Taxes›California›Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County
short-term rental taxes.

Tax and permit requirements for Santa Barbara County. Use your full address to find its governing authorities.

Outside city limits: what you need to do in unincorporated Santa Barbara County

From the linked source

No action
Short-term rentals are allowed in Santa Barbara County
Inland: zone permits. Coastal: zoning unregulated but TOT mandatory.
To do
Get the Santa Barbara County short-term rental license or registration
Inland: zone permits; Coastal: zoning unregulated but TOT mandatory
To do
Collect and remit the 14% Santa Barbara County occupancy tax yourself
The record says booking platforms do not collect it, so you add it to every booking, platform and direct, and pay it to the authority.
To do
File monthly returns
The record does not state the due day; the tax office's calendar has it.

Verify each step with the authority before you file or apply. Source

Get a reminder before each monthly Santa Barbara County return is due

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Before you use these figures

Rental eligibility

Inland: zone permits. Coastal: zoning unregulated but TOT mandatory.

Check the recorded local source

What to know.

The record for Santa Barbara County lists a 14% occupancy tax. City and district taxes are shown separately. Browse the local guides below and check your address.

At a glance.

County tax: 14%
State tax: Local only
Highest recorded city rate: 15%
Cities tracked: 8

Recorded geographic scope: Santa Barbara Co. (uninc., incl. Montecito). Use your address to find the applicable jurisdiction.

The highest recorded city rate describes the available dataset. It is not a legal maximum or the full tax due for an address.

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See the detailed rental report

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Tax details

Exemptions, penalties, filing information, and effective dates from the linked sources.

Santa Barbara Co. (uninc., incl. Montecito): Recorded remittance instructions

County TTC

Santa Barbara Co. (uninc., incl. Montecito): Recorded filing schedule

Filing frequency: Monthly.

Source for these notes: countyofsb.org: transient occupancy taxes

How county vs. city works here

The recorded county rate is 14%
The occupancy-tax rate for Santa Barbara County is 14%. Use your address to find the applicable jurisdiction. You collect and remit this tax.
Check the rules for your local area
Open a city guide below for city and special district requirements.
Outside city limits, the county rules apply
The list under "Outside city limits" above is what Santa Barbara County requires there. Special district rules may also apply.

Sources & confidence

How we collect and check this information · Report a problem with this page

FigureValueSourceStatus

Santa Barbara County occupancy tax14%

Source

Source linked

California local lodging tax guidanceLocally administered

Source

Source linked

Sources for the county taxes and local requirements shown above.

Cities in Santa Barbara County

Browse local tax and permit requirements or look up your full address.

Outside city limits (unincorporated Santa Barbara County)? See what the county requires or Look up your exact address

Communities outside city limits

Unincorporated communities in Santa Barbara County include Ballard, Casmalia, Cuyama, Eastern Goleta Valley, Garey, Isla Vista, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Mission Canyon, Mission Hills, Montecito, New Cuyama, and 8 more. An address in one of them is outside city limits, so Santa Barbara County rules apply. These are Census-designated places, not separate tax authorities.