Bullhead City, AZ short-term rental permit
In Bullhead City the $250 annual permit fee already covers the business license a short-term rental needs. The city itself sends notices to the adjacent property owners. They list the permit number along with a phone number for the emergency contact.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Bullhead City?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: Short-Term Rental Permit
- Seasonal homes
- 3,023
- Housing units
- 25,220
- Residents
- 42,496
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City fee$250
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes120 per 1,000
Bullhead City short-term rental permit
Before a Bullhead City property operates as a short-term rental, the owner needs an annual vacation rental permit. A non-refundable fee of $250 accompanies every application, renewals included. Each permit lasts one year from issuance unless suspended or revoked. The file must prove a valid transaction privilege tax license. Registration of the rental with the Mohave County Assessor's Office, required by A.R.S. § 33-1902, is proven too. Liability insurance has to reach at least $1 million. A platform that mandates equal or greater primary coverage can replace your own policy. The city issues or denies a complete application within seven business days. The permit number then goes on every advertisement.[4]
What Bullhead City asks of you
Every section of Chapter 5.40 cites Ordinance No. 2022-32, adopted October 18, 2022.[4]
The city's short-term rental page says the local ordinance was adopted in October 2023.[3]
The ordinance text that page links to is labeled Final Version 12-5-2022.[5]
A Bullhead City business license and a state transaction privilege tax license come first. The rental must also be registered with the Mohave County Assessor's Office as a short-term rental.[3]
The TPT license is required even when bookings go through an online lodging marketplace.[3]
The FY 2025-2026 comprehensive fee schedule lists the short-term rental permit at $250.[6]
Personal watercraft, regulated under Chapter 5.30, may not be made available with a vacation rental.[5]
The permit hangs beside the business license, close to the inside of a common entryway. Contact details for the owner and the emergency contact go in the same spot.[4]
Between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, the city may arrange access to check that posting.[4]
When public safety personnel call, the owner or emergency contact must reach the rental within 60 minutes. Being available by phone or text within that time also complies.[4]
Other complaints need a response within 24 hours.[4]
Each advertisement missing the permit number counts as a separate violation.[4]
Within twelve months, penalties run $500, $1,000, then $3,500 for a third or later violation. One, two or three nights' advertised rent replaces each amount when it is higher.[4]
Violations from a single incident response count as one.[4]
A rental that skips the permit must stop operating. The city may add $1,000 a month once 30 days pass after its written notice.[4]
Three verified violations in 12 months can bring a 12-month suspension. So can false information on the application, if knowingly given.[5]
Section 3.20.020 of the code levies a transient occupancy tax of 3% of the rent. It calls the tax a debt owed to the city, extinguished only by payment to the city.[7]
What Arizona asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Arizona cities may not ban short-term rentals. A restriction by classification, use or occupancy is allowed only where the statute lists it.[1]
A city permit fee is capped at $250, or at the city's actual cost of issuing it if that is lower. The application may ask for six things only.[1]
A city may make you notify the adjacent, opposite and diagonally opposite properties before the first booking. It may also require the permit number on every advertisement.[1]
Stays shorter than thirty consecutive days are taxed under the state's transient lodging classification. Longer stays fall outside it.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Bullhead City
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona transient lodging transaction privilege tax[2] | Not published | The state revenue department |
| Bullhead City transient occupancy tax[7] | 3% | The city |
The city's tax page says Bullhead City belongs to the state collection system. Hosts file TPT returns on the state form and pay the Arizona Department of Revenue directly.[8]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Bullhead City is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 3,023 of Bullhead City's 25,220 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 120 out of every 1,000. It ranks Bullhead City 11th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 11th of 25
- Share of housing
- 120 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $211,500
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Bullhead City sits among its neighbors
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Permit required
5,293 seasonal homes, 150 per 1,000 housing units.
Lake Havasu City short-term rental rulesFountain Hills, AZ
Permit required
1,565 seasonal homes, 119 per 1,000 housing units.
Fountain Hills short-term rental rulesBisbee, AZ
License required
328 seasonal homes, 101 per 1,000 housing units.
Bisbee short-term rental rulesPayson, AZ
License required
1,323 seasonal homes, 129 per 1,000 housing units.
Payson short-term rental rulesFAQ
Bullhead City short-term rental questions
How much is the Bullhead City short-term rental permit?
How much insurance does a Bullhead City rental need?
Who tells the neighbors about a Bullhead City rental?
Can a Bullhead City rental come with personal watercraft?
Sources
- A.R.S. § 9-500.39, Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- A.R.S. § 42-5070, Transient lodging classification; definition, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- Short-Term and Vacation Rental License, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
- Municipal Code, Chapter 5.40, Short-Term and Vacation Rentals, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term and Vacation Rentals, Chapter 5.40, Final Version 12-5-2022, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
- Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY 2025-2026, Business License Fees, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
- Municipal Code, Chapter 3.20, Transient Occupancy Tax, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
- Tax information, City of Bullhead City, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
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