Kitsap County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Kitsap County, WA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Definition
- Dwelling rented under 30 days (§17.110.738)
- Prohibited area
- Gorst UGA, Sinclair Inlet to Hwy 3/16
- Countywide permit
- None found in Title 17 zoning code
- Jurisdiction reach
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
- Penalty
- Class I civil infraction, per day (§17.610.020)
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Community Development (§17.610.010)
Summary
Kitsap County's zoning code sets no general permit process for vacation rentals in the unincorporated area. Section 17.415.570 instead bans the use within the Gorst urban growth area between the Sinclair Inlet shoreline and State Highways 3 and 16. Elsewhere, a vacation rental, defined in Section 17.110.738 as a dwelling rented for under 30 days, carries no separate county license under Title 17.
§ 17.415.570. Vacation rentals. Use prohibited within the portion of the Gorst urban growth area between the Sinclair Inlet shoreline and State Highways 3 and 16. (Ord. 611 (2022) § 185, 2022) ... § 17.110.738. Vacation rental. "Vacation rental" means a dwelling unit used by any person or group of persons, other than the owner, which is occupied through payment to the owner for a period of less than thirty calendar days, counting portions of days as full days.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
Kitsap County Code Title 17 (Zoning) treats a "vacation rental" as a defined land use rather than a licensed activity. 570, which prohibits vacation rentals "within the portion of the Gorst urban growth area between the Sinclair Inlet shoreline and State Highways 3 and 16," a small unincorporated node along Highway 16 near the Bremerton line. 420, such as exterior lighting, parking, and site-design rules applicable to all uses. 010, is the agency that reviews any building or land-use permit tied to a short-term rental structure.
This county rule reaches only the unincorporated area of Kitsap County: Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, and Bainbridge Island are separate incorporated cities with their own zoning codes for vacation rentals, and Naval Base Kitsap and the Suquamish and Port Gamble S'Klallam reservations sit outside county zoning jurisdiction entirely.
Violations & Fines
Operating a vacation rental in violation of Section 17.415.570's Gorst-area ban, or any other Title 17 provision, is a Class I civil infraction under Section 17.610.020. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate infraction, and cases are processed under the county's civil enforcement ordinance, Chapter 2.116. The director may also issue a correction order under Section 17.610.010, and any permit issued in violation of Title 17 is void under Section 17.610.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kitsap County require a permit for short-term or vacation rentals?
Where exactly are vacation rentals banned in Kitsap County?
How does the code define a vacation rental?
What happens if I run a vacation rental in the prohibited Gorst area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
How Kitsap County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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