The Pennington County Planning & Zoning Department will soon begin mailing notices to Vacation Home Rental (VHR) and Short-Term Rental (STR) operators identified as operating without the required county license.

Property owners who receive a notice of noncompliance with Pennington County regulations will have until December 3, 2026, to obtain the required license. After the December 3 deadline, those who continue to operate without a license may be subject to a $200-per-day fine.

The Pennington County Board of Commissioners previously provided VHR and STR operators with a six-month period, beginning June 3, 2026, to obtain the required license before enforcement actions begin.

“This notice is an important reminder to property owners who are operating without the required license that the compliance deadline is approaching,” said Brittney Hand, Director of Planning & Zoning. “We want operators to take action now rather than wait until penalties begin accruing. A license costs $150 and is valid for three years, while operating without one after the deadline could result in a $200 fine for each day the property remains out of compliance.”

To assist with identifying potentially unlicensed properties, Pennington County utilizes data provided by Deckard Technologies, a company specializing in short-term rental analytics and compliance services. Deckard uses publicly available information to identify active short-term rental listings and provides the County with information including property ownership and license status, booking trends, average rental rates, and rental platform usage. The data can also identify properties advertising occupancy levels that may exceed county regulations.

Property owners who receive a notice are encouraged to contact the Planning & Zoning Department with any questions and complete the licensing process before the December 3 deadline.

The license application and compliance checklist are available online at:

Applications may be submitted by email, mail or in person.