Carroll County, MD Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual permit fee
- $175 per grooming shop
- Permit period
- Calendar year, Jan 1-Dec 31
- Ownership transfer fee
- $20
- Issuing agency
- Animal Care and Control Authority
- Records retention
- 3 years, public on request
Summary
A grooming shop is a "commercial animal establishment" under Carroll County's animal code and cannot open without a $175 annual permit from the Animal Care and Control Authority, issued only after an inspection for humane-care compliance.
COMMERCIAL ANIMAL ESTABLISHMENT. Any pet shop, grooming shop, zoological park, circus, animal exhibition, cattery, or kennel. ... (A) No person, partnership, or corporation shall operate a commercial establishment, zoological park, or animal shelter without first obtaining a permit in compliance with this section. ... (F) ... (12) For each grooming shop: $175;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
03. That section bars anyone from operating a commercial establishment "without first obtaining a permit," with the Animal Care and Control Authority writing the humane-care rules an applicant must meet. A permit issues only "upon an inspection confirming that an applicant for a permit is willing and able to comply with the regulations promulgated by the Animal Care and Control Authority," and only after the applicable fee is paid. 03(F)(12) sets that fee at $175 per grooming shop for the annual permit, which runs the calendar year (January 1 to December 31); renewals are due 30 days before or up to 60 days after the new year starts, while a brand-new establishment can apply any time. 03(G). The Authority keeps permit records for three years and must make them public.
Violations & Fines
The Animal Care and Control Authority can refuse or revoke a grooming shop's permit under § 90.06 for noncompliance, refusing an inspection, falsifying an application, or a prior cruelty-to-animals conviction; a revoked operator must dispose of animals within ten days and gets no fee refund. Operating without a permit is punishable under § 90.99 by up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both, with continuing violations counted per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carroll County require a permit to open a pet grooming shop?
How much does a Carroll County grooming shop permit cost?
When does a grooming shop permit need renewing?
Can the county revoke a grooming shop's permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
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