How to get a short-term rental permit in Riverside County, CA (2026)
Riverside County requires Short-Term Rental Certificate — the fee is $740, renewed annual. Here's how to get and keep it.
Permit at a glance
| Permit required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Permit name | Short-Term Rental Certificate |
| Permit fee | $740 |
| Renewal | Annual |
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your property is eligible
Confirm the property's zoning allows short-term rentals. STRs are treated as an ancillary/secondary use of a legal privately owned residential dwelling (including ADUs) in unincorporated areas; hotels, B&Bs, cottage inns, and non-habitable structures (RVs, yurts, tents, treehouses) cannot be certificated. No countywide per-owner cap, but in Idyllwild the county caps STRs at 500 total, requires a 150-ft separation radius between STRs, and limits owners to two certificates; in Temecula Valley Wine Country, district caps apply (Winery 129, Equestrian 8, Residential 105, North Wine Country 16), a 500-ft separation radius applies, owners are limited to two certificates, responsible guests must be 25+, and occupancy is classified Class I (max 10) or Class II (max 20, requires 50% of net acreage planted in vineyards/crops). New certificates in capped areas are issued via a lottery when counts fall below the cap (evaluated each January and July). Countywide occupancy is 200 sq ft per person, capped at 10 persons (lots <= 0.5 acre), 16 (0.5-2 acres), or 20 (> 2 acres). An urgency moratorium (Ordinance 449.254 and extensions) bars new STR certificates in Thousand Palms and B Bar H Ranch; renewals are exempt.
- 2
Apply for the Short-Term Rental Certificate
Submit the Short-Term Rental Certificate application to Riverside County and pay the $740 fee. Initial application fee $740; annual renewal fee $540. If a certificate lapses 90+ days, a new initial application and initial fee are required. Certificates are per-property and non-transferable (do not run with the land). A proposed increase to $1,040 initial / $750 renewal (draft Ordinance 927.3 / fee Ordinance 671.25) was tabled by the Board of Supervisors on 2026-02-10 and remained unadopted as of July 2026. A separate TOT registration with the Treasurer-Tax Collector is also required.
- 3
Register for occupancy taxes
Register to collect and remit the applicable lodging/occupancy taxes for Riverside County. Some are collected automatically by the booking platform and some you may need to remit yourself.
- 4
Renew on schedule
The permit renews annual — set a reminder so it never lapses, since operating on an expired permit typically triggers fines.
STR rules change without warning.
Get an email the moment Riverside County changes its short-term rental rules — plus renewal reminders before your permit expires.
Watch Riverside County for changes →Free monthly digest · same-day alerts from $5/mo · cancel anytime
Keep going
Verified July 12, 2026. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Permit requirements and fees change; confirm current requirements with Riverside County before applying.