City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Panama City, FL
How Panama City regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- STR-specific registration required with the City (Business License Application via Business Services)
- Mandatory three-tier registration: DBPR vacation-rental license + Bay County 5% Tourist Development Tax + City business license/1% merchant fee
- STRs permitted (allowed-zoning-district list) rather than excluded — no supply cap, no duration/frequency limit (consistent with FL preemption)
Based on: City of Panama City Short-Term Rental program (Business Services registration + Land Development Code
Summary of the rule
Short-term rental = property rented nightly/weekly/monthly for fewer than 181 consecutive nights; must register with State, County and City before listing on any platform.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Panama City · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.