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Colusa County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Tax chapter
County Code Chapter 18A (TOT)
License chapter
County Code Chapter 10 (Licenses)
Posting duty
License posted before operation begins
Applies to
All recreational lodging facility types
Max penalty
Up to $5,000 fine, 6 months jail

Summary

Every recreational lodging operator in unincorporated Colusa County, from farmstays to bed and breakfasts, is subject to the county's Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 18A and the business licensing requirement in Chapter 10. Section 44-4.100.010(E) requires the business license to be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises before the operation begins taking guests.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Colusa County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

E. The operation of a lodging facility shall be subject to Chapter 18A (Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax) and Chapter 10 (Licenses) of the County Code. The business license shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises prior to operation of the business.

Full Breakdown

Section 44-4.100.010(E) of the Zoning Code ties every recreational lodging facility, meaning farmstays, duck clubs and hunting and fishing clubs, bed and breakfast inns, and outdoor recreation lodging, back to the county's separate tax and licensing chapters. The provision states plainly that operation of a lodging facility "shall be subject to Chapter 18A (Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax) and Chapter 10 (Licenses) of the County Code," and it adds an operational requirement of its own: the business license must be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises before the business opens to guests. That posting duty sits inside the Zoning Code itself, so a code enforcement inspection checking land-use compliance can flag a missing license the same way it would flag a missing Use Permit.

The Zoning Code stops short of stating the tax rate or license fee amount; those figures live in Chapter 18A and Chapter 10 of the County Code, the instruments the section cross-references rather than restates. What Section 44-4.100.010(E) establishes is the obligation itself: no recreational lodging use in the unincorporated area, however small, is exempt from the transient occupancy tax and business license requirements simply because it is also going through zoning review under Article 44-4.

Violations & Fines

Failing to post the required business license, or operating a recreational lodging facility without registering for the Chapter 18A transient occupancy tax, is a violation the county can pursue alongside any Zoning Code enforcement action. Section 44-1.130.030 makes violations of the Zoning Code's provisions a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $5,000, up to six months in jail, or both, plus abatement under Chapter 42.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do farmstays and bed and breakfasts pay transient occupancy tax in Colusa County?
Yes. Section 44-4.100.010(E) of the Zoning Code makes every recreational lodging facility, including farmstays and bed and breakfast inns, subject to the county's Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 18A, in addition to whatever land-use permit the operation needs.
Does a recreational lodging operator need a business license?
Yes, under Chapter 10 of the County Code as cross-referenced by Section 44-4.100.010(E), and that license has to be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises before the business starts taking guests, not simply obtained at some point afterward.
Where do I find the actual transient occupancy tax rate?
Not in the Zoning Code. Section 44-4.100.010(E) only cross-references Chapter 18A of the County Code as the source of the tax; the Zoning Code establishes that the tax applies but does not itself state the percentage rate charged.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Colusa County

All Colusa County rules

How Colusa County compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·California rules heatmap·Compare Colusa County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview

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