County jurisdiction · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in unincorporated Sierra County?
RestrictedUnincorporated Sierra County allows short-term rentals only with a county administrative use permit, and only in the R1, CR, CC, CN, A-1 and GF zones, with one short-term rental per parcel. The permit does not run with the land: it becomes void when the property is sold, and a new owner cannot apply for one until a full year after the transfer.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L115.10.060(B) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Sierra County Code 15.10.060; Ord. 1131 Sec. 1, effective December 5, 2024; original short-term rental zoning ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors October 18, 2022 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Sierra County Code 15.10.060; Ord. 1131 Sec. 1, effective December 5, 2024; original short-term rental zoning ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors October 18, 2022 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsOnly one short-term rental is allowed per property and more than one short-term rental upon a legally created parcel is prohibited, 15.10.060(B). Accessory dwelling units and guest houses may not be short-term rented. No countywide numeric cap, lottery or waitlist was found in the section.L115.10.060(B) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsThe permit does not transfer. Sierra County Code 15.10.060(F) says the administrative use permit is not transferable and that if the property is transferred or sold during the permit term the permit is void on the effective date of the transfer of ownership. Subsection K adds that short-term rental permits are revocable permits and shall not run with the land, and that ownership changes void the permit, with notice required to the Planning Department and the Tax Collector. There is also a one year lockout: property that transfers ownership after the ordinance took effect does not qualify for an administrative use permit for one year following the effective date of the property transfer. No exception for family, heirs, trusts, entities or same owner reorganizations was found in the section.L115.10.060(F) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the county's own words
15.10.060(B)“It is unlawful for any person to advertise, offer, maintain, operate, or use a property as a short-term rental in unincorporated Sierra County without possession of a lawfully issued administrative use permit as specified herein.” source
15.10.060(B)“Short-term rentals are only authorized, subject to issuance by the county of an administrative use permit as defined herein, within the following zones: residential one-family district (R1); commercial residential (CR), community commercial (CC), and neighborhood commercial (CN) districts; agricultural district (A-1); and general forest (GF) district.” source
15.10.060(F)“Any administrative use permit issued under this policy is not transferable and, should a property containing a short-term rental be transferred/sold during the term of an administrative use permit, the permit shall be void upon effective date of transfer of ownership.” source
15.10.060(F)“property that transfers ownership subsequent to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section shall not qualify for an administrative use permit for one year following the effective date of the property transfer.” source
Citation: Sierra County Code 15.10.060; Ord. 1131 Sec. 1, effective December 5, 2024; original short-term rental zoning ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors October 18, 2022
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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.