Jefferson Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Sec. 7-100 sets the licensing and operating rules for every grooming shop in Jefferson Parish, including shops run inside another facility such as a pet store or kennel. No one may operate a grooming shop without a permit from the Jefferson Protection and Animal Welfare Services, issued for the calendar year for a fee set under Sec. 00 per shop, renewable by December 31 each year. A first-time applicant who certifies the shop meets all requirements can get a temporary permit valid up to three months while the shop awaits its physical inspection, but that temporary permit is revoked on the spot if the inspection finds the shop out of compliance.

Once operating, a shop is subject to inspection at any time by Animal Welfare Services. Sec. 7-100(f) bars groomers from three specific acts regardless of permit status: tranquilizing animals, expelling an obviously infected (abscessed) anal sac, or giving medical advice. Personnel standards require at least one qualified groomer on site at all times, and a qualified groomer must be at least 18 years old and hold one of three credentials: a certificate from a state-licensed grooming school, two verifiable years working in a licensed grooming establishment, or a completed nine-month, minimum 900-hour apprenticeship in a licensed grooming establishment.

Animals boarded over eight hours in cages need water containers mounted so they cannot be tipped, defecated or urinated in, cages sized to let the animal turn around and stand, and daily exercise, and animals held longer than 12 hours must be fed in a similarly secured dish. A shop must also keep on-premises records of every animal's owner, arrival date, and reason for being there, and post emergency contact information for Animal Welfare Services.