Short-Term Rentals in Butte County, CA (2026)

9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Butte County, California.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Butte County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Butte County requires an Administrative Permit issued by the Department of Development Services under Butte County Code Section 24-172.1, adopted by Ordinance 4159 on March 26, 2019.

Administrative Permit Required Under Ord. 4159

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code Sec. 24-172.1 (Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Ord. 4159)

A short-term rental is a single-family dwelling, or a portion of a single-family dwelling, that is rented to transient guest occupants typically for periods of thirty (30) days or less. Short-term rentals shall require approval of an administrative permit issued by the Department of Development Services pursuant to Butte County Code Chapter 24, Article 29. Short-term rentals shall be primary re...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Butte County STRs must observe quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with no outdoor amplified sound during quiet hours and full compliance with the County exterior and interior noise standards.

Quiet Hours 10 PM-7 AM, Strict on Weekends

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code Sec. 24-172.1(I)(6) (Noise Standards)

Short-term rentals shall comply with Butte County Code Section 41A-7 Exterior Noise Standards and Section 41A-8 Interior Noise Standards. Quiet hours shall be from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and from 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. on weekends and federal holidays. Outdoor amplified sound shall be prohibited during quiet hours. Weddings, receptions, parties, and commercial activities shall be ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Short-term rental hosts in unincorporated Butte County must file a Transient Occupancy Tax Questionnaire with the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Central Collections Division within ten days of starting business, under Section 24-172.1 H.1. The underlying tax itself, set at six percent of the rent charged, is imposed on every overnight guest countywide by Chapter 23-A's Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance and must stay current for the STR permit to renew.

Butte County Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 H.1

1.Transient Occupancy Taxes. Butte County Code Chapter 23-A authorizes the levy of a Transient Occupancy Tax for overnight stays at all lodging facilities. Short-term rental proprietors must complete a Transient Occupancy Tax Questionnaire and submit it to the Central Collections Division of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Department within ten (10) days of commencing business.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Short-term rental parking in unincorporated Butte County must be shown on the administrative permit's site plan, with on-site tandem parking allowed only when parallel parking cannot fit, under Section 24-172.1 I.7.f. Every rental contract, online listing, and advertisement must state the maximum number of on-site parking spaces, and stall dimensions follow the county's general parking design standards in Section 24-295.

Butte County STR Parking Requirements

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 I.7.f-g

f.Parking. On-site tandem parking may be permitted if parallel parking cannot be accommodated on-site. Dimensions for parking stalls shall be in accordance with Section 24-295, Parking Design Standards. Parking spaces shall be clearly delineated on the site plan accompanying the application.g.Notification. The property owner shall ensure that all contracts, online listings, and advertisements c...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Butte County caps short-term rentals at five rented bedrooms, two guests per approved bedroom on septic, and a hard overnight ceiling of 10 guests on septic or 14 on public sewer. Un-hosted stays are also capped at 90 nights per year.

5 Bedrooms Max, 10-14 Guests by Sewer Type

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code Sec. 24-172.1(I)(7) (Occupancy and Parking)

No more than five (5) bedrooms shall be rented for short-term rental purposes. Bedrooms shall contain a minimum of seventy (70) square feet for two occupants and an additional fifty (50) square feet for each additional occupant. Properties served by an on-site septic system are limited to two (2) overnight guests per approved bedroom and shall not exceed ten (10) overnight guests; properties se...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Un-hosted short-term rental stays in unincorporated Butte County are capped at ninety nights per calendar year under Section 24-172.1 I.7.b, unless the property sits on a five-acre-or-larger parcel in a zone with a five-acre minimum lot size, which raises the cap to one hundred eighty nights. Hosted stays, where a resident stays on-site, are not subject to this annual limit.

Butte County STR Un-Hosted Night Cap

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 I.7.b

b.Maximum Annual Nights for Un-Hosted Stays. Un-hosted short-term rental stays shall not exceed ninety (90) nights per calendar year, except a one hundred eighty (180) nights per calendar year shall be allowed when, 1) the parcel is located in a zone with a 5-acre or greater minimum parcel size; and, 2) the applicable parcel is five (5) acres or greater in size.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

When a Butte County parcel hosts two short-term rentals, such as a primary residence plus an approved accessory dwelling unit, Section 24-172.1 G.2 requires at least one of them to operate as a hosted stay, meaning a resident stays on-site except during daytime or work hours. Williamson Act contract parcels face a stricter version: every short-term rental on that land must be a hosted stay.

Butte County STR Host-Presence Rule

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 G.2

2.No more than two (2) short-term rentals may be permitted on the same parcel (e.g., a primary residence and an approved accessory dwelling unit), and one (1) of the short-term rentals must be operated as a hosted stay.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Butte County's short-term rental ordinance requires the rental to be the owner's primary residence, defined as the permanent home documented by two forms of identification, unless the parcel is five acres or larger in a 5-acre-minimum zone or the owner lives next door on an adjoining lot. Development Services checks this at permit application and renewal.

Butte County STR Primary-Residence Rule

Some Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 C.1

1.Short-term rentals are required to be a primary residence as defined under this section, except when either of the following applies:a.The applicable zone has a 5-acre or greater minimum parcel size, and the applicable parcel is five (5) acres or greater in size.b.The owner of a short-term rental has a permanent residence and resides on an adjacent parcel sharing a common property line with t...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

Three verifiable citations, violations, or hearing-officer determinations against a Butte County short-term rental within any 24-month period trigger a cease-and-desist order and permit revocation under Section 24-172.1 J.1, with at least two of the underlying complaints required to come from separate households. A revoked host cannot reapply for 24 months, though the county must give notice and allow a 10-day appeal.

Butte County STR Three-Strikes Revocation

Significant Restrictions

Butte County Code of Ordinances § 24-172.1 J.1

1.Three Strikes Revocation Rule. Three (3) verifiable administrative citations, violations, or hearing officer determinations concerning the permit requirements issued to the owner or occupants at the property within a 24-month period shall result in a notice to cease and desist operations and permit revocation. Revocation is subject to prior notice and to appeal, if requested within ten (10) d...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rentals by City in Butte County

1 cities in Butte County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

ChicoPop. 101,475

1 verified rule • Taxes & Fees

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