Washington County, OR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Washington County, OR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration deadline
- 15 days after starting business
- Certificate cost
- Free: no charge
- Certificate issued within
- 10 days of registration
- Certificate transferability
- Non-assignable, non-transferable
- Legal effect
- Tax registration only, not a permit
- Violation classification
- Civil infraction under WCC 1.12
Summary
Anyone operating a short-term rental or other transient lodging in Washington County must register with the county within 15 days of starting business under WCC 3.08.190. The county then issues a free certificate of authority to collect the lodging tax, a tax registration, not a land-use permit, that must be posted where guests can see it.
Every person engaging or about to engage in business as an operator or intermediary of transient lodging in this county shall register with the county. Operators or intermediaries starting business after the effective date of this chapter shall register within fifteen calendar days after commencing business. ... Certificates shall be non-assignable and nontransferable and shall be surrendered immediately to the director upon the cessation of business at the location named or upon its sale or transfer. ... This certificate does not authorize any person to conduct any business in an unlawful manner, or to operate transient lodging without strictly complying with all local applicable laws including, but not limited to, those requiring a permit from Washington County, any city or the State of Oregon. This certificate does not constitute a permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
020(N), to register with the county. Operators starting after the ordinance's effective date must register "within fifteen calendar days after commencing business," and registering late does not excuse an operator from owing or collecting the tax in the meantime. The registration must state the business name, the address of each rental location, and any other information the director needs to administer the tax. Within ten days of a completed registration, the director issues, at no charge, a certificate of authority for each location, showing the operator's name, the lodging address, and the issue date.
Every certificate is non-assignable and non-transferable and must be surrendered to the director as soon as the operator sells the property or stops renting it; while active, it must be posted where guests will see it. " A host in unincorporated Washington County still needs to separately confirm any land-use approval required under the county's Community Development Code before renting.
Violations & Fines
Operating without registering, or refusing to register, is unlawful under WCC 3.08.480(A), and any violation of the chapter, including a failure to register, is a civil infraction under Washington County Code Chapter 1.12, with each unpaid lodging transaction counted as its own separate infraction. The county can also sue for an injunction or a receiver, and the director may refer suspected fraud to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do short-term rental hosts in Washington County need to register?
Is the county's lodging tax certificate the same as a rental permit?
Is there a fee to register as a transient lodging operator?
What happens if a host operates without registering?
Can a registration certificate be transferred if the rental property sells?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
How Washington County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.