Snohomish County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

RCW 64.37.010 defines a 'short-term rental' as a lodging use - other than a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast - in which a dwelling unit or portion of one is offered to a guest for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. RCW 64.37.020 requires operators to maintain primary liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 covering the unit, or to transact each booking through a platform that provides equal or greater coverage; the same section requires operators to remit applicable local, state, and federal taxes unless the platform does so on their behalf. RCW 64.37.030 requires operators to provide guests with contact information and post the unit's street address, emergency contacts, fire-exit floor plan, occupancy limits, and operator contact, and to ensure compliance with RCW 19.27.530 carbon monoxide alarm rules and smoke alarm requirements. RCW 64.37.040 requires every short-term rental platform doing business in Washington to register with the Department of Revenue and notify operators of their tax and safety duties. Lodging-related taxes flow through RCW 82.08 (retail sales tax), RCW 82.14 (local sales/use), and RCW 67.28 (lodging tax) - Snohomish County imposes a 4% lodging tax on stays under 30 days. Operators must also obtain a state business license through the Department of Revenue Business Licensing Service and register the business address with PDS for any zoning compliance check. Unincorporated Snohomish County treats STRs as a residential use under existing Title 30 zoning and does not currently issue a county-specific STR permit; however, individual cities within the county - notably the City of Snohomish (SMC ch. 5.45 and 14.207) and others - require local STR permits, occupancy caps, and lodging-tax registration.