Park County, CO Goes Live with STR Ordinance: No License, No Listing

If you rent a cabin, home, or room in unincorporated Park County, Colorado for 30 days or fewer, you are now operating under a brand-new legal framework, and the county is not waiting for hosts to catch up. The Park County Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2026-01 on June 9, 2026, and the rules became enforceable on July 19, 2026. The bottom line for hosts: no valid license means no legal listing, period.

What Changed and Why It Matters Now

Park County's 2026 ordinance is described as a substantially revised set of rules, not a minor update. It covers everything from how you advertise on Airbnb and Vrbo to where your guests park their cars. The ordinance applies across unincorporated Park County, pulling in popular vacation communities including Fairplay, Bailey, Alma, Jefferson, and Lake George. Hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and rentals under leases longer than 30 days are exempt. Tents, yurts, and RVs cannot be licensed as STR units at all.

One of the sharpest edges of the new rules is the advertising ban. You cannot legally advertise or operate an STR without a valid county license. Once a license is issued, the listing must clearly display the Park County STR license number and the property's approved maximum occupancy. The license number must appear in the listing title, description, or designated license-number field. If your property is on a waitlist, it cannot be advertised as an STR while waiting, and violating that rule can result in denial of the application and removal from the waitlist entirely.

The county has also put platforms on notice. The ordinance authorizes Park County to notify STR platforms about listings associated with missing, invalid, expired, abandoned, or revoked licenses, and the platform must remove the identified advertisement within the ordinance's prescribed timeframe. In short, a compliance problem can now get your listing pulled, not just generate a fine.

The Deadlines and Details Hosts Cannot Afford to Miss

Licenses expire one year after issuance or when ownership of the property changes, whichever comes first. STR licenses are not transferable, so buying a property that previously operated as an STR does not mean the existing license carries over to the new owner.

Renewal timing is equally strict. Renewal applications must be submitted no fewer than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the existing license expires. Miss that window and the license lapses, forcing the owner to pay new-license fees and comply with any licensing limitations then in effect. The county is explicitly warning owners that late renewal can mean losing the existing license and starting the application process from scratch.

All applications must be completed electronically through the county's online permitting system. Paper applications are no longer accepted.

A New Tier for Compliant Hosts, and a Hard Rule for Everyone Else

The ordinance introduces a "Responsible Owner" designation for hosts who build a clean track record. To qualify, an owner generally must hold a license for at least 24 consecutive months, maintain required renewals, submit required documentation and fees, and have no record of violations, enforcement actions, or founded complaints during previous license terms. Compliant owners may face more limited documentation requirements during certain future renewal years, creating a direct financial incentive to stay in good standing.

Every licensed STR must also have a designated Responsible Agent, whether that is the owner or a property management company. That agent must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and capable of responding to the property within a maximum travel time of one hour. If the agent changes, the county must be notified. More broadly, licensees must update any information submitted to the county within 10 days after it becomes inaccurate.

Occupancy, Safety, and the Septic System You May Have Overlooked

Maximum occupancy in Park County is not simply a matter of how many beds fit in the house. Under the 2026 ordinance, overnight occupancy cannot exceed the design capacity of the property's onsite wastewater treatment system and associated soil treatment area. If a septic system is undocumented in county records, the STR license will not be processed or issued until the system is properly permitted, approved, and closed, including required inspection documentation. Hosts planning to convert a second home into a rental need to verify septic documentation before assuming any particular guest capacity.

Safety inspections are required for STRs constructed before 2006, and lots of 0.75 acre or less require a site inspection. The county's current guidance also requires a safety inspection where the Certificate of Occupancy was issued more than five years ago, and for renewal applications with three or more complaints and/or emergency-response calls.

Wildfire rules add another layer. Properties in areas Park County designates as "Extreme" Wildland-Urban Interface areas must maintain defensible space. Guests are prohibited from using outdoor charcoal grills, outdoor fireplaces, fire rings, and other outdoor ember-producing equipment at STR properties. Park County announced Stage II fire restrictions beginning June 23, stating they would remain in effect until further notice. Hosts should build fire restriction updates into guest communications, digital guidebooks, and posted house rules.

What Hosts Should Do Right Now

• Confirm your STR license is active and that your license number appears in every listing title, description, or designated field across all platforms.
• Calculate your renewal window. Submissions must land between 30 and 60 days before expiration, not after.
• Verify your septic system is documented with the county before advertising any guest capacity.
• Confirm your Responsible Agent can reach the property within one hour and is reachable around the clock.
• Check current fire restrictions and update guest communications accordingly.
• Review exterior camera placement and ensure disclosures appear in every listing and rental agreement.
• Confirm that trash service, not guests, handles receptacle placement and pickup.

For the complete Park County compliance guide including tax calculator, checklist, and daily monitoring, see Park County, CO STR Regulations.