Tuolumne County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Some California jurisdictions require short-term rental operators to carry a fixed minimum of liability insurance, often $500,000 or $1,000,000. Tuolumne County's adopted short-term rental program does not appear to impose a County-mandated insurance minimum. The enforceable conditions in Ordinance Code Chapter 8.70 are safety-focused: working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers (including one near the kitchen and one per level, with annual professional servicing of the extinguishers), address identification, defensible space under California Public Resources Code Section 4291, and a posted local-contact and evacuation plan. The companion tax requirement under Ordinance Code Chapter 3.32 is to collect and remit the 12% transient occupancy tax. None of these documented County requirements specifies a liability-insurance dollar amount. That said, insurance is strongly advisable: standard homeowners policies often exclude commercial short-term rental use, so operators typically need a short-term rental or commercial liability policy. Booking platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo provide their own host protection programs, and private homeowners associations, including the Pine Mountain Lake Association, may require members to carry liability coverage as a condition of their short-term rental permit. Operators should confirm coverage with their insurer and check any HOA insurance requirement, even though the County itself does not set a minimum.