10 rules for unincorporated Amador County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Amador County has no standalone short-term-rental ordinance. Vacation lodging is handled through the Title 19 zoning code as a bed-and-breakfast inn, or as detached room units used for short-term lodging, both requiring a use permit from the Planning Commission (Chapter 19.48), plus the County's 10% Transient Occupancy Tax.
Unincorporated Amador County has no short-term-rental-specific noise ordinance because it has no STR ordinance. Noise at vacation rentals is addressed through the County's general nuisance and noise provisions and Sheriff enforcement, and through any conditions the Planning Commission attaches to a bed-and-breakfast use permit under Code Chapter 19.48.
Unincorporated Amador County levies a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on the rent for stays of 30 days or fewer, under Code Chapter 3.16. The operator collects the tax from the guest and remits it to the Tax Collector quarterly, by the last day of the month after each calendar quarter. Late payment carries a 10% penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest.
Unincorporated Amador County has no standalone STR parking rule, but the zoning code sets off-street parking for transient lodging approved by use permit. Under Code Chapter 19.48, detached room units used for short-term lodging require at least one off-street parking space per unit, and bed-and-breakfast use permits include off-street parking conditions.
Unincorporated Amador County sets no general STR headcount cap because it has no STR ordinance. Occupancy is controlled through the zoning use permit: under Code Chapter 19.48, a maximum of five detached room units, each up to 350 square feet, are allowed for short-term lodging on a parcel, and the Planning Commission may set occupancy conditions on a bed-and-breakfast permit.
Unincorporated Amador County does not require vacation-rental operators to carry liability insurance, because it has no standalone STR ordinance and neither the Transient Occupancy Tax (Code Chapter 3.16) nor the zoning use-permit rules (Code Chapter 19.48) is reported to mandate coverage. Operators should still carry adequate liability insurance as prudent risk management.
Unincorporated Amador County does not cap the number of nights a vacation rental may operate per year. Because the County has no standalone STR ordinance, there is no annual night limit or neighborhood density cap. The only night-related threshold is the 30-day line in the Transient Occupancy Tax, which marks where the 10% TOT applies under Code Chapter 3.16.
Unincorporated Amador County has no separate STR registry, but every transient-lodging operator must register with the Tax Collector under the Transient Occupancy Tax, Code Chapter 3.16. Each operator registers before commencing business and re-registers every January for an annual registration certificate, which must be posted conspicuously on the premises.
Unincorporated Amador County has no standalone host-presence ordinance, but the zoning code's detached-room-unit pathway requires on-site management: under Code Chapter 19.48, when detached room units are used for short-term lodging, the owner or manager must occupy the property in a primary or accessory dwelling unit, and bed-and-breakfast inns are operator-run.
Unincorporated Amador County has no primary-residence-only mandate from a standalone STR ordinance, but the zoning code's detached-room-unit pathway effectively requires on-site occupancy: under Code Chapter 19.48, when detached room units are used for short-term lodging, the owner or manager must occupy the property in a primary or accessory dwelling unit.
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