Kern County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Section 7.08.015(Y) defines "grooming shop" as "a business enterprise where animals are bathed, clipped, plucked, or otherwise groomed," and its own second sentence supplies the trigger: once that shop boards animals, it "shall be considered as a commercial animal facility for permitting, inspection, and enforcement actions pursuant to this code." A pure walk-in grooming operation with no overnight boarding carries no separate county license under Chapter 7.08, and Section 7.08.015(V) even excludes a groomer "engaged in the regular practice of this business" from the general "owner" definition that otherwise attaches after fifteen days of custody.

A boarding groomer, by contrast, must obtain a permit under Section 7.08.040(A) before operating, paying an annual fee set by the board of supervisors' fee schedule. The application, filed with the department, must disclose the applicant's name and address, the property's legal description, and the number of cats and dogs kept on site, per Section 7.08.040(A)(2). The director has thirty working days after a complete application to approve or deny it under Section 7.08.040(A)(5), and once approved the permit is issued within forty-eight hours under Section 7.08.040(D).

Section 7.08.045(A) then requires the department to inspect the permitted premises at least once a year, and more often if needed, during business hours. Records of every boarded animal, including owner name, breed, and microchip identification, must be kept at the facility under Section 7.08.040(B).