10 rules for unincorporated Mariposa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Mariposa County treats vacation rentals (residential transient rentals) as a permitted use in all principal zones except M-1 and M-2 under County Code 17.108.180. Before operating, owners must obtain site plan review approval and a transient occupancy registration certificate.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 requires each vacation rental to post written quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. that 'shall be strictly enforced,' and prohibits noise, traffic, dust, smoke or odor detrimental to adjoining residential areas.
Unincorporated Mariposa County charges a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax plus a 1.5% Tourism Business Industry/Improvement District assessment on stays under 30 days, collected by the operator and remitted monthly to the Tax Collector under County Code Chapter 3.36.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180(M) requires vacation rentals to provide one parking space per rentable bedroom, with parking on-site, maintained and usable year-round. Garage and stacked spaces may count for vacation rentals; bed and breakfasts have higher requirements.
Under Mariposa County Code 17.108.180, a vacation rental approved on or after April 14, 2016 is limited to ten or fewer occupants and no more than three bedrooms. If the septic/water system cannot serve 10, occupancy drops to two persons per approved bedroom.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 does NOT require vacation rental operators to carry liability insurance. The ordinance focuses on safety inspections, septic capacity, occupancy posting and an emergency contact rather than an insurance mandate.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 sets no annual night cap and no countywide numerical cap on vacation rentals. Rentals are limited to transient stays under 30 days (the TOT threshold), but there is no maximum number of rental nights per year.
Owners must register through Planning Department site plan review and receive a transient occupancy registration certificate from the Tax Collector under Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 and Chapter 3.36. An annual self-certification of code compliance is due by April 30 each year.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 does NOT require a host to be present during a vacation rental stay. Instead, the owner or rental manager must post their name and phone number and be available by phone in case of emergency.
Mariposa County Code 17.108.180 does NOT impose a primary-residence requirement on vacation rentals. The facility must be a residence owned by the applicant, but the owner is not required to live there as a primary home, so non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals are allowed.
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