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Colorado · Boulder County

Boulder County

county Allowed with registration Needs review · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals are ALLOWED in unincorporated Boulder County but require a county license under Licensing Ordinance No. 2023-02 (effective March 5, 2024), administered by Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting under authority of C.R.S. 30-15-401(1)(s). Operating within the unincorporated county without a current license is a violation of the ordinance. Two license types exist: (1) SHORT-TERM RENTAL LICENSE for a dwelling that is the owner's or a tenant's Primary Residence (resides there >6 months/yr) — allowed in ALL zone districts, no cap, $350 initial / $250 renewal per 2-year term; the county page confirms an exception of up to 45 nights per year during which the entire dwelling may be rented while the owner or tenant is not present; and (2) VACATION RENTAL LICENSE for whole-home rentals solely occupied by the rental party (no primary-residence requirement) — restricted to Forestry (F) and Mountain Institutional (MI) zones within the Upper St. Vrain and Bald Mountain Census County Divisions only (not the Plains CCD), subject to a combined 3.5% of-housing-units cap, $500 initial / $300 renewal per 2-year term. Licenses are valid two years, non-transferable; a person/entity is limited to one Short-Term Rental License and one Vacation Rental License (with a narrow Historic Landmark exception). Occupancy is capped at eight individuals or the on-site wastewater (septic) system limit, whichever is fewer. A two-night minimum stay applies (per the county page). All licensees must remit applicable state and local sales/use tax and provide either a Colorado DOR sales tax license OR proof that the only platforms used remit taxes on their behalf; 2026 combined base sales tax = Colorado state 2.9% + Boulder County 1.335% (county rate rose from 1.185% to 1.335% on Jan 1, 2026). SOURCE-CONFLICT / NEEDS REVIEW: the published Ordinance 2023-2 PDF text states VR caps of 169 (Upper St. Vrain) / 73 (Bald Mountain) and grandfathers Primary Dwelling STRs 'issued before January 8, 2024' to operate under prior Ordinance 2020-01 'until January 9, 2026'; the current county page instead publishes caps of 194 / 83 and gives the ordinance effective date as March 5, 2024. The caps are a moving 3.5%-of-housing-units figure, so 194/83 are treated as the current operative numbers; the Jan 8, 2024 / Jan 9, 2026 grandfather dates are the only quote-anchored dates (the draft's earlier 'March 5, 2024/2026' grandfather dates were not supported by any source and have been removed).

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

Requirements checklist

  • county Short-Term Rental License Required
    Fee: $350 / per 2-year term · Renewal: Every 2 years; renewal application due at least 45 days before expiration or new-license application fees apply; $250 if clean record. · Applies to: Dwelling units that are the Primary Residence (owner or tenant resides >6 months/yr) offering transient lodging to a single booking party for fewer than 30 days; allowed in all zone districts in unincorporated Boulder County. County page notes an exception of up to 45 nights/yr where the entire unit may be rented while the owner/tenant is not present. · official page ↗
  • county Vacation Rental License Conditional
    Fee: $500 / per 2-year term · Renewal: Every 2 years; renewal application due at least 45 days before expiration; $300 if clean record. · Applies to: Whole-home rentals solely occupied by the rental party (no primary-residence requirement) for fewer than 30 days; permitted ONLY in Forestry (F) and Mountain Institutional (MI) zones within the Upper St. Vrain and Bald Mountain CCDs; subject to a combined 3.5%-of-housing-units cap (see restrictions). · official page ↗
  • state Colorado Sales Tax License (or proof of platform remittance) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Per Colorado DOR. · Applies to: All licensees must remit applicable state and local sales/use tax; must provide EITHER an individual Colorado DOR sales tax license number OR proof that the only platforms used to advertise/book remit taxes on their behalf. · official page ↗
  • county Liability/property insurance certificate Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Annually when the policy renews or is changed. · Applies to: All licensed premises; certificate of insurance with adequate liability and property insurance limits, submitted yearly when the policy renews or changes. · official page ↗
  • county Building/life-safety inspection Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: At each 2-year renewal. · Applies to: All licensed premises; the Director inspects for compliance prior to the initial license and at each renewal. · official page ↗
  • county Wildfire Partners Assessment/Certification (Wildfire Zone 1) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Re-assess and re-certify every 6 years. · Applies to: Licensed premises within Wildfire Zone 1: Wildfire Partners Assessment completed within the past 5 years; Wildfire Partners Certified upon first renewal; re-assessed and re-certified every 6 years. · official page ↗
  • county Local Manager (1-hour in-person response) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Ongoing; any change in local manager reported to the Director. · Applies to: Every licensed premises must have a local manager (may be the owner) available whenever the premises are occupied, able to respond in person within one hour. · official page ↗
  • county License number in all advertisements Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Ongoing. · Applies to: All advertisements/listings must include the local license number, whole-home vs private-room, approved occupancy limit, and number of on-site parking spaces. · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Colorado state sales tax — — — —
Boulder County sales tax — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
conditional
Min stay (nights)
2
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
A maximum of eight individuals, or the occupancy limit of the permitted and approved on-site wastewater treatment system, whichever is fewer. (Ordinance 2023-2 Sec. 6.1, verbatim.)
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
Yes

Grandfathering: yes

Zoning: Short-Term Rentals (owner/tenant Primary Residence) are allowed in ALL zone districts. Vacation Rentals (whole-home, solely occupied by renters) are permitted ONLY in Forestry (F) and Mountain Institutional (MI) zoning districts, which occur in the Upper St. Vrain and Bald Mountain Census County Divisions; not allowed in the Plains CCD.

  • Primary Residence is required for a Short-Term Rental License; ordinance definition (Sec. 1.8): 'Primary Residence: The Dwelling Unit in which a person resides for more than six (6) months out of each calendar year.' Not required for a Vacation Rental License.
  • Licenses are non-transferable (Ordinance Sec. 12).
  • A person or associated legal entity is limited to one Short-Term Rental License and one Vacation Rental License; a narrow exception allows an additional STR license where the premises is a Historic Landmark and the applicant already holds a VR license (Ordinance Sec. 2.C).
  • Parking: Short-Term Rentals require two on-site spaces; Vacation Rentals require two on-site spaces or one per every four approved occupants, whichever is fewer (county page).

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Boulder County?
Short-term rentals are ALLOWED in unincorporated Boulder County but require a county license under Licensing Ordinance No. 2023-02 (effective March 5, 2024), administered by Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting under authority of C.R.S. 30-15-401(1)(s). Operating within the unincorporated county without a current license is a violation of the ordinance. Two license types exist: (1) SHORT-TERM RENTAL LICENSE for a dwelling that is the owner's or a tenant's Primary Residence (resides there >6 months/yr) — allowed in ALL zone districts, no cap, $350 initial / $250 renewal per 2-year term; the county page confirms an exception of up to 45 nights per year during which the entire dwelling may be rented while the owner or tenant is not present; and (2) VACATION RENTAL LICENSE for whole-home rentals solely occupied by the rental party (no primary-residence requirement) — restricted to Forestry (F) and Mountain Institutional (MI) zones within the Upper St. Vrain and Bald Mountain Census County Divisions only (not the Plains CCD), subject to a combined 3.5% of-housing-units cap, $500 initial / $300 renewal per 2-year term. Licenses are valid two years, non-transferable; a person/entity is limited to one Short-Term Rental License and one Vacation Rental License (with a narrow Historic Landmark exception). Occupancy is capped at eight individuals or the on-site wastewater (septic) system limit, whichever is fewer. A two-night minimum stay applies (per the county page). All licensees must remit applicable state and local sales/use tax and provide either a Colorado DOR sales tax license OR proof that the only platforms used remit taxes on their behalf; 2026 combined base sales tax = Colorado state 2.9% + Boulder County 1.335% (county rate rose from 1.185% to 1.335% on Jan 1, 2026). SOURCE-CONFLICT / NEEDS REVIEW: the published Ordinance 2023-2 PDF text states VR caps of 169 (Upper St. Vrain) / 73 (Bald Mountain) and grandfathers Primary Dwelling STRs 'issued before January 8, 2024' to operate under prior Ordinance 2020-01 'until January 9, 2026'; the current county page instead publishes caps of 194 / 83 and gives the ordinance effective date as March 5, 2024. The caps are a moving 3.5%-of-housing-units figure, so 194/83 are treated as the current operative numbers; the Jan 8, 2024 / Jan 9, 2026 grandfather dates are the only quote-anchored dates (the draft's earlier 'March 5, 2024/2026' grandfather dates were not supported by any source and have been removed).
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Boulder County?
Yes — Boulder County requires: Short-Term Rental License; Vacation Rental License; Colorado Sales Tax License (or proof of platform remittance). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Boulder County?
Colorado state sales tax, Boulder County sales tax. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In Colorado

Cities in this county Boulder

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