El Monte, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- EMMC 17.150.090, 'Animal grooming'
- Permitted use table
- Table 17.A-1, Chapter 17.A
- Permitted by right in
- MMU, UMU, C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2
- Not permitted in
- Any R-1 through R-4 residential district
- Permit needed
- Business Occupancy Permit only, Chapter 17.120
- Overnight boarding
- Excluded from grooming; classified separately
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3053, effective May 14, 2025
Summary
El Monte's zoning code classifies pet grooming as a service use permitted by right in the city's mixed-use, commercial and manufacturing districts, but never in a residential zone. Section 17.150.090 defines animal grooming as bathing and trimming services for dogs, cats and other household animals, and expressly excludes overnight boarding from that use.
"Animal service" means one of the following: "Animal boarding/kennel" means the commercial provision of shelter and care for dogs, cats, other household animals, including activities associated with such shelter and care (e.g., feeding, exercising, grooming, and incidental medical care). "Animal grooming" means a general personal service use providing for the bathing and trimming services for dogs, cats, and other household animals. Overnight boarding is not permitted.
Full Breakdown
150 (Use Definitions), adopted as part of the citywide zoning rewrite under Ordinance No. 3053 on May 14, 2025. A, lists 'Animal grooming' as permitted by right (P) in the MMU, UMU, C-1, C-2, M-1 and M-2 districts, with a conditioned entry in C-3, and by right in the MS/Z, ST and MV overlay and specific-plan zones; it carries no entry, meaning it is prohibited, in every R-1 through R-4 residential district and in the OMU district. 120 rather than a discretionary Conditional or Minor Use Permit.
A-1, which also confines any overnight boarding stay to indoor facilities. A grooming business that boards animals overnight has crossed into the boarding/kennel classification and is operating outside its permitted use.
Violations & Fines
Operating an animal grooming business in a district where Table 17.A-1 does not list it as permitted, most commonly a residential zone, or without the required Business Occupancy Permit under Chapter 17.120, is a zoning violation the Community Development Department can pursue through code enforcement, including a stop-work or cease-operation order. A groomer that keeps animals overnight without first securing a Conditional Use Permit for animal boarding/kennel per footnote 14 to Table 17.A-1 is operating an unpermitted use and risks the same enforcement action as any unauthorized commercial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a dog grooming shop in a residential part of El Monte?
Does a grooming shop need a special permit beyond a business license?
Can a groomer keep pets overnight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Monte
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