000.
Milledgeville: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.

Exemptions2 rules

Milledgeville: Rentals of 30+ days are generally NOT considered short-term rentals and may be exempt from STR regulations (but may have other requirements).
Milledgeville exempts the following from STR regulations: long-term rentals (30+ days), extended stays, long-term rentals 30+ days (county).

How to get permitted

Step-by-step guide for Milledgeville

0/4

steps completed

Step 1

Verify Jurisdiction

Determine if your property is within the Milledgeville city limits or in unincorporated Baldwin County using the Baldwin County GIS map.

1 dayFree

Official resource

Step 2

Obtain Occupational Tax Certificate (City)

If in city limits, apply for a business license from the City of Milledgeville Finance Department.

1-2 weeks$125

Documents needed

Business License Application
Photo ID

Official resource

Step 3

Apply for STVR Certificate (County)

If in unincorporated Baldwin County, submit the notarized STVR Application packet to the Planning & Development office.

2-4 weeks$500

Documents needed

Notarized Application
Insurance Dec Page
Deed
Parking Plan

Official resource

Step 4

Schedule Safety Inspection

Coordinate with the Building Inspector and Fire Marshal for a property walkthrough.

1 weekFree

Frequently asked questions

4 answered

Disclaimer

Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM

Summary

Restriction level

Why this classification

In plain English

At a glance

4 things hosts often miss

Regulation details

How to get permitted

Verify Jurisdiction

Obtain Occupational Tax Certificate (City)

Apply for STVR Certificate (County)

Schedule Safety Inspection

Frequently asked questions

1Do I need a permit for short-term rentals in Milledgeville?

2What is the TOT tax rate in Milledgeville?

3How much does a short-term rental permit cost?

4What are the penalties for non-compliance in Milledgeville?

Disclaimer

Summary

Restriction level

Why this classification

In plain English

At a glance

4 things hosts often miss

Regulation details

How to get permitted

Verify Jurisdiction

Obtain Occupational Tax Certificate (City)

Apply for STVR Certificate (County)

Schedule Safety Inspection

Frequently asked questions

1Do I need a permit for short-term rentals in Milledgeville?

2What is the TOT tax rate in Milledgeville?

3How much does a short-term rental permit cost?

4What are the penalties for non-compliance in Milledgeville?

Disclaimer