Marin County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

020(d) defines a "commercial animal establishment" as "any location where the business of grooming, buying, selling, bartering, training, renting or boarding of dogs, cats, wild animals, domestic animals or fowl is conducted," a definition that puts pet grooming shops squarely inside the permit requirement even though the same section exempts veterinary hospitals, dog hobbyists, ranch dog permittees and facilities that train owners to handle their own pets. 240 makes it "unlawful for any person to operate or maintain any commercial animal establishment without first obtaining a permit," and that permit runs for twelve months from the date of issue, expiring on the last day of the twelfth month.

Renewal fees, and any delinquency charge for late renewal, are set by separate ordinance or resolution of the Board of Supervisors rather than fixed in the code text, with an additional fee accruing for every month of delinquency once the Board has adopted one. 122, which requires at least ten days' written notice before the hearing. Because grooming is a listed activity rather than a carved-out one, both mobile groomers and shop-based groomers in unincorporated Marin (outside San Rafael, Novato and the other incorporated towns) fall under this permit scheme.