We checked the status of every vacation rental license in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast against the state’s public records. Roughly one in six is expired right now. Most of those owners have no idea, and the reason is usually a renewal notice sitting in a mailbox nobody checks.
If you already hold a DBPR license, renewing it is quick and cheap. Missing it is neither. Here is exactly how the renewal works, what it costs in 2026, and why out-of-state owners lapse far more often than local ones.
When does a Florida vacation rental license expire?
A Florida vacation rental license is issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and must be renewed every year. There is no single statewide renewal date. DBPR assigns each county to a licensing district, and your renewal date follows your district. The exact expiration date is printed on your license.
In our service area, the dates split by county. This is how they fall across the three counties:
| County | Typical renewal date |
|---|---|
| St. Lucie | April 1 |
| Palm Beach | December 1 |
| Martin | December 1 Most licenses. About a quarter renew April 1 instead. |
Martin County straddles two DBPR districts, so do not assume. Check the date on your license, not your neighbor’s.
If you have not applied for a license yet, start with our guide to the DBPR vacation rental application. This post is for owners who already hold one.
How do you renew a DBPR vacation rental license?
The whole thing happens online and takes minutes once your account is set up:
- Find your license number. It is printed on the license certificate. If you cannot find it, look up your property on DBPR’s public license search by name or address.
- Log in to DBPR Online Services at myfloridalicense.com. First time? Create an account and link your existing license to it.
- Confirm your details. Check the property address and, more important, your mailing address. This is where renewal notices go. Fix it here if it is wrong.
- Pay the renewal fee. Card or electronic check. For a single vacation rental, it is $180 total.
- Save the confirmation. Your updated license certificate follows by mail, to the mailing address on file.
DBPR mails a renewal notice to your address on file ahead of your date. Treat that notice as a backup, not a system. More on why below.
What does it cost to renew?
| License type | Annual renewal fee |
|---|---|
| Single unit | $180 $170 license + $10 education fee |
| Group (2 to 25 units) | $190 $180 license + $10 education fee |
| Collective | $150 + $10 per unit plus $10 education fee |
Source: DBPR’s lodging fee schedule. The education fee is the $10 Hospitality Education Program fee, charged once per license per year and never prorated.
Two things trip people up here. Half-year rates exist, but they only apply to new applications filed within six months of your district’s renewal date. Renewals always pay the full-year fee. And the $50 application fee only applies to new licenses and changes of ownership, never to a straight renewal.
One classification note: DBPR licenses vacation rentals as either condos or dwellings (single-family homes and townhouses), each as single, group, or collective. The renewal process and fees above work the same way for both.
For real estate agents
A vacation rental license does not convey at closing. When a licensed STR sells, the buyer files a change-of-ownership application with DBPR, including the $50 application fee, before legally taking bookings. An active license is still a great listing point. It proves the property operates legally today. Just set the expectation that it restarts with the new owner. More on vetting STR deals in our agent resources.
What happens if your license expires?
Your license goes delinquent the day after the renewal date. Florida law adds a delinquent fee of up to $50 on top of the normal renewal fee, per section 509.241, Florida Statutes. There is no grace period that lets you keep operating. Hosting guests on an expired license is unlicensed operation under Chapter 509, and DBPR can issue administrative fines well beyond the $50.
The lapse problem is real and local. As of July, nearly four in ten St. Lucie County vacation rental licenses show as expired, against about 6% in Palm Beach County and a single expired license in all of Martin County. That is 276 properties in our three counties either sitting dark or operating without an active license.
Why do out-of-state owners lapse the most?
Because the renewal notice goes to a mailbox they never open.
In our three counties, about 37% of vacation rental license holders receive their DBPR mail out of state, and roughly nine in ten receive it somewhere other than the rental itself. The notice arrives at a former home, an old office, or the property’s empty mailbox. Nothing else warns you. The listing keeps taking bookings. The license quietly flips to delinquent.
You can fix this yourself in ten minutes, and you should even if you never hire anyone:
- Update your mailing address in DBPR Online Services today, so the notice actually reaches you.
- Put the renewal on your calendar 60 days out, with a second alert two weeks before the date.
- Know your date. April 1 in St. Lucie, December 1 in Palm Beach, and either one in Martin. Verify against the license itself.
If you would rather never think about it, this is part of what a manager is for. We renew the license on our own vacation rental and run a 60-day renewal reminder for every property we manage, alongside the county tax filings and city registrations that follow the same pattern. See what full management includes, including renewal tracking.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my Florida vacation rental license is expired?
Look up your property on DBPR’s public license search at myfloridalicense.com. You can search by license number, name, or address. The record shows your status (Current or Delinquent) and the expiration date. If you manage bookings from out of state, check it once a season.
Can I renew my DBPR vacation rental license online?
Yes. Log in to DBPR Online Services at myfloridalicense.com, link your license to your account, and pay by card or electronic check. A single-unit renewal is $180 ($170 license fee plus the $10 Hospitality Education Program fee). The online renewal takes minutes; the updated certificate arrives by mail afterward.
Is there a grace period after my license expires?
No. The license goes delinquent immediately, and section 509.241, Florida Statutes adds a delinquent fee of up to $50 on top of the renewal fee. You cannot legally host guests until the license is current again, and DBPR can fine unlicensed operation separately.
Does the vacation rental license transfer when a property sells?
No. Licenses do not convey with the property. The new owner files a change-of-ownership application with DBPR, pays the $50 application fee plus the license fee, and gets a license in their own name before legally accepting bookings.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Fees and dates come from DBPR’s published fee schedule and license file as of July 2026 and can change. Confirm with myfloridalicense.com before acting.