You can file a complaint one of four convenient ways:

• Use Palm Desert In Touch to report a problem
• Call the Code Hotline: (760) 776-6360 
• Email your complaint to codehotline@palmdesert.gov
• Mail in the Complaint Form or drop it off at City Hall.

Please fill out the form as completely as possible. Inadequate information may result in the inability to investigate your complaint, and therefore, we may not be able to assist you. To report a complaint with Code Compliance it is recommended that you provide your name and telephone number. This information is not mandatory, but it is helpful if a Code Compliance Officer has any further questions regarding the complaint or if you request a follow up regarding the status of the complaint.

Please note, our policy is to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all reporting party information when requested by the reporting party. Every call received is investigated within 24 to 48 hours. The Code Compliance Division responds to emergency complaints in an attempt to resolve the imminent danger as quickly as is possible.

For violations relating to noise associated with property maintenance, please see the table in our accordion widget below. If a violation is occurring during nonworking hours, please call the Sheriff's Department at (760) 836-3215.

Palm Desert residents with proof of residency may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $25 per pet for vaccinations, up to $150 per pet for spay/neuter, and up to $21 per pet for microchipping. Proof of dog licensing is required for reimbursement of dog vaccinations, spay/neuter, and microchipping services. Adoptions from the Coachella Valley Animal Campus or a Palm Desert-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $105 per pet. Reimbursements are limited to a maximum of four pets per household per year and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to apply, please contact the Code Compliance Division at 760-776-6360.

• Pet Adoption Reimbursement Application
• Vaccine Fees & Schedules

Requests for permission to perform work outside established construction work hours may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the City Manager. Please contact the Code Compliance Division for additional information at (760) 776-6360 or by email at codehotline@palmdesert.gov.

October 1 to April 30

• Property Maintenance Noise:
  • Daily 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Government Code Holidays: Not Permitted

May 1 to September 30 

• Property Maintenance Noise:
  • Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Government Code Holidays: Not Permitted

Business Licenses are required of all persons or corporations conducting business within the City of Palm Desert.

Customers seeking to obtain a new business license or to renew an expired or expiring business license may apply through our Business License Center online, call (442)325-3954 or email palmdesert@hdlgov.com.

Click here to be taken to the Business License Online Application Portal

Please be advised that you may notice the following address listed on your Business License Application, Renewal Notice, and similar correspondence:

City of Palm Desert
8839 N Cedar Ave #212
Fresno, CA 93720-1832

Please be aware that this new address information simply reflects the City’s partnership with a third-party processor to manage applications and payments.

• Is your business located in the City of Palm Desert or outside our city limits?
• If inside the city limits, will your business be located in a commercial area or an office out of your home?
• What is the address of your business?
• What type of product or service does your business provide?

 If you are a contractor, please make sure to have your contractor’s license number. With the passage of SB205 that became effective January 1, 2020, you will need to supply your Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC).  Instructions are available during the application and renewal process online. Click here for the Business License Fee Schedule.

For complete information on the Short-Term Rental Program, please visit www.palmdesert.gov/STR.

Operating a Short-Term Rental in Palm Desert 

For guidelines on running a short-term rental in the City of Palm Desert, please use the accordion widget below to review our operational requirements, penalties, and zoning requirements. Short-Term Rental means a privately-owned residential dwelling, a single-family detached or multiple-family attached unit, second unit dwelling, lodging or rooming house, condominium, duplex, triplex, quadplex, mobile home or house trailer at a fixed location, or any portion of such dwellings, rented for occupancy for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes for any period less than twenty-seven (27) consecutive days.

• To apply for a short-term rental or to renew a permit, please click here or the image below.
• STR permit applications, (including new and renewals) cost $29.00.
• Click here for a video on how to apply for a short-term rental permit.

Enforcement and Penalties

Fines for operating or advertising a short-term rental without a permit:

• An owner must obtain a short term rental permit prior to advertising or renting any privately-owned residential dwelling for a period of less than twenty-seven consecutive days.
• Fines for operating an STR without a valid permit is $5,000 for the first citation and each additional citation for every day the property is being rented or advertised. The City has the right to refuse the issuance of any new or renewed STR permit for the cited property and/or to the cited owner and/or operator anywhere else within the City.  

Fines for Operational Violations (See violation types below)

• First citation is $1,000.
• Second citation for the same offense within a 12-month period of the date of the first offense is $3,000.
• Third citation within a 12-month period of the date of the first offense is $5,000 and an immediate revocation of the STR permit for a period of two years.

Types of Operational Violations

• Exceeding the maximum number of occupants
• Parking on a public street
• Trash and refuse left in public view
• Noise related complaints
• Owner/operator failing to respond to a complaint within 30 minutes
• Failing to post the current short-term rental permit number on any advertisement that promotes the availability of the property.