Sutter County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Sutter County, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- STR-specific permit
- No (none adopted)
- Registration required
- Yes, within 30 days (Sec. 150-060)
- Transient lodging tax
- 10% surcharge (Sec. 150-020)
- Applies to
- Stays of 30 days or less, unincorporated area
- Zoning STR definition
- None in Code Ch. 1500
Summary
Unincorporated Sutter County has no dedicated short-term rental permit ordinance. Anyone renting a dwelling for 30 days or less must instead register under the county's Hotel/Motel Surcharge (transient lodging tax) in County Code Chapter 150 and obtain a Hotel/Motel Registration Certificate.
Hotel/Motel means a structure or any portion of it located within the unincorporated area of the county that is occupied or intended for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes for periods of 30 days or less and includes but is not limited to any hotel, inn, bed and breakfast inn, tourist home, motel, studio hotel, bachelor hotel, lodging house, rooming house, dormitory, public or private club, and mobile home or house trailer at a fixed location used for the purpose of transient lodging.
Full Breakdown
Sutter County government has not adopted a stand-alone short-term vacation rental permit program for the unincorporated area. ' A short-term rental therefore falls within that definition and is captured by the 10% surcharge rather than by any separate STR permit. Section 150-060 requires every operator to register the property with the county within 30 days after commencing business and obtain a Hotel/Motel Registration Certificate. Land-use eligibility is governed by the general Zoning Code (Chapter 1500); its Article 27 definitions, last amended by the ordinance of June 28, 2022, do not define 'short-term rental,' 'vacation rental,' or 'transient lodging,' so the use is evaluated under the underlying residential or agricultural district standards and the Home Occupation rules (Article 12).
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required Hotel/Motel Registration Certificate, or failing to collect and remit the 10% surcharge, is a misdemeanor under County Code Section 150-130. Delinquent surcharge triggers penalties and interest under Section 150-080, and the county may estimate and assess surcharge due under Section 150-090 if records are not kept.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a short-term rental permit in unincorporated Sutter County?
Where is the rule written down?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sutter County
How Sutter County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Sutter County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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