Madera County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Madera County, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Deadline
- 30 days after starting business
- Required
- registration certificate posted on-site
- Revocable
- for license or tax noncompliance
- Violation
- misdemeanor, up to $500/6 months
- Applies
- unincorporated territory only
Summary
Before renting to guests, short-term rental operators in unincorporated Madera County must register the lodging with the county tax administrator and post a registration certificate on the premises.
Within thirty days after the effective date of the ordinance codified herein, or within thirty days after commencing business, whichever is later, each operator of any lodging to transients shall register said lodging with the tax administrator... The operator shall obtain from the tax administrator a registration certificate to be at all times posted in a conspicuous place on the premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 3.20's registration requirement (Section 3.20.060) applies in unincorporated Madera County: within 30 days of commencing business, each short-term rental operator must register the lodging with the county tax administrator, providing the facility name, parcel number, lodging type, ownership and operator names, contact information, start date, unit count, and rental rates. The tax administrator then issues a registration certificate that must be posted conspicuously on the premises at all times. The certificate is non-transferable and must be returned upon sale of the property or cessation of business. This is a tax-administration registration, distinct from any land-use or business-license permit.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a valid registration certificate is a misdemeanor under Sections 3.20.060(E) and 3.20.150: fine up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both; the tax administrator can also revoke the certificate for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information must I submit to register my short-term rental?
Can the county revoke my registration certificate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
How Madera County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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