LicensedRental

Matagorda County, Texas

Unincorporated Matagorda County, TX vacation rental requirements

Outside city limits, including Sargent and Matagorda, short-term rentals need a $40 yearly operational permit from the County Fire Marshal. Stays owe the 6% state hotel tax; we found no county hotel tax.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

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County permit
$40 a year
Fire Marshal operational permit for stays under 30 days.Source
Hotel taxes
6% state
No county hotel tax reported to the Comptroller.Source

The application doesn’t say what the Fire Marshal checks or whether the permit applies inside Bay City and Palacios. Call the office before you list.

Your licensing checklist

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

State of Texas

  1. Know who pays the hotel tax

    Airbnb collects and pays the 6% state hotel tax on its bookings. If guests pay you directly or through a site that doesn’t collect, register with the Comptroller and file the state tax yourself.Source

    Texas hotel occupancy tax →

  2. Register for local hotel tax

    Your city (and in some places your county) charges its own hotel tax, filed with that city or county, not the state. Airbnb pays it only in the places on its list; everywhere else you register and file it yourself, even for Airbnb bookings.Source

  3. Check your city’s rules

    Many Texas cities require a short-term rental permit or registration, and some require an inspection, a local contact, or posted rules. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules often limit rentals. Pick your area for the local rules.Source

Matagorda County, Texas

  1. Then pick your city

    Texas counties can’t zone, so rental permits and the local hotel tax are set by each city. Pick your city, or the unincorporated page if you’re outside city limits.Source

Matagorda County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Get the Fire Marshal’s operational permit

    Fill out the County Fire Marshal’s operational permit application, check “Short Term Rentals,” and pay $40 by check or money order to Matagorda County. Renew every year. Ask the office whether it inspects the rental; a re-inspection costs $250.Source

    Operational permit application →

  2. Hotel taxes on each stay

    Stays of 29 nights or less owe the 6% state hotel tax, which Airbnb collects on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file it with the Texas Comptroller. There’s no city hotel tax outside city limits, and Matagorda County doesn’t report a county hotel tax.Source

  3. Check your deed restrictions

    Beach subdivisions often have deed restrictions or POA rules on rentals. Read yours before you list.

Fees

$40 a year

Short-term rental operational permit (annual)$40
Re-inspection$250

Fees are non-refundable. In effect since May 18, 2026. 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.