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Camarillo, CA Hotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy Tax (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Tax rate
9% of rent charged, Sec. 3.16.030
Exempt stays
Occupancy over 30 consecutive days
Filing deadline
15th of month following collection
Late penalty
10%/month, capped at 100% of tax
Fraud penalty
Additional 25%, Sec. 3.16.130(B)
Criminal penalty
Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 6 months

Summary

Camarillo taxes every hotel and motel stay at nine percent of the rent charged, collected by the operator at the time rent is paid. The city's finance director serves as tax administrator, and the tax becomes a debt owed by the guest that only ends when the operator or city is paid in full.

For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of nine percent of the rent charged by the operator. The tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to the city which is extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the city. The transient shall pay the tax to the operator of the hotel at the time the rent is paid. If the rent is paid in installments, a proportionate share of the tax shall be paid with each installment. The unpaid tax shall be due upon the transient's ceasing to occupy space in the hotel. If for any reason the tax due is not paid to the operator of the hotel, the tax administrator may require that such tax shall be paid directly to the tax administrator.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

030 sets the transient occupancy tax at nine percent of rent for anyone occupying a hotel, motel or other lodging facility for thirty consecutive days or less. 020 defines 'hotel' broadly to include any lodging facility and defines 'transient' as a guest staying thirty days or fewer; guests who occupy a room for more than thirty consecutive days are not transients and owe no tax for any part of the stay. S. Armed Forces or California National Guard traveling on official orders, an owner-manager's permitted living unit, and employees staying on the premises for business purposes without paying rent. 050). 070), and operators must hold collected taxes in trust for the city until remitted. 100). 080).

Violations & Fines

Late remittance draws a ten percent penalty per month on the unpaid tax, capped at one hundred percent of the amount due, plus one percent monthly interest (Section 3.16.130). Fraudulent nonpayment adds a further twenty-five percent penalty. Unpaid tax becomes a civil debt and the city may record a lien against the operator's real property with the force of a judgment lien (Section 3.16.120). Violating the chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both (Section 3.16.160).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Camarillo's transient occupancy tax rate?
Camarillo charges a nine percent transient occupancy tax on the rent paid for any hotel, motel or lodging facility room occupied for thirty consecutive days or less, per Municipal Code Section 3.16.030. The operator collects the tax when rent is paid and must state it separately from the room rate on every guest receipt.
Are long-term hotel stays exempt from the tax?
Yes. Section 3.16.020(H) excludes any guest who occupies a room for more than thirty consecutive calendar days from the definition of 'transient,' so no tax applies to any part of that stay. Military personnel traveling on official orders and an owner-manager's own unit are also exempt under Section 3.16.040.
What happens if a hotel operator doesn't remit the tax on time?
The tax administrator, Camarillo's director of finance, adds a ten percent penalty for each month the tax is late, up to a maximum of one hundred percent of the tax due, plus one percent monthly interest under Section 3.16.130. Fraudulent nonpayment carries an additional twenty-five percent penalty and can result in a lien on the operator's property.
Who enforces Camarillo's hotel tax and how are disputes appealed?
The city's tax administrator, the director of finance, audits operator records and issues assessment orders under Section 3.16.080. An operator has ten days to request administrative review, then ten more days to appeal to the city manager, whose decision can be challenged in Ventura County Superior Court within ninety days.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Camarillo

Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Pet Groomer RulesSome Restrictions

All Camarillo rules

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