Short-term rental permit rules in Sierra County, CA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Unincorporated Sierra County requires an administrative use permit for any short-term rental, codified at Sierra County Code Section 15.10.060 (adopted by Ordinance 1131 in 2022 and amended effective December 5, 2024). It is unlawful to advertise, operate, or use a property as an STR without a permit. Permits run up to three years and apply only outside the City of Loyalton.
Sierra County regulates vacation rentals in its unincorporated areas - the Downieville, Sierra City, and Lakes Basin recreation areas that draw mountain-biking and tourism traffic - through Sierra County Code Title 15 (Zoning), Chapter 15.10, Section 15.10.060 (Short-Term Rentals). The Board of Supervisors adopted the program by Ordinance 1131 on October 18, 2022, and approved amendments on November 5, 2024 that took effect December 5, 2024. A short-term rental is a residential unit rented for 30 days or less. Under the ordinance it is unlawful for any person to advertise, offer, maintain, operate, or use a property as a short-term rental in unincorporated Sierra County without possession of a lawfully issued administrative use permit. STRs are authorized only in specified zoning districts (Residential One Family R1, Commercial Residential CR, Community Commercial CC, Neighborhood Commercial CN, Agricultural A-1, and General Forest GF), and only one STR is allowed per legally created parcel. Hotels, motels, lodges, resorts, permitted bed-and-breakfasts, timeshares, mobile home parks, organized camps, permitted campgrounds, and National Forest Service recreational tracts are exempt. The permit is valid for up to three years, expiring December 31 of the third year, and renewal requires a new application and fee. The City of Loyalton is incorporated and is not covered by the county ordinance.
Operating an STR without an administrative use permit is unlawful under Section 15.10.060. The County's adopted fee schedule sets administrative penalties of $1,500 for a first violation, $3,000 for a second, and $5,000 for a third. The County may also suspend or revoke a permit. Enforcement is handled by the Sierra County Planning Department.
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