LicensedRental

Glynn County, Georgia

Unincorporated Glynn County, GA vacation rental requirements

St. Simons, Sea Island, and the rest of unincorporated Glynn County require a yearly county accommodation excise tax certificate ($150, then $100 to renew) and a local contact who can be on site within two hours. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.

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 certificate
$150, then $100 a year
$75 if you apply July 1 to November 30; $175 from December 1 covers the next year too. Expires December 31.Source
Guests
2 per bedroom + 2, max 15
Children under 12 don’t count. One party per unit.Source
Local contact
On site within 2 hours
Taxes
7% sales + 7% lodging + $5/night

Certificates don’t transfer. After a sale, the new owner can keep renting for 30 days if they apply within 7 days.

The county code sets a 7% lodging tax; the state’s August 2025 report still listed 5%.

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.

Glynn County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax are set by each city, and by the county outside city limits. Pick your area.

Glynn County (unincorporated areas, excluding Jekyll Island)

  1. Apply for the accommodation excise tax certificate

    Apply to the Glynn County Finance Department before you list. Give the owner, parcel, bedrooms, any managing agent, a local point of contact, and guest parking, and affirm that HOA rules and covenants allow the rental. Managers with several rentals can get one master certificate.Source

  2. Renew by mid-December

    File the $100 renewal by the second Monday of December. A certificate that lapses on December 31 must be applied for again as new.Source

  3. 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. The county lodging tax is 7% under the county code. For direct bookings, file it with Glynn County.Source

House rules for guests

Posted notice
By the front door
The certificate, the local contact’s 24/7 phone and email, the nearest hospital, and the maximum guests and vehicles.Source
Events
No commercial events
Source
Safety
Smoke and CO alarms in every bedroom, extinguisher, weekly trash pickup
Source
Parking
Set a vehicle maximum
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.