Trinity County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

The whole of Trinity County is unincorporated, so the County Board of Supervisors, not any city, regulates short-term and vacation rentals across communities like Weaverville, Hayfork, Lewiston, and the Trinity Lake and Trinity River corridors. The County's Land Development Regulations (Zoning Ordinance, Title 17, Ordinance 315 series) treat a short-term vacation rental as a recreational land use. Under the existing zoning framework (Section 17.26.020), short-term vacation rentals are listed alongside hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfasts as recreational uses allowed with the approval of a Director's Use Permit in appropriate zones. The County's April 2026 Public Review Draft Title 17 Zoning Code would change this: establishing a short-term vacation rental would be deemed a change in use requiring a Zoning Clearance under draft Chapter 17.140. That draft was not adopted as of this writing, so owners should confirm the current permit pathway with the Planning Division before operating. Separately, every operator must register for Transient Occupancy Tax. There is no single flat STR license fee published countywide; planning review fees apply per the County fee schedule.