DBPR License Cost in Florida (2026)

What Is the DBPR Vacation Rental License Cost?

The DBPR license cost in Florida refers to the fees collected by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants when it issues or renews a vacation rental license under Chapter 509, Florida Statutes. The license itself is a state-level public lodging credential — not a city permit, not a tax account, and not a business tax receipt. Each of those is a separate filing with separate fees.

When owners say they want to know what an "Airbnb license" costs in Florida, they almost always mean the DBPR vacation rental license. The license falls into two product lines that matter for pricing: Vacation Rental Dwellings (single houses, townhomes, duplexes, etc.) and Vacation Rental Condominiums (units inside a condominium structure). The fee structure differs because the underlying license type differs.

On top of the base license fee, DBPR’s published schedule charges a separate Half-Year Fee for applications submitted during certain parts of the licensing year, and includes administrative add-ons like the Hospitality Education Program fee. These are small individually, but they materially change the first-year math.

Florida DBPR Fee Breakdown (2026 Snapshot)

DBPR publishes fee tables on its website. The exact line items can shift slightly between fiscal years, so always verify directly. As a working reference, owners should plan for the following categories when budgeting a license cost:

The Costs That Sit Beyond the DBPR Fee

The DBPR fee is the easiest one to budget. The expensive surprises usually live in the surrounding compliance layers. A complete cost picture for a Florida vacation rental includes the Florida Department of Revenue sales tax account (free to open, but compliance time has a cost), the county Tourist Development Tax account (free or nominal, but late filings carry penalties), a city or county short-term rental registration where applicable, and a local business tax receipt that many cities require independently of the state license.

Out-of-state owners often underestimate the cumulative cost. A single-family rental in Kissimmee, for example, may require a DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling license, an Osceola County TDT account, a City of Kissimmee STR registration where the property falls inside city limits, and a local business tax receipt — each with its own annual fee.

When Group and Collective License Pricing Saves Money

If you own multiple units in the same condominium or complex, you may qualify for a Group license (up to 25 units in the same building) or a Collective license (26+ units, often used by managers handling many condos under one umbrella). The per-unit math drops substantially, which is why portfolio owners and small property management companies look at this option first.

Single-family hosts with multiple homes spread across different addresses do not qualify for Group pricing because the units are not at the same property. Each address is its own license. This is the most common pricing misunderstanding among investors expanding from one Airbnb to three or four.

Annual Renewal Cost and When the Half-Year Fee Hits

DBPR vacation rental licenses are renewed annually. The renewal fee is generally the same as the license fee, plus the Hospitality Education Program charge. The Half-Year Fee is the line item that surprises owners who apply mid-cycle: depending on when in the licensing year the application is submitted, the applicant may owe roughly half of the standard license fee in addition to the application fee.

If you are buying an existing Airbnb mid-year, ask the seller for the current license certificate. DBPR licenses generally do not transfer to a new owner — the buyer typically files a new application, and the Half-Year Fee timing can change the buyer’s first-year cost by $80–$100.

Cost Mistakes Florida Hosts Make Most Often

The expensive mistakes rarely come from the DBPR fee itself. They come from skipping or misclassifying the surrounding filings. Common ones we see: applying as a Vacation Rental Dwelling when the property is actually a condo (or vice versa), forgetting the Hospitality Education Program add-on, missing the Half-Year Fee, paying for a DBPR license without opening the Florida sales tax account, registering with the county tourist development office but never with DBPR, or assuming Airbnb’s tax collection eliminates the need for a state license.

Each of these can lead to either a denied application, a delayed certificate, or a back-tax assessment that costs an order of magnitude more than the original license.

County and City Cost Variations

Counties and cities are where pricing diverges sharply. Orange County, Osceola County, and Lake County each charge their own tourist development tax registration and reporting workflows. Cities like Miami Beach, Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Naples, and several Walton County beach communities have stricter STR ordinances with their own registration costs that can exceed the DBPR fee itself.

Before quoting yourself a number, identify the exact county and municipality of the property — then map the layered costs. A Compliance Map exists for this purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions