Sierra County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Some California jurisdictions cap the number of nights per year a short-term rental may be booked (for example, limiting non-hosted rentals to 90 or 120 nights). Sierra County's ordinance, Code Section 15.10.060, takes a different approach: the reviewed County Code and official program materials do not establish an annual night cap or a per-year limit on rental days for permitted STRs. Operating limits instead come from structural controls. A property must hold an administrative use permit; only one STR is allowed per legally created parcel; STRs are confined to specified zoning districts (R1, CR, CC, CN, A-1, and GF); occupancy is capped at two persons per bedroom with corresponding off-street parking; and the permit itself is valid for up to three years before requiring renewal. The County also restricts special events and enforces quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Because the County controls STR volume through the permit and one-per-parcel rules rather than a nightly cap, a permitted operator may generally rent throughout the year so long as the operation stays within the permit's conditions and current on Transient Occupancy Tax. Operators should confirm with the Sierra County Planning Department whether any cap has been added in a later amendment, since the ordinance was last amended effective December 5, 2024.