Aurora, CO Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing use category
- "Kennel" (includes grooming)
- Residential buffer
- 300 ft from residential zoning
- Night confinement
- 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. enclosed
- Outdoor run setback (MU-C/MU-A/I-1)
- 150 ft from adjoining property
- Zoning table cross-reference
- UDO § 146-3.3.4.C
Summary
A commercial pet-grooming business in Aurora, Colorado is zoned as a "Kennel" use, limiting it to specific commercial and industrial districts and imposing enclosure, hours, and setback standards.
Kennel means any part of a structure or premises used for the keeping of any animal for the purpose of adoption, boarding, breeding, grooming, handling, selling, sheltering, trading, or otherwise transferring any such animal for compensation or for profit. ... Those parts of structures in which animals are boarded shall be fully enclosed, with solid core doors and no operable windows, and shall be sufficiently insulated so no unreasonable noise or odor can be detected off the premises. ... This use is not permitted within 300 feet of land zoned for residential land uses.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora's City Code defines "Kennel" to include any premises where animals are kept for grooming for compensation or profit (Code § 14-1), and the Unified Development Ordinance expressly borrows that definition for zoning purposes. Under UDO § 146-3.3.4.C, a grooming/kennel operation must be fully enclosed with solid-core doors and no operable windows so noise and odor can't be detected off-site, boarded animals must stay enclosed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and the use is barred entirely within 300 feet of residentially zoned land. The UDO's zone-district table lists "Kennel" as permitted or conditional only in select commercial, mixed-use, and industrial districts, it is not allowed in residential zones.
Violations & Fines
Running a grooming/kennel use in a district where the table shows no entry, or violating the enclosure, night-confinement, or 300-foot residential setback rules, is a UDO violation punishable under City Code § 1-13 (UDO § 146-5.6.3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a dog grooming shop in a residential zone in Aurora?
Does Aurora have a separate license just for pet groomers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado animal ordinances overview
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