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California · Napa

Napa

city Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term (transient, 30 continuous days or less) rentals are legal in the City of Napa ONLY under a "Vacation Rental Permit" issued pursuant to Napa Municipal Code (NMC) § 17.52.515, the "Vacation Rental Ordinance" (adopted by Ordinance O2015-13 on 11/3/2015; amended by O2017-007 on 3/7/2017; a 2024 amendment added optional "glamping campground" provisions (subsection K) that do not affect residential vacation rentals). Transient occupancy uses are otherwise "not permitted or conditionally permitted in residential or nonresidential zoning districts" without an approved vacation-rental permit, hotel use, or bed-and-breakfast use permit. Two permit types exist: "Hosted accommodation" (owner resides and sleeps on-site while renting; no more than 2 bedrooms rented) and "Non-hosted accommodation" (whole-house; owner residence not required). A hard citywide cap applies: permits "shall not exceed 41 non-hosted accommodations and 60 hosted accommodations" (101 total). Permits are valid one year, subject to annual permit review + annual fire/life-safety inspection. Occupancy is capped at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional per unit, never more than 10 persons sleeping. Operators must hold a City business license (NMC ch. 5.04), obtain a transient occupancy registration certificate, and collect lodging taxes totaling 15%: a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax (NMC ch. 3.20), a 1% Affordable & Workforce Housing special tax, and a 2% Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (TID) assessment (extended to short-term rentals under the 2025-2035 TID Management District Plan effective 6/16/2025). As of 2025 the City reports both permit categories fully issued with new applications AND the wait list both closed, so a new operator generally cannot obtain a permit. Enforcement fines: $500 first violation, $750 second (same code section within 12 months), $1,000/day for each additional violation.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • city Vacation Rental Permit (NMC § 17.52.515) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Permit valid one year after effective date; renewed via annual permit review (owner submits annual inspection fee + rental documentation no later than 1 year and no earlier than 275 days after effective date). Owner must document at least 10 rental days during the term or the Director may determine the permit is inactive and ineligible for an extended term. · Applies to: All transient-occupancy (30 continuous days or less) residential rentals within city limits, both hosted (owner-occupied) and non-hosted (whole-house) accommodations. · official page ↗
  • city Transient-occupancy use authorization requirement Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Any property used for transient occupancy in any residential or nonresidential zoning district. · official page ↗
  • city City Business License (NMC ch. 5.04) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Per Business License Ordinance (ch. 5.04). · Applies to: Owner operating a vacation rental business. · official page ↗
  • city Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate (NMC ch. 3.20) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Each operator renting occupancy to transients (30 continuous days or less), including hosted and non-hosted vacation rentals. · official page ↗
  • city Annual fire/life-safety inspection Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Annual, tied to permit review (subsection H). · Applies to: Every permitted vacation rental unit. · official page ↗
  • city Permit number in advertisements Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Any written/electronic advertisement for a vacation rental use. · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
City of Napa Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) 12% City of Napa Finance Department (City Collector / Revenue Division) — —
Affordable & Workforce Housing Special Tax 1% City of Napa Finance Department — —
Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (TID) Assessment 2% Collected by the City of Napa Finance Department on behalf of the Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District — —

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~15.0%) on a stay in Napa. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Operating rules

Primary residence
conditional
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
The permittee shall limit overnight occupancy to the specific number of renters designated in the permit, with the number of renters not to exceed two persons per bedroom meeting building and fire code requirements, plus two additional persons per vacation rental unit; in no case may more than 10 persons be allowed to sleep at the vacation rental unit. The number of vehicles of overnight renters is limited to the maximum number of overnight renters designated in the permit. (NMC 17.52.515(E)(4)(b)-(c))
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
Yes - hard citywide cap: permits 'shall not exceed 41 non-hosted accommodations and 60 hosted accommodations' (101 total). As of 2025 the City reports both categories fully issued; per the official City page 'New Vacation Rental Permit Applications are not being accepted at this time' and 'Wait List Applications are not being accepted at this time.'

Grandfathering: Yes - '2009 permit' means each of the 41 vacation rental permits in effect prior to July 1, 2015, issued under Ordinances O2009-6 and O2010-16; each is deemed 'approved' and 'issued' under the current section (first effective date deemed April 1, 2016 unless otherwise documented). Non-hosted permits are transferable to a purchaser of the property (subject to Director approval); hosted permits are non-transferable.

Zoning: Transient occupancy uses are not permitted in any residential or nonresidential zoning district unless authorized by an approved hotel use (Title 17), a bed-and-breakfast use permit (NMC 17.52.060), or a vacation rental permit (NMC 17.52.515). It is a violation for any accessory dwelling unit (ADU, as defined by NMC 17.52.015) to be used for transient occupancy purposes.

  • primary_residence_required is CONDITIONAL: required for hosted accommodations (owner must reside and sleep at the unit while rented, and reside/sleep in a bedroom not rented; no more than 2 bedrooms rented); NOT required for non-hosted (whole-house) permits, where only an authorized agent is required.
  • No explicit minimum-night floor for permitted rentals; any rental of 30 continuous days or less is 'transient occupancy' requiring a vacation rental permit. Without a permit, only stays of 31+ days are lawful.
  • No annual maximum-night cap, but the owner must document at least 10 rental days per permit term or the permit may be deemed inactive and ineligible for extension.
  • Owner (hosted) or authorized agent (non-hosted) must be available by telephone 24 hours per day while rented and able to be on the premises within one hour of notification (NMC 17.52.515(E)(6)(a)-(b)).
  • Only one rental agreement per unit may be in effect at any one time; prohibited to use the unit for any wedding, auction, commercial function, or similar event; quiet times 9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. Sun-Thu and 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. Fri-Sat.
  • A hosted accommodation may rent no more than two bedrooms for transient occupancy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Napa?
Short-term (transient, 30 continuous days or less) rentals are legal in the City of Napa ONLY under a "Vacation Rental Permit" issued pursuant to Napa Municipal Code (NMC) § 17.52.515, the "Vacation Rental Ordinance" (adopted by Ordinance O2015-13 on 11/3/2015; amended by O2017-007 on 3/7/2017; a 2024 amendment added optional "glamping campground" provisions (subsection K) that do not affect residential vacation rentals). Transient occupancy uses are otherwise "not permitted or conditionally permitted in residential or nonresidential zoning districts" without an approved vacation-rental permit, hotel use, or bed-and-breakfast use permit. Two permit types exist: "Hosted accommodation" (owner resides and sleeps on-site while renting; no more than 2 bedrooms rented) and "Non-hosted accommodation" (whole-house; owner residence not required). A hard citywide cap applies: permits "shall not exceed 41 non-hosted accommodations and 60 hosted accommodations" (101 total). Permits are valid one year, subject to annual permit review + annual fire/life-safety inspection. Occupancy is capped at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional per unit, never more than 10 persons sleeping. Operators must hold a City business license (NMC ch. 5.04), obtain a transient occupancy registration certificate, and collect lodging taxes totaling 15%: a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax (NMC ch. 3.20), a 1% Affordable & Workforce Housing special tax, and a 2% Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (TID) assessment (extended to short-term rentals under the 2025-2035 TID Management District Plan effective 6/16/2025). As of 2025 the City reports both permit categories fully issued with new applications AND the wait list both closed, so a new operator generally cannot obtain a permit. Enforcement fines: $500 first violation, $750 second (same code section within 12 months), $1,000/day for each additional violation.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Napa?
Yes — Napa requires: Vacation Rental Permit (NMC § 17.52.515); Transient-occupancy use authorization requirement; City Business License (NMC ch. 5.04). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Napa?
City of Napa Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) (12%), Affordable & Workforce Housing Special Tax (1%), Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (TID) Assessment (2%) — roughly 15.0% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

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Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.