Short-term rental permit rules in Placer County, CA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Placer County requires an annual STR permit, a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate, a passing Fire Life Safety inspection, and a Defensible Space inspection. The permit fee is $326.02 and the FLS inspection is $507.02. Permits are capped at 3,900 in eastern Placer (North Lake Tahoe). Rules are in Placer County Code Article 9.42.
Placer County Code Article 9.42 (Short-Term Vacation Rentals) governs STRs in unincorporated areas, with the heaviest activity in North Lake Tahoe (Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Homewood, Tahoma, Olympic Valley, Northstar). Each property requires an annual STR permit ($326.02), a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate, and proof of a passing Fire Life Safety inspection ($507.02, valid 3 years) plus a Defensible Space inspection (valid 3 years, conducted by the local fire district). The permit cap is 3,900 STR units; on Dec. 17, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved amendments effective Jan. 16, 2025 clarifying that a 30-night minimum rental requirement begins once the cap is reached (excluding owner-occupied STRs) and allowing multiple STRs per property under specific conditions. Defensible Space inspections are seasonal and only available once snow clears.
Operating or advertising an STR without a permit is subject to penalties under Placer County Code §9.42.100. Penalties include administrative citations, fines, and permit revocation. Repeat or egregious violations can disqualify the property from future STR permits.
Placer County, CA
Habitual barking that disturbs the peace of neighbors is regulated under the Placer County animal control regulations in Chapter 6 (Article 6.08) of the Plac...
Placer County, CA
Placer County Code Section 9.36.030 exempts construction noise from the County's general noise standards between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Frida...
Placer County, CA
Unincorporated Placer County regulates noise under Placer County Code Chapter 9, Article 9.36. Daytime (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) exterior sound at residentia...
Placer County, CA
Placer County Code Article 10.24 implements California Vehicle Code §§22660 and 22669, authorizing the County to remove abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or in...
Placer County, CA
Placer County Code Section 17.54.030 sets fence height limits in the RA, RF, RM, RS, C1, HS, and INP zoning districts. Within the front setback, fences are l...
Placer County, CA
Placer County's beekeeping ordinance (Placer County Code 17.56.050.G, adopted 2021) allows hobbyist beekeeping countywide subject to setbacks of at least 50 ...
See how Placer County's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.