County jurisdiction · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in unincorporated Marin County?
RestrictedUnincorporated Marin County requires a short term rental license, caps licenses at 1,200 countywide plus separate limits for each of 18 townships, and has closed the first application round so new applicants go on a wait list. A license expires immediately and automatically when the property changes ownership, except for a single transfer from an owner to a spouse or child.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L15.41.050(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Marin County Code Chapter 5.41, Sections 5.41.010 to 5.41.080; Ord. No. 3816, Section II, 2024. Transient occupancy tax at Chapter 3.05. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Marin County Code Chapter 5.41, Sections 5.41.010 to 5.41.080; Ord. No. 3816, Section II, 2024. Transient occupancy tax at Chapter 3.05. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Permit capPermits are capped at 1200.L15.41.070 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsCountywide cap of 1,200 licenses, not counting Dillon Beach (Section 5.41.070). Table 1 sets an initial number and an ultimate number per township: Bolinas 63 then 54; Dillon Beach 125 then 204; Fallon 3 then 3; Forest Knolls 8 then 8; Inverness 93 then 86; Lagunitas 6 then 4; Marshall 28 then 27; Muir Beach 20 then 19; Muir Woods Park 19 then 19; Nicasio 11 then 8; Olema 3 then 3; Petaluma 2 then 2; Point Reyes Station 32 then 26; San Geronimo 10 then 7; Stinson Beach 192 then 192; Tomales 12 then 11; Valley Ford 1 then 1; Woodacre 12 then 8. No new licenses are issued above the countywide cap of 1,200 or above a township ultimate cap after the first round. Only one license is issued per short term rental property owner, with an exception for owners legally operating more than one as of January 1, 2024, who keep them for an initial two year period and then may renew only one. Only one short term rental per property (Section 5.41.060(3)). Multi-family and condominium licenses cannot be renewed and operation ceases after two years (Section 5.41.050(G)).L15.41.070 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsSection 5.41.050(C) provides that the term of the license expires immediately and automatically upon any change of ownership of the property, so a license does not pass to a buyer in an ordinary sale. One exception is built into the definition of change of ownership in Section 5.41.020: an interest in a real property that is actively licensed for short term rental use may be transferred from a natural person to their spouse or child or children, no more than once per real property, without that transfer being considered a change in ownership under the chapter. Change of ownership otherwise follows California Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 et seq., which is the property tax reassessment standard, so transfers that are not a change in ownership for reassessment purposes (for example certain trust and entity transfers under state law) would likewise not end the license. No transfer application window, grace period, or runs with the land language appears. A new owner must qualify under the cap and the wait list.L15.41.050(C) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the county's own words
5.41.050(A)“Advertising or operating a short term rental without a valid and current short term rental license issued pursuant to the requirements of this chapter are prohibited. Once a license expires or is revoked or suspended, the short term rental operation must immediately cease.” source
5.41.050(C)“The initial short term rental license for a property expires two years after the date of issuance unless the license is renewed by the property owner for an additional two-year term. The term of the license expires immediately and automatically upon any change of ownership of the property.” source
5.41.020“Notwithstanding the foregoing, an interest in a real property that is actively licensed for short term rental use may be transferred from a natural person to their spouse or child/ren, no more than once per real property, without that transfer being considered a change in ownership under this chapter.” source
5.41.070“The total initial number of short term rental licenses allowable in unincorporated Marin County is limited to one thousand two hundred not including short term rental licenses in Dillon Beach.” source
Citation: Marin County Code Chapter 5.41, Sections 5.41.010 to 5.41.080; Ord. No. 3816, Section II, 2024. Transient occupancy tax at Chapter 3.05.
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How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-13 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.