Napa County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Posted Guest Cap
- None - underlying use is banned
- Bedroom Cap
- Not applicable
- Annual Night Cap
- Not applicable
- Minimum Stay
- 30 consecutive days
- Defines Dwelling Unit
- Sec. 18.08.260
- Prohibition
- Sec. 18.104.410
Summary
Napa County does not publish guest-count, bedroom, or night caps for short-term rentals because the underlying use is prohibited. Any rental of a dwelling unit for less than 30 consecutive days in the unincorporated county is itself a violation regardless of the number of guests.
'Dwelling unit' means a room or connected rooms constituting a separate, independent housekeeping establishment for owner occupancy or rental or lease for a period of thirty days or longer, physically separated from other rooms or dwelling units in the same structure, and containing independent cooking and sleeping facilities.
Full Breakdown
410 prohibits transient commercial occupancies of dwelling units outright in all residential and agricultural zoning districts, the County has not adopted occupancy, bedroom, vehicle, or annual-night caps the way most California counties have. 410, irrespective of how many guests stay, how many bedrooms are rented, or whether the host is on-site. ' Long-term rentals (30 days or more) in legally permitted dwelling units remain allowed and are not subject to STR-style guest caps; bed-and-breakfast, hotel, and motel uses must be separately permitted under Title 18 and follow the occupancy standards in those permits.
Operators looking for posted maximums should instead refer to the city-specific ordinances for the five incorporated cities (Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville) if their parcel sits inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
Any short-term rental occupancy in the unincorporated county is a violation of Section 18.104.410 regardless of headcount, exposing the property owner to civil and criminal enforcement (infraction or misdemeanor) plus retroactive Chapter 3.32 transient occupancy tax liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 2-guests-per-bedroom rule I can follow to comply?
What is the shortest stay I can legally book on my Napa County property?
If I only rent rooms when I am home, does that change anything?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Napa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Napa County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.