Contra Costa County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- First registration/license lapse
- $100 fine
- First substantive violation
- $1,500 fine
- Second violation within 1 year
- $3,000 fine
- Each further violation within 1 year
- $5,000 fine
- Revoked-permit reapplication bar
- 24 months
- Appeal deadline
- 15 calendar days
Summary
Unincorporated Contra Costa County escalates fines every time a short-term rental host repeats a Chapter 88-32 violation: $100 for a first registration or business-license lapse, $1,500 for a first substantive violation, $3,000 for a second within a year, and $5,000 for each additional violation in that same year.
(4)Fine amounts for infraction violations of the County's Short-term Rental Ordinance (Chapter 88-32), are as follows:(A)$100 for a first violation of Chapter 88-32 for failure to register or pay a business license fee.(B)$1,500.00 for a first violation of Chapter 88-32, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(4)(A) of this section.(C)$3,000.00 for a second violation of Chapter 88-32 within one year of the first violation.(D)$5,000.00 for each additional violation of Chapter 88-32 within one year of the first violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
The county's Administrative Penalty System sets a specific escalating fine track for the Short-term Rental Ordinance separate from its general infraction schedule. 006(d)(4), a host who fails to register or pay the required business license fee is fined $100 for that first lapse. Any other first violation of Chapter 88-32, such as exceeding the guest cap, skipping quiet hours, or running an unpermitted event, draws $1,500. A second violation of Chapter 88-32 within one year of the first jumps to $3,000, and every further violation within that same one-year window costs $5,000, with no ceiling stated in the code.
004(a)(4), giving the county director discretion to pursue either track. 408(a)(5), the Department of Conservation and Development must deny any new short-term rental permit application if another STR permit tied to the same dwelling unit, applicant, or owner was revoked within the preceding twenty-four months. 802 confirms revocation, administrative fines, and infraction citations are all available and can be pursued together, not as alternatives. 008, triggering a hearing before the zoning administrator set between twenty and forty-five days out.
Violations & Fines
First lapse in registering or paying the business license fee: $100. First substantive Chapter 88-32 violation: $1,500. Second violation within one year of the first: $3,000. Each additional violation within that year: $5,000, uncapped. A revoked permit blocks any new STR application tied to the same unit, applicant, or owner for 24 months. Appeals go to the director within 15 days of the notice of fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the fine for a second short-term rental violation in Contra Costa County?
Can a revoked STR permit be reissued right away?
How do I appeal an escalated STR fine in unincorporated Contra Costa County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Contra Costa County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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