Is Truckee's short-term rental permit cap full?

Yes, as of 2026 the 1,255-permit cap is effectively reached. New applicants are placed on a waitlist that has recently run 14 to 46 months.

How long do I have to wait to get an STR permit after buying a house in Truckee?

Truckee imposes a mandatory 365-day waiting period after a property sale before the new owner may even apply for a short-term rental registration, in addition to any time spent on the town's waitlist once that application is submitted.

What is the transient occupancy tax rate in Truckee?

Truckee's combined rate is 12%, made up of a 10% base transient occupancy tax under Measure K plus a Tourism Business Improvement District assessment increasing to 2% effective July 1, 2026.

North Lake Tahoe STR Regulations · Truckee

Truckee is full. Buy it for the town, not the day-one cash flow.

The 1,255-permit cap is effectively maxed, with a waitlist running 14–46 months and a mandatory 365-day wait after any sale before a new owner can even apply. If STR income is the whole thesis, Truckee is the hardest market on the lake to execute in right now. If it's a bonus on top of appreciation and personal use, it's still a strong town — I just tell buyers this straight before they write an offer expecting rental income.

The numbers I check before I write an offer

1,255 — permit cap, effectively full

14–46 months — reported waitlist wait, ~277 applicants deep

365 days — mandatory wait after sale before a new owner may even apply

12% — combined TOT (10% base + 2% TTBID as of July 2026)

The 365-day rule

This is Truckee's defining feature for investors: registrations aren't transferable, and a new owner faces a mandatory 365-day wait after closing before they can even submit an application — on top of however long the waitlist itself runs at that point. A buyer purchasing specifically for STR income should plan on a multi-year runway, not a multi-month one.

One partial exception: an owner who lives in the home at least 275 days a year and registers as owner-occupied can operate without counting against the cap — that's a primary-residence strategy, not an investment-property one.

Rules worth knowing

ADUs and multi-family units stopped receiving new registrations after a 2022 amendment (existing ones may renew). Homes in subdivisions approved after January 1, 2022 are generally ineligible unless specifically grandfathered — worth checking on anything newer construction. Fire safety inspections are required within 3 years of registration, then every 3 years after.

Bottom line

If Truckee is being pitched primarily as an STR income play, the math doesn't work on any reasonable timeline right now. Where it still makes sense: buyers prioritizing long-term appreciation, a real four-season mountain town, and personal use — STR income as a distant bonus, not the deal's foundation. Or buyers specifically hunting for an existing, active registration changing hands, which commands a real premium since the business effectively transfers even though the registration doesn't.

More county rules: All counties at a glance → · Placer County → · Washoe County →

Run your own numbers on the STR calculator →

Public regulatory information as of mid-2026, for general planning. Waitlist timing and fees change — confirm current status with the Town of Truckee before writing an offer. Not legal advice.