Hotels & Lodging in Santa Barbara County, CA (2026)

1 county-level rule, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Santa Barbara County, California.

Verified from official government sources

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

Transient Occupancy Tax

Guests staying fewer than thirty days at any hotel, motel, or similar lodging in unincorporated Santa Barbara County pay a fourteen percent transient occupancy tax on rent, collected by the operator and remitted to the county tax collector under County Code Sec. 32-12. The rate rose from twelve to fourteen percent on January 1, 2025.

Hotel Transient Occupancy Tax Rate

Some Restrictions

Santa Barbara County Code Sec. 32-12

For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of fourteen percent of the rent charged by the operator. Such tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to the county which is extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the county. ... The tax rate of fourteen percent shall take effect beginning January 1, 2025. In the interim...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Hotels & Lodging by City in Santa Barbara County

1 cities in Santa Barbara County have their own hotels & lodging rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

Santa MariaPop. 112,076

1 verified rule • Transient Occupancy Tax

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