Branson STR rules

Branson short-term rental license, permit and fire inspection

Inside Branson city limits, you need three things from the city before you rent a home for 30 nights or less: an STR business license, an STR permit that comes with a fire safety inspection, and a tourism tax deposit. Below are the costs and the paperwork.

Last checked . This is general info, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Check with City of Branson, Short-Term Rentals before you rely on it.

Do I need a Branson STR license?

Yes, if the home is inside city limits and you rent it for 1 to 30 consecutive days. That’s how the city defines a short-term rental. Your own primary residence and licensed lodging establishments don’t count (City of Branson, Short-Term Rentals). A home is your primary residence if you live there at least 270 days a year (Ordinance 2024-0065).

You apply for the license, the permit and the tourism tax bond on the city’s Citizenserve portal (city STR page). Operating without the license is unlawful, and so is advertising without it (§22-452). The same goes for the permit (§22-472(a)).

Check your address first. The city says some “Branson” mailing addresses are outside city limits, and you can look yours up on the city limits map (city STR page). If you’re outside, go to the Taney County or Stone County page.

How much does it cost?

ItemAmountSource
STR business license$100 a year per address. The license year runs May 1 to April 30.City STR page, fee schedule
Starting partway through the yearFull fee if you start May 1 to Oct. 31. It’s 50% from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 and 25% from Feb. 1 to April 30.§22-24(b)
STR permit (fire safety inspection)$150. You pay it before you can book the inspection.City STR page
Tourism tax deposit (bond)One month’s estimated tourism tax, paid once, with a $100 minimum in the fee schedule. You get it back after 3 straight years of on-time payments.§82-99, fee schedule, city tax page
Late renewalThe city says to renew by April 30 to avoid a late penalty. The code charges a late renewal fee if you miss the first 15 days after the license expires. Unconfirmed: the fee schedule lists a $225 late renewal fee under general business licenses. We couldn’t confirm that STRs pay that amount.City STR page, §22-24(d), fee schedule

How to apply

  1. Make sure the address is inside city limits (use the map) and that its zoning district allows STRs. The table of permitted uses decides that (§22-472(c)(2)), and the zoning page lists the districts.
  2. Get a Missouri Retail Sales Tax license. The city wants a copy with your application and says every STR business has to get one and keep it (city STR page). The taxes page covers how.
  3. Have a government-issued ID ready for whoever signs as the responsible party. Using a DBA name, an LLC or a corporation? Bring your Missouri Secretary of State registration too (city STR page).
  4. Apply on Citizenserve for the STR business license and pay the tourism tax deposit (city STR page, city tax page).
  5. Pay the $150 STR permit and pass the fire safety inspection. You book the inspection through Citizenserve once the city accepts your license application, and the Fire Department issues the permit when you pass (city STR page). You need the permit within six months before the license is issued (§22-462).
  6. Post the safety plan. What goes on it is further down.
  7. Put your license number on every listing (§22-455).
  8. Collect the 4% tourism tax and file it yourself. See the taxes page.
  9. Renew every year by April 30 (city STR page).

What does the fire inspection involve?

The Fire Department checks the rental against the city’s fire safety codes. The first inspection has to happen within six months before the license is issued. After that it repeats every three years, or sooner if the city gets complaints (§22-454). The city says an approved STR permit expires 3 years after approval and can be assigned or transferred (city STR page).

For the permit, the property manager gives the city the rental’s exact street address, its zoning, the manager’s details and an emergency plan. The manager also signs an attestation (§22-472(c)) that:

We couldn’t find a published Branson Fire Department inspection checklist. Ask what they look at when you book.

What goes on the emergency safety plan?

It hangs at the main entrance (§22-472(c)(4)), where guests can easily see it (§22-459). The code lists what it has to include:

The city has a fill-in STR Emergency Safety Plan template. According to the template, the fire marshal gives you the occupant load at the inspection. You also post your city business license, which has the property manager’s information on it. On top of that, the city STR page asks for an evacuation map drawn for each address (city STR page).

Property manager, changes and records

Every STR license names a property manager, and that can be you. The manager keeps the required records and answers for following city, state and federal law (§22-453). A manager who isn’t the owner needs the owner’s notarized authorization (Ordinance 2024-0065, definitions).

If anything on your license application changes, tell the city finance department in writing within 14 days (§22-458).

The city can ask for your records. You then have 10 business days to hand over up to three years of them: nights rented, the dates, and what you charged per stay minus fees (§22-460).

After notice, the finance director can suspend or revoke the permit if you break the STR article or the city’s business, building, fire or zoning codes (§22-475).

How many guests, and how much parking?

The STR article has no per-bedroom guest cap. The plan you post shows the allowed occupant load, and the fire marshal gives you that number at the inspection (§22-472(c)(4), safety plan template). Branson’s off-street parking table has no line for short-term rentals, and we couldn’t find an STR parking minimum (Ch. 94 Art. VI). Ask Planning and Development what applies in your district.

The city’s older STR page

An older version of the city’s STR page is still online. It says hosts who rent only through Airbnb don’t need a Missouri sales tax license (older city page). The current page says every STR business has to get one and keep it (current city page). We’ve gone with the current page. If it affects you, ask the city.

Getting the house ready

The directory has local handymen for repairs before the inspection, lock and access installers, turnover cleaners and septic and plumbing companies. A listing here isn’t our recommendation for inspection work, so ask them.

Other pages in this guide

Sources

These are government pages and code sections unless the line says otherwise. We read each one on October 19, 2026.

  1. City of Branson, Short-Term Rentals. https://www.bransonmo.gov/970/Short-Term-Rentals. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  2. City of Branson, In or Out of City Limits map. https://gis.bransonmo.gov/inOutCity/. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  3. City of Branson, Citizenserve portal. https://citizenserve.com/branson. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  4. City of Branson, Ordinance No. 2024-0065 (short-term rentals, effective May 1, 2025), PDF. https://mcclibraryfunctions.azurewebsites.us/api/ordinanceDownload/13699/1305780/pdf. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  5. Branson Code §22-24, Fees (proration). https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTIILI_DIV1INGE_S22-24FE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  6. Branson Code Appendix A, Fee Schedule. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_APXAFESC. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  7. Branson Code §22-452, Business license for short-term rentals. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-452BULISHRMRE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  8. Branson Code §22-453, Property manager. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-453PRMA. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  9. Branson Code §22-454, Fire inspections. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-454FIIN. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  10. Branson Code §22-455, License number to be used in advertising. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-455SHRMRELINUBEUSAD. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  11. Branson Code §22-458, Modifications to license information. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-458MOLIIN. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  12. Branson Code §22-459, Safety measures. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-459SAME. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  13. Branson Code §22-460, Records. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-460RE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  14. Branson Code §22-462, Permit required. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV1BULISHRMRE_S22-462PERE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  15. Branson Code §22-472, Short-term rental permit. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV2SHRMREPE_S22-472SHRMREPE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  16. Branson Code §22-475, Suspension or revocation. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH22BU_ARTVISHRMRE_DIV2SHRMREPE_S22-475SURE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  17. City of Branson, STR Emergency Safety Plan form. https://bransonmo.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20401/STR-Emergency-Safety-Plan. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  18. City of Branson, Tourism Tax & Bond Requirements. https://www.bransonmo.gov/999/Tourism-Tax-Bond. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  19. Branson Code §82-99, Tourism tax deposit. https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH82TA_ARTVITOTA_S82-99TOTADE. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  20. City of Branson, Short-Term Rentals (older version of the page, still online). https://bransonmo.gov/970/14152/Short-Term-Rentals. Checked Oct 19, 2026.
  21. Branson Code Ch. 94 Art. VI, Off-street parking (§94-87 parking table). https://library.municode.com/mo/branson/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH94ZO_ARTVIOREPA. Checked Oct 19, 2026.

Last checked October 19, 2026. Spot something out of date? Give us a holler and we’ll fix it.