Galveston requires every short-term rental to be registered each calendar year for $250, renewed by December 31, with the GVR number shown in every listing. Under ordinance 15-012 violations are Class C misdemeanors with fines up to $500 per offense per day. Hosts must also file hotel occupancy tax reports by the 20th of the following month (quarterly for small properties) even when Airbnb or Vrbo collects. A November 2025 ordinance (25-060) could not be read, and zoning or occupancy limits, owner-occupancy and the city hotel tax rate were not found.
Facts
| Field | Value | Stated by |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction type | city | - |
| Permit required | Yes | Source 1 |
| Permit fee (USD) | $250 | Source 1 |
| Renewal period | annual (calendar year; renewals open December 1 and are due by December 31) | Source 1 |
| Non-owner-occupied rental allowed | not found on the official pages read | - |
| Local lodging tax | not found on the official pages read | - |
| State lodging tax | 6% | Source 6 |
| Platform collects tax | not found on the official pages read | - |
| Penalties | Ordinances page (15-012, passed 2015): failing to comply with registration or hotel occupancy tax requirements is a Class C misdemeanor 'punishable upon conviction by a fine not to exceed $500 per offense'; 'Each day shall constitute a separate offense.' The registration page adds that 'Failure to renew or register by the deadline will result in the removal of your listing and fines' (no amount stated) and that lapsed GVR numbers are sent to platforms for removal. Ordinance 25-060 (November 2025) was not readable, so these amounts may have changed. | Source 2 |
| Fields not found | Non-owner-occupied rental allowed; Caps and zoning limits; Night cap; Local lodging tax; Platform collects tax | - |
| Last checked | 2026-10-09 | - |
"not found on the official pages read" means the value was not found on the pages read on the check date, not that no such rule, fee or tax exists. "Stated by" points to the numbered source below.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit for an Airbnb in Galveston?
Yes, a permit or registration is required: Short-term rental registration (Galveston Vacation Rental, GVR, number).
How much is the STR permit in Galveston?
The permit fee recorded is $250; the fee notes under Permit fee details say what it covers.
Can non-owner-occupied homes be rented short-term in Galveston?
This was not found on the official pages read; confirm with the official pages cited under Sources on this page.
What lodging taxes apply in Galveston?
The local lodging tax was not found on the official pages read and the state lodging tax is 6%; confirm with the official pages cited under Sources on this page.
What are the penalties for short-term rental violations in Galveston?
Ordinances page (15-012, passed 2015): failing to comply with registration or hotel occupancy tax requirements is a Class C misdemeanor 'punishable upon conviction by a fine not to exceed $500 per offense'; 'Each day shall constitute a separate offense.' The registration page adds that 'Failure to renew or register by the deadline will result in the removal of your listing and fines' (no amount stated) and that lapsed GVR numbers are sent to platforms for removal. Ordinance 25-060 (November 2025) was not readable, so these amounts may have changed.
Permit details
Yes, a permit or registration is required.
Permit name: Short-term rental registration (Galveston Vacation Rental, GVR, number)
Renewal period: annual (calendar year; renewals open December 1 and are due by December 31)
Permit fee details
Permit fee: $250
The city page says: 'The fee for registration to register your property is $250 for both new registrations and renewals.' A convenience fee is added to ACH or card payments.
Owner occupancy, caps and zoning
Not found on the official pages read.
Zoning or occupancy limits: not found on the official pages read.
Night cap: not found on the official pages read.
Lodging tax details
Local lodging tax: not found on the official pages read
State lodging tax: 6%
Platform collects tax: not found on the official pages read
State hotel occupancy tax is 6% of the cost of a room and applies to houses, apartments and condominiums; the Comptroller page says people leasing their houses must collect it and that online travel companies and other third-party rental companies 'may also be responsible for collecting the tax' (not a firm rule, so platform_collects_tax is unknown). The City of Galveston hotel occupancy tax (HOT) rate was not stated on any page read (ordinances, registration, FAQ and online-reporting pages). Filing: the online-reporting page says STR owners must file tax reports 'by the 20th of the month following the reporting period'; properties under $500 a month or $1,500 a quarter may file quarterly (due April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20), and the city requires filing even when a platform collects and remits. Platforms: the city FAQ says 'only Airbnb, VRBO, and some property management companies will be collecting' the tax, and that VRBO does not collect for managers using their own payment source; because collection depends on the platform or manager, platform_collects_tax is left unknown. Late payments carry penalties and interest. RECENT CHANGE: the city's ordinances page lists ordinance 25-060, an updated short-term rental ordinance approved by City Council in November 2025 (the PDF was image-compressed and unreadable by the fetcher, and a council presentation PDF was also unreadable), in addition to 15-012 and 21-021; the other cells may not reflect it. The page also says registration and HOT collection moved to the City of Galveston on October 1, 2025.
Sources
- City of Galveston: Short-term Rental Registration and Renewals. Published on www.galvestontx.gov. Address: https://www.galvestontx.gov/1424/Short-term-Rental-Registration-and-Renew
- City of Galveston: Ordinances, Authorization and Penalties. Published on www.galvestontx.gov. Address: https://www.galvestontx.gov/1427/Ordinances-Authorization-and-Penalties
- City of Galveston: Frequently Asked Questions (HOT platforms and reporting). Published on www.galvestontx.gov. Address: https://www.galvestontx.gov/1433/Frequently-Asked-Questions
- City of Galveston: Online Reporting and Paying Service (HOT due dates). Published on www.galvestontx.gov. Address: https://www.galvestontx.gov/1425/Online-Reporting-and-Paying-Service
- City of Galveston: Ordinance 25-060 (PDF unreadable by fetcher; no value taken). Published on www.galvestontx.gov. Address: https://www.galvestontx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21295/COG-ORD-25-060-
- Texas Comptroller: Hotel Occupancy Tax. Published on comptroller.texas.gov. Address: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/hotel/
At most one official page per place is linked; every other source is cited as text with its full address.
Nearby and comparable markets
Other cities
Full dataset
Galveston, TX is a free page. It is not in the 20-city dataset. The dataset is one CSV file with 20 other places and a PDF buyer guide that reports which cells are unknown. See the coverage by place and by field for the 20 places it covers.