Short-term rental permit rules in Fullerton, CA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Fullerton requires a Short-Term Rental Permit for every dwelling rented for fewer than 30 days under FMC 15.55.020(F) (Ordinance No. 3290). Permits are valid for three years, non-transferable, and become null and void on transfer of ownership; a citywide moratorium effective May 20, 2025, has paused all new STR permit approvals.
Fullerton's STR program was adopted on November 2, 2020, via Ordinance No. 3290, which amended Title 15 (Land Use and Development Code) Section 15.55.020(F) and Title 4 (Revenue and Finance) of the Fullerton Municipal Code. A valid Short-Term Rental Permit is required before any property can be rented for periods of less than 30 days; applications must include proof of primary residency, a floor plan showing all bedrooms and smoke-detector locations, a parking plan, 24/7 local-contact information, and a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate issued by the City Finance Department. Permits are valid for three years, are non-transferable, and become null and void upon transfer of property ownership (the new owner must apply separately). Whole-house (non-hosted) rentals are capped citywide at 100 permits under City Council Resolution No. 2021-30 (adopted April 20, 2021), and whole-house STRs must maintain a 300-foot separation from any other whole-house STR (multi-family units are exempt from the separation rule). Effective May 20, 2025, the City Council adopted an urgency moratorium temporarily suspending acceptance and approval of all new STR permit applications while staff reassess program impacts and enforcement; previously permitted operators may continue to operate during the moratorium.
Operating without a valid Short-Term Rental Permit subjects the operator to administrative citations, daily fines (each day of violation is a separate offense), and ineligibility for future permits. Advertising or listing an unpermitted property is itself a violation, and the City actively monitors listing platforms through its compliance contractor. Citations carry a late-payment fee of $30 if unpaid within 30 days.
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