LicensedRental

Putnam County, Georgia

Unincorporated Putnam County, GA vacation rental requirements

Putnam County requires a yearly short-term vacation rental license from the County Clerk and caps licenses at 350, with a waitlist. No new rentals are allowed in the R-1R lake residential zone, and guests are capped at 2 per bedroom plus 2, up to 12.

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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License
Yearly, from the County Clerk
Not needed for a single rental of 14 days or less in a calendar year.Source
Cap
350 licenses, then a waitlist
Applies to R-1, R-2, RM-1, RM-3, and AG zones.Source
R-1R zone
No new short-term rentals
Only pre-existing non-conforming rentals.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom + 2, up to 12
Day or night. Licenses issued before September 1, 2023 may keep a higher number.Source
Taxes
8% sales + 8% county hotel-motel + $5/night

Three violations at a property in 12 months revoke the license, and the county rejects applications for that property for 12 months.

The application fee is set by the County Clerk; a 2025 news report mentioned a $28 fee. Confirm the current amount.

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.

Putnam 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.

Putnam County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Apply to the County Clerk every year

    Give owner and agent contacts, the rental address, a parking site plan, and your sworn acknowledgement of the ordinance. The agent must be 25 or older and able to reach the property within an hour. Report agent changes within five business days.Source

    Putnam County STR portal →

  2. Put your license number in every ad

    Ads must show the license number, maximum occupancy, and maximum vehicles. Post the license and contact information inside the main entrance.Source

  3. Use the county rental contract

    Give renters a copy of the ordinance and a contract listing the maximum guests, vehicles, and boats docked. The person signing must be 25 or older.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 the county’s 8% hotel-motel tax monthly through the county’s GovOS portal on rents an intermediary didn’t already remit, including zero returns.Source

House rules for guests

Quiet hours
Speakers indoors 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Source
Parking
Per the approved plan; none on rights-of-way
Source
Not allowed
Events, fireworks, RVs, subletting, sleeping in accessory buildings
Source
Smoke alarms
Hard-wired, interconnected, battery backup
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.