Short-Term Rental Laws in Galena, Illinois

Galena operates a tiered STR license framework sensitive to its historic-district economy: Type A (Owner-Occupied) — broadly available; Type B (Non-Owner-Occupied, Whole-Home Vacation Rental) — subject to per-district caps and historic-preservation review for any exterior modifications. The downtown Galena Historic District (one of the most architecturally intact Civil War-era downtowns in the US) is overlaid with the Galena Historic Preservation Commission's jurisdiction — any exterior change requires HPC review regardless of STR status.

Galena Zoning Ordinance + Historic Preservation Code govern STRs. Type A (Owner-Occupied) allowed in R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2 zones. Type B (Non-Owner-Occupied) allowed in B-1, B-2, B-3 mixed-use/commercial zones broadly and in R-2/R-3 with district-specific caps. The historic district overlay covers most of downtown Galena and adjacent residential blocks — HPC review applies to all exterior modifications, signage, and certain interior renovations to historic-designated structures. Most high-value STR inventory in Galena is historic-district-listed, making HPC review a routine part of any acquisition.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

Galena Community Development + Historic Preservation Commission jointly administer. Annual STR license renewal. Hotel-Motel Tax remitted to the city Treasurer. Operating without a license: administrative fines + back-tax + stop-rental authority. Historic Preservation violations are enforced separately and can stack with STR violations (e.g. installing unapproved signage on a historic-district STR triggers both license review and HPC fines). Enforcement is active in the downtown core and complaint-driven in residential areas.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Galena is approximately 13.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Illinois State sales 6.25% + Jo Daviess County 1% + Galena Hotel-Motel Tax 5% + tourism assessment 0.75% — combined ~13.0% on transient lodging

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.