Madison, WI Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning definition
- MGO § 28.211
- Permitted districts
- NMX, TSS, MXC, CC-T, CC, RMX
- Conditional-use district
- LMX (Plan Commission review)
- Boarding limit
- 48 hrs, incidental only
- Beyond 48 hrs
- Reclassified as a kennel/boarding use
- Zoning penalty
- $1–$1,000 forfeiture
Summary
Madison classifies pet grooming shops as an 'Animal Grooming Facility' land use under Madison General Ordinances § 28.211, permitted by right in most mixed-use and commercial districts and requiring conditional use approval in the Limited Mixed-Use (LMX) district under the Sec. 28.061 use table. Boarding is allowed only if incidental and under 48 hours.
Sec. 28.211, Definitions: "Animal Grooming Facility. An establishment where domestic animals are bathed, clipped, or combed, including boarding for not more than forty-eight (48) hours incidental to the grooming services." Sec. 28.061(1): "'P' means permitted in the districts where designated. ... 'C' means allowed as conditional uses in the districts where designated, in compliance with all applicable standards."
Full Breakdown
211 defines an 'Animal Grooming Facility' as 'An establishment where domestic animals are bathed, clipped, or combed, including boarding for not more than forty-eight (48) hours incidental to the grooming services', so a groomer that keeps pets overnight beyond two days no longer fits this zoning category. The Mixed-Use and Commercial Districts use table, Table 28D-2 at Sec. 061, lists 'Animal grooming' as a permitted (P) use by right in the Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMX), Traditional Shopping Street (TSS), Mixed-Use Center (MXC), Commercial Corridor-Transitional (CC-T), Commercial Center (CC) and Regional Mixed-Use (RMX) districts, but only as a conditional use (C), meaning Plan Commission review and approval, in the Limited Mixed-Use (LMX) district.
' Other use tables elsewhere in Chapter 28 (covering the residential and downtown-core districts) likewise list 'animal grooming' as permitted or conditional depending on the specific district, so whether a groomer can open by right or needs a conditional use permit depends entirely on which of Madison's zoning districts the storefront sits in. The definition's 48-hour boarding cap matters in practice: a shop that boards dogs or cats longer than that as a standalone service crosses into the separate 'Animal Boarding Facility, Kennel, Animal Shelter' use category, which carries its own, more restrictive district list, and may trigger the City's Sec. 50(5) kennel license requirement for keeping animals for remuneration.
Violations & Fines
Operating an animal grooming facility in a district where it isn't listed as permitted or conditional, or without the required Plan Commission conditional use approval in the LMX district, is a zoning violation subject to the Sec. 28.207(1) forfeiture of not less than one dollar ($1) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). Boarding animals beyond the incidental 48-hour window without the separate Sec. 9.50(5) kennel license can draw additional enforcement from the City Treasurer's office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a conditional use permit to open a pet grooming shop in Madison?
Can a groomer keep pets overnight?
Is a City license required to run a pet grooming business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
Compare Madison to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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