Step 1
Become a Certified Property Manager
The property owner or a designated manager must take the Sonoma County Vacation Rental Property Manager exam and obtain certification.
1 dayFree
Documents needed
- Government ID
Cross-referenced against 3 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.
Bodega Bay is an unincorporated community governed by Sonoma County, which requires a multi-step permitting and licensing process, strictly prohibits rentals in ADUs, and enforces caps in specific high-density zones.
To run an STR in Bodega Bay, you must get a zoning permit, a business license, and a tax certificate from Sonoma County. You or your property manager must pass a certification exam, and you must have a local contact person available 24/7 to respond to issues within 30 minutes. Permits do not transfer when a property is sold, and new rentals are currently limited by caps in many coastal neighborhoods.
Step-by-step guide for Bodega Bay
The property owner or a designated manager must take the Sonoma County Vacation Rental Property Manager exam and obtain certification.
Apply for a zoning permit (Vacation Rental Permit) from Permit Sonoma. This ensures the property is in an allowed zone and meets physical standards.
Obtain a Transient Occupancy Tax number from the Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Once the zoning permit and TOT number are issued, apply for the annual Vacation Rental Business License.
Regulatory information is AI-researched from public city/county codes for educational purposes. Details may be outdated or incomplete. Always verify requirements directly with your city/county planning department before operating a short-term rental.
Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM