York County, SC Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Indoor-only grooming/boarding
- Permitted by right
- With outdoor kennels/runs/play areas
- Conditional use approval required
- Outdoor area fencing
- Acoustic fence or sound-absorbing material
- Fencing exception distance
- 100+ feet from all lot lines
- Overnight boarding location
- Must be indoors, § 155.497
- Home-based grooming lot minimum
- 2 acres (large-lot home occupation only)
Summary
A pet grooming, boarding, or training business in unincorporated York County is permitted by right if it keeps animals indoors, but needs a conditional use approval, acoustic fencing, and sound-level compliance the moment it adds an outdoor kennel, run, or play yard.
§ 155.495 APPLICABILITY. This subpart applies to all of the following uses when the use is specified as a conditional or special exception use in § 155.271: Use Table: (A) Animal and pet services (with outdoor kennels, runs, or play areas); (B) Animal hospitals and veterinarian clinics (with outdoor kennels, runs, or play areas); and (C) Commercial kennels. § 155.496 NOISE MITIGATION. (B) Noise mitigation required. Outdoor kennels, runs, and play areas shall be fenced or walled with an acoustic fence or other sound-absorbing materials. At all times, the facility shall comply with the maximum permitted sound levels identified in Subchapter D, Part 7: Performance Standards. (C) Exceptions. This section does not apply when all portions of the outdoor kennels, runs, and play areas are located at least 100 feet from all lot lines. § 155.497 OVERNIGHT BOARDING. Kennels or portions of kennels where animals are housed overnight shall be located indoors.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).
Full Breakdown
271 Use Table: "Animal and Pet Services (without outdoor kennels, runs, or play areas)," which is permitted by right, and "Animal and Pet Services (with outdoor kennels, runs, or play areas)," which is only allowed as a conditional use. 1301, describes animal and pet services as an establishment "primarily engaged in providing services for household pets, such as grooming, daycare, and training," and specifically excludes veterinary services and commercial kennels, which are regulated separately. 496's noise mitigation rule: the outdoor area must be fenced or walled with an acoustic fence or other sound-absorbing material, and the facility must stay under the maximum sound levels set in the county's performance standards chapter at all times.
That fencing and sound-level duty only lifts if every part of the outdoor kennel, run, or play area sits at least 100 feet from all lot lines. 497 requires that any animal housed overnight, whether at a grooming, boarding, or veterinary facility, be kept indoors; an outdoor run cannot double as overnight housing. 674's home occupation table lists "Animal grooming, boarding, training, breeding, or medical treatment" as allowed only on lots of at least two acres, and even then it is not allowed as a small-lot home occupation.
Violations & Fines
Adding outdoor kennels, runs, or play areas without the required conditional use approval, acoustic fencing, or sound-level compliance is a zoning violation under § 155.1236. The Zoning Administrator can order the outdoor use discontinued, and continuing violations are misdemeanors carrying a fine of up to $500 per day under § 155.9999.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a York County dog groomer need a special permit?
Can a York County pet boarding facility keep dogs outside overnight?
Can I run a dog grooming business from home in York County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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