Columbia County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- District allowed
- CG Commercial, General, by right
- Approval needed
- Site/development plan under Sec. 14.13
- Building requirement
- Completely enclosed building
- Storage limit
- 30 percent of floor space
- Parking ratio
- 1 space per 150 sq ft
Summary
In unincorporated Columbia County, animal grooming is a permitted principal use by right in the CG Commercial, General district under the Land Development Regulations, grouped with barber shops, dry cleaners and similar personal-service businesses rather than treated as a kennel or veterinary use.
3.Service establishments such as barber or beauty shop, shoe repair shop, restaurant, interior decorator, photographic studio, art or dance or music studio, reducing salon or gymnasium, animal grooming, self-service laundry or dry cleaner, tailor or dressmaker, laundry or dry cleaning pickup station, and similar uses. ... Unless otherwise specified, the above uses are subject to the following limitations: (1) sale, display, preparation, and storage to be conducted within a completely enclosed building, and no more than 30 percent of floor space to be devoted to storage; (2) products to be sold only at retail; and (3) Site and development plan approval is required for all permitted uses and structures in accordance with section 14.13.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4.13.2 of the county's Land Development Regulations lists 'animal grooming' among the permitted principal service establishments in the CG Commercial, General district, alongside barber or beauty shops, shoe repair, photographic studios, and self-service laundries, meaning a stand-alone pet grooming business does not need a special exception to locate in CG. Like the district's other retail and service uses, a grooming shop must operate from a completely enclosed building, and any storage of retail merchandise is capped at 30 percent of floor space under the limitations attached to Sec.
4.13.2; site and development plan approval under Sec. 14.13 is still required before the county issues building permits, the same as for any other CG use. Parking for the grooming business is set under Sec. 4.13.11 at one space for each 150 square feet of non-storage floor area, the general commercial and service-establishment ratio rather than a grooming-specific figure. Pet grooming is treated differently from a commercial kennel, animal shelter or veterinary clinic, which are special-exception uses limited to the Agricultural and Rural Residential districts under Sec.
4.5.7 and 4.6.5 with 150-foot or 50-foot setbacks; a grooming operation that also boards animals overnight would need to satisfy those kennel provisions in addition to the CG use listing.
Violations & Fines
Operating an animal grooming business in a district where it is not a listed permitted use, or without the required site and development plan approval under Sec. 14.13, is enforced under LDR Sec. 15.1 to 15.4: a continuing violation is a second-degree misdemeanor under F.S. chapter 775, fined or imprisoned per F.S. § 125.69, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a dog grooming shop in a CG-zoned strip mall?
Does a grooming shop need to be inside a building?
Is boarding animals overnight covered by the same rule as grooming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Columbia County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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