How to get a short-term rental permit in Springfield, IL (2026)
Springfield does not currently require a dedicated short-term rental permit, but tax registration and other rules may still apply. Here's what to confirm before you list.
Permit at a glance
| Permit required | No |
|---|---|
| Renewal | No renewal required |
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your property is eligible
Confirm the property's zoning allows short-term rentals. Springfield's zoning code (Chapter 155) has no 'short-term rental' use category. The closest defined use is 'Tourist home, bed and breakfast inn' — an owner-occupied single-family detached residence renting no more than three bedrooms to transient overnight guests. That use requires conditional-use approval from the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission in the R-3(a)/(b), R-5(a)/(b), R-5(c) and OFF districts (§ 155.179, with findings on parking, signage, and neighborhood impact), and is a permitted use in the S-1 and S-2 commercial districts; transient hotels are a permitted use in the S-1 district (§ 155.030 lists 'Hotels, transient' and 'Tourist homes') and, by incorporation of S-1/S-2 uses, in the S-2, S-3 and B-1 districts — but NOT in B-2, whose enumerated permitted-use list (§ 155.034) contains no hotel or lodging use. Whole-home, non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are simply not addressed anywhere in the code — they are neither expressly authorized nor expressly prohibited in the R-1/R-2 single-family districts, a gray area hosts should be aware of.
- 2
Register for occupancy taxes
Register to collect and remit the applicable lodging/occupancy taxes for Springfield. Some are collected automatically by the booking platform and some you may need to remit yourself.
STR rules change without warning.
Get an email the moment Springfield changes its short-term rental rules — plus renewal reminders before your permit expires.
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Verified July 21, 2026. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Permit requirements and fees change; confirm current requirements with Springfield before applying.