LicensedRental

Carroll County, Georgia

Unincorporated Carroll County, GA vacation rental requirements

Carroll County requires a yearly $200 short-term rental license for stays of 29 days or less outside city limits, a fire marshal inspection every five years, and the license number on every listing. Guests are capped at 2 adults per bedroom.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

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County license
$200 a year
Nonrefundable; from the Community Development Department.Source
Inspection
Fire marshal, every 5 years
Maximum guests
2 adults per bedroom
Taxes
7% sales tax + 6% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

Three convictions or judgments for code violations revoke the license for 12 months.

A 2021 county zoning draft would make short-term rentals a conditional use in the Agricultural (A) district. We couldn’t confirm it in the current code; ask Community Development about zoning at your address.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Georgia

  1. Know what the platform collects

    Airbnb collects state and local sales tax, the $5-a-night state hotel-motel fee, and the local hotel-motel tax on its Georgia bookings. Ask any other platform what it collects, and keep records either way.Source

  2. Register for direct bookings

    If guests book and pay you directly, register for sales tax with the Georgia Tax Center and file the local hotel-motel tax with your city or county. If your city or county requires a business license or occupation tax for the rental, the DOR treats you as an innkeeper and you also owe the $5 state fee on direct bookings.Source

    Georgia Tax Center →

  3. Check your city or county

    Most of the rules are local: short-term rental permits, business licenses (occupation tax), zoning limits, and caps. Some cities ban rentals in residential zones. Pick your area.

Carroll County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    The county license covers unincorporated areas; Carrollton has its own. Pick your area.

Carroll County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Apply for the license

    Apply each year to Carroll County Community Development with the address, a 24-hour agent, parking spaces, and your posted house rules (noise limits, 2 adults per bedroom, 1 vehicle per bedroom). Tell the county within 30 business days if the agent changes.Source

  2. Pass the fire marshal’s inspection

    The county fire marshal inspects each rental for life safety code compliance once every five years.Source

  3. List and post the license

    Put the license number on every online listing, and post a copy inside with the agent’s contact, maximum occupancy, and maximum vehicles.Source

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 7% sales tax, the local hotel-motel tax, and the $5-a-night state fee. Airbnb collects all three on its bookings. For direct bookings, file sales tax (and the $5 fee, if you need a local license) with the Georgia Tax Center. File the county’s 6% hotel-motel tax with Carroll County for direct bookings.Source

House rules for guests

Parking
Gravel, concrete, or asphalt only; none in yards or on county roads
Source
Signs
No exterior signs
Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.