LicensedRental

Colorado county rules

Clear Creek County, CO vacation rental rules and taxes

Clear Creek County, on I-70 between Denver and the ski areas, holds Idaho Springs and Georgetown. Outside town limits the county licenses every short-term rental and caps non-resident licenses at 4.5% of homes. Idaho Springs allows only 15 licensed rentals.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026
Market
About 240 Airbnb listings in the two towns
Idaho Springs 180, Georgetown 62 (AirROI); some are outside town limits.Source
County license
Required outside towns
Ordinance 19, adopted December 2024.Source

We didn’t find Georgetown’s own short-term rental rules online. Ask the Town of Georgetown before you list there.

What to do

  1. Then your town or area

    Cities and towns make their own rental rules inside their limits; the county’s rules apply only outside them. Pick your area.

Towns

Full guide

Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs allows only 15 licensed short-term rentals at a time, all in the operator’s primary residence; openings go by lottery. You need a delineated off-street parking plan, $1 million in insurance, an inspection every three years, posted evacuation directions, and a contact who responds within an hour.

Full guide

Unincorporated Clear Creek County

Outside Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, and Empire, Clear Creek County requires a yearly short-term rental license. Whole-home licenses for homes you don’t live in are capped at 4.5% of homes and can’t sit next to another one. Applications need a site plan with parking, trash, and snow storage; plan on one off-street space per bedroom, a yearly safety inspection, and an agent who answers within an hour.

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.