LicensedRental

Dawson County, Georgia

Unincorporated Dawson County, GA vacation rental requirements

Dawson County requires a permit for every short-term rental (under 30 nights) and, since 2025, allows only one site-built house per parcel of at least half an acre. Stays must be at least two nights, guests are capped at 2 per bedroom, and you must mail notice to neighbors before the permit issues.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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County permit
Required, valid 12 months
Fee set in the county fee schedule.Source
Lot and home
One site-built house per parcel, 0.5 acre or more
No campers, RVs, tiny houses, or containers. Existing permits that don’t meet this may continue while active.Source
Minimum stay
2 nights
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom overnight
Daytime 1½ times that; up to 6 bedrooms without a special use.Source
Taxes
8% sales tax + 8% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

Your agent must be 21 or older and live in Dawson or an adjacent county (a management company must be licensed there).

The property must front a county road or have a recorded access easement, and county staff must have gate access.

Fines are up to $250 for a first violation and up to $500 plus a 30- to 90-day suspension for a second.

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.

Dawson County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax depend on whether you’re inside a city. Pick your area.

Dawson County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Gather your documents

    You need proof of ownership, a paid tax receipt, a septic permit with proof it was inspected and pumped in the last 3 years (or a sewer capacity letter), a labeled floor plan, photo ID, proof of insurance, and proof of professional trash service.Source

  2. Apply and notify neighbors

    Submit the notarized STRBB application to Community Development. At least 10 days before the permit issues, send notice by certificate of mailing to all adjacent owners with the address, parking, occupancy, and your agent’s 24-hour number. The county decides within 15 business days.Source

    Dawson County short-term rentals →

  3. Meet the safety rules and post the information

    Smoke detectors in every bedroom, hallway, and common area; CO detectors and an NFPA 10 extinguisher on every floor. Post the permit, occupancy limits, guest rules, an exit route map with 911, and the number of vehicles allowed near the main door.Source

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 8% 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 Dawson County’s 8% hotel-motel tax on the county’s form.Source

House rules for guests

Quiet hours
10 p.m.–7 a.m. weekdays; 10 p.m.–8 a.m. weekends
Source
Parking
Up to 1 vehicle per bedroom, on hard surfaces
No street parking; trailers count; no RVs.Source
Ads
Show the county permit number
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.