The sales tax rate in St. Augustine, Florida is 6.5%. That’s the 6% Florida state sales tax plus a 0.5% discretionary surtax imposed by St. Johns County, and it applies to most retail purchases made anywhere inside the city.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 212.05 – Sales, Storage, Use Tax2Florida Department of Revenue. Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 The county surtax is authorized under Florida Statutes Section 212.055 and funds local infrastructure and services.
The $5,000 Cap on the County Surtax
The 0.5% county piece has a ceiling. It only applies to the first $5,000 of the purchase price on any single item of tangible personal property.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 212.054 – Discretionary Sales Surtax; Limitations and Procedures The 6% state tax still applies to the entire price.
So on a $20,000 boat bought at a St. Augustine dealer, you’d pay $1,200 in state tax (6% of $20,000) plus $25 in county surtax (0.5% of the first $5,000), for $1,225 total. Without the cap, the surtax alone would be $100.
Items normally sold as a set, or that form a working unit when assembled, count as one item for the cap. A boat and trailer sold together on the same invoice are a single item, not two.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 212.054 – Discretionary Sales Surtax; Limitations and Procedures The cap does not apply to utility services, which are surtaxed on the full charge.
What’s Taxed at 6.5%
The 6.5% rate hits most physical goods: clothing, electronics, furniture, building materials, and vehicles. Prepared food counts too, so a restaurant meal or a deli sandwich is taxed at the full rate.
A handful of services are also taxable, and they catch people off guard. Detective, burglar, and other protection services (alarm monitoring, guard services, investigation work, bodyguards) are taxable when performed in St. Johns County.4Florida Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax on Detective, Burglar Protection, and Other Protection Services Nonresidential pest control and nonresidential cleaning (offices, warehouses, restaurants, and the like) are taxable as well.5Florida Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax on Pest Control Services The residential versions of those same services are not taxed.
What’s Exempt
Groceries are the main exemption. Florida does not tax food products intended for human consumption, including produce, meat, seafood, dairy, cereals, eggs, frozen foods, and baked goods.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 212.08 – Sales, Rental, Use, Consumption, Distribution, and Storage Tax; Specified Exemptions Ready-to-eat prepared food does not qualify.
Prescription drugs are exempt, as are prosthetic and orthopedic devices, hearing aids, crutches, prescription eyeglasses, and dentures.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 212.08 – Sales, Rental, Use, Consumption, Distribution, and Storage Tax; Specified Exemptions Common over-the-counter remedies sold for treating illness or injury are also exempt, as long as they appear on the list the Department of Business and Professional Regulation maintains. Cosmetics and toiletries stay taxable even when they contain medicinal ingredients.
Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday
Florida typically runs a sales tax holiday each August that suspends both the state and county tax on qualifying school purchases. For 2026, the holiday covers most school supplies priced at $50 or less, clothing and footwear at $100 or less, learning aids and puzzles at $30 or less, and personal-use computers and accessories at $1,500 or less. Dates and thresholds shift from year to year, so confirm the current terms on the Florida Department of Revenue’s website before shopping.
Hotels and Short-Term Rentals: 11.5%
Anyone paying for a hotel room, motel, vacation rental, or other short-term stay in St. Augustine pays more than 6.5%. St. Johns County adds a 5% tourist development tax on top of the regular sales and surtax for any rental of six months or less.7St. Johns County Tax Collector. Tourist Development Tax That puts the effective rate on a hotel room at 11.5%.
If you host on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any other platform, you’re responsible for collecting and remitting the tax unless the platform handles it for you. Some platforms collect and remit only the state sales tax piece and leave the county tourist development tax to the host. Check with the St. Johns County Tax Collector’s office to confirm what your platform covers.
Buying from Out of State
When you buy something online or from an out-of-state seller who doesn’t collect Florida sales tax, you owe the same 6.5% as “use tax.” It applies to furniture shipped in from an out-of-state retailer, equipment bought at a trade show in another state and brought home, or anything else that arrives in St. Johns County without Florida tax already collected.8Florida Department of Revenue. Consumer Information
You report and pay consumer use tax on Form DR-15MO, filed online or by mail. It’s due quarterly: purchases made January through March are due by April 20, and so on. If the tax owed is less than one dollar, you don’t need to file.8Florida Department of Revenue. Consumer Information
Most large online retailers now collect Florida sales tax at checkout under Florida’s economic nexus law, which requires any remote seller with more than $100,000 in Florida sales during the prior calendar year to collect and remit. Smaller sellers and private-party purchases still slip through, and the legal obligation falls on you as the buyer.