Clark County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Clark County, WA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- County STR registry
- None (unincorporated)
- State registration
- DOR business/tax account
- Triggers
- Advertising, manager, under-30-day rentals
- B&B
- CCC 40.260.050 land-use application
- Renewal
- No county renewal exists
Summary
There is no county STR registry for unincorporated Clark County. Hosts must instead register with the Washington Department of Revenue for a business/tax account. A bed-and-breakfast is 'registered' through the CCC 40.260.050 land-use application, not a rental registry.
Advertise the property availability for overnight accommodations through online marketplaces, newspapers, or other publications... Hire a property manager to handle the rental of the property... Engage in any short-term rental contracts (less than 30 days in a row per consumer).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Because the county does not regulate short-term rentals, there is no local registration or annual-renewal system for vacation rentals in unincorporated Clark County. The registration that does apply is at the state level: the Department of Revenue treats a host as engaged in taxable business when they advertise the property for overnight accommodations, hire a property manager, or enter short-term contracts (under 30 days), which triggers a business-license/tax registration. For an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast, the county's equivalent of registration is the land-use permit application under CCC 40.260.050, reviewed as a Type I (1-2 rooms) or Type II-A conditional use (3-6 rooms).
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required state DOR business registration exposes a host to unpaid-tax assessments, penalties, and interest from the Department of Revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Clark County short-term rental registry?
When does the state consider me a rental business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
How Clark County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Clark County to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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