Tuolumne County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Sonora?
AllowedSonora allows both hosted short term rentals and whole house vacation rentals with a transient use permit under Chapter 17.64, a city business license and 12 percent transient occupancy tax, with occupancy capped at two adults per bedroom plus one. The permit is not transferable and expires when the property is sold, so a buyer must apply for a new one.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L117.64.030 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Sonora Municipal Code Title 17 Zoning, Chapter 17.64, Transient Use Permit, sections 17.64.010 through 17.64.090; Ord. No. 898 section 1, adopted June 17, 2024, which repealed the former Chapter 17.64 and enacted a new one. Transient occupancy tax, Chapter 3.20, Ord. 871, November 3, 2020. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Sonora Municipal Code Title 17 Zoning, Chapter 17.64, Transient Use Permit, sections 17.64.010 through 17.64.090; Ord. No. 898 section 1, adopted June 17, 2024, which repealed the former Chapter 17.64 and enacted a new one. Transient occupancy tax, Chapter 3.20, Ord. 871, November 3, 2020. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsNo numeric cap on the number of transient use permits, no percentage limit and no separation distance appear in Chapter 17.64. The only numeric limits are operational: a maximum of two occupants eighteen or older per bedroom plus one additional person per unit, and a maximum of two motor vehicles parked on street where no on site parking is available. Accessory dwelling units may not be used as short term rentals.L1Sonora Municipal Code Title 17 Zoning, Chapter 17.64, Transient Use Permit, sections 17.64.010 through 17.64.090; Ord. No. 898 section 1, adopted June 17, 2024, which repealed the former Chapter 17.64 and enacted a new one. Transient occupancy tax, Chapter 3.20, Ord. 871, November 3, 2020. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsThe permit does not transfer. Section 17.64.030 states that permits are not transferable upon change in ownership and that a transient use permit issued under the chapter shall expire upon sale or transfer of the short term rental. Section 17.64.060, Expiration, repeats the rule and adds expiration after the use ceases for six months or more, plus a notification duty. The chapter gives no exception for family, heirs, spouses, trusts, entities or same owner reorganizations, and no transfer application window. A buyer must apply for a new transient use permit, obtain a city business license and register for transient occupancy tax.L117.64.030 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
17.64.030“Short-term rental uses consisting of hosted short-term rentals and vacation homes as defined herein, shall be permitted subject to the requirements of this chapter” source
17.64.030“Permits are not transferable upon change in ownership. A transient use permit issued under this Chapter shall expire upon sale or transfer of the short-term rental.” source
17.64.030“The maximum number of occupants eighteen or older in age authorized to stay overnight at any transient use parcel shall be limited to two persons per bedroom, plus one additional person per unit.” source
17.64.020“Short-term rental means a single-family dwelling, multi-family dwelling unit, studio... rented for... not less than one night and not more than thirty (30) days.” source
Citation: Sonora Municipal Code Title 17 Zoning, Chapter 17.64, Transient Use Permit, sections 17.64.010 through 17.64.090; Ord. No. 898 section 1, adopted June 17, 2024, which repealed the former Chapter 17.64 and enacted a new one. Transient occupancy tax, Chapter 3.20, Ord. 871, November 3, 2020.
Check a specific address
The checker resolves any California address to its jurisdiction and returns these rules with their verification level. Where a county or city publishes a licensed-rental registry or parcel map (Riverside County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and a growing list), it also runs parcel spacing, permit cap, and registry checks.
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.