El Paso, TX Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Two authorizations required
- Groomer license + shop registration
- License/registration term
- 1 year, renewed annually
- Max suspension
- 60 calendar days
- Injury/death reporting window
- 48 hours to animal services
- Reapply after revocation
- 12–18 months
- Appeal window
- 10 calendar days to city manager
Summary
El Paso requires two separate authorizations before anyone can groom a pet commercially: a personal groomer license under Chapter 7.15 and a shop registration for the premises. A license or registration can be denied, suspended for up to 60 days, or revoked for animal cruelty investigations or convictions, and shops must meet specific sanitation, water and observation standards.
7.15.010 - Compliance required: "No person shall engage in the practice of animal grooming without first having obtained and paid for a valid license from the permit official. All persons subject to regulation by this Chapter 7.15 shall also comply with all standards regulating the humane treatment and grooming of animals, including, but not limited to those found in Title 7 of the El Paso City Code, Texas Penal Code, §42.092, and CFR Title 9, Chapter I, Standards." 7.15.090(A): "Shop registration shall be required for any animal establishment where grooming is performed. It shall be a violation of this chapter for any shop to perform grooming without first having obtained and paid for a valid registration from the permit official."
Full Breakdown
092 (cruelty to animals), and federal CFR Title 9 standards. 020 requires the groomer to carry the license and valid photo ID for inspection at all times while working, and bars a licensed groomer from working anywhere except a shop that itself holds a current city registration. 090 separately requires shop registration for any establishment where grooming happens (veterinary clinics are exempt), and the shop must display its registration, run background checks on every groomer, and refuse to employ anyone convicted of animal cruelty or a similar violent offense within the past seven years.
Shops must provide hot and cold running water, working heating and air conditioning, proper ventilation, and either video surveillance or a window so owners can watch the grooming process; grooming-related injuries requiring medical care, or an animal's death, must be reported in writing to animal services within 48 hours. The director may deny a license or registration for false information, unpaid fees, or a pending or past criminal case for animal cruelty or a similarly violent offense, and may suspend a license or registration for up to 60 days, with a suspension tied to an active criminal case lasting until the case resolves.
Two suspensions within 12 months trigger revocation, after which a groomer must wait 12 months to reapply, or 18 months if caught operating on a revoked license.
Violations & Fines
Animal services officers, code compliance officers and planning-and-inspections inspectors are all authorized under Section 7.15.170 to enforce the chapter and issue citations, and Section 7.15.180 lets them inspect a shop at all reasonable times to check registration and licensing compliance. A denial, suspension or revocation can be appealed to the city manager within 10 calendar days under Section 7.15.190, but the license or registration must be surrendered to the director within 7 calendar days of notice regardless of an appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to groom pets professionally in El Paso?
Can a groomer lose their license over a criminal charge?
What must a grooming shop provide under city code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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