DuPage County, IL Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Permitted by right in B-1 district
- Governing section
- Section 37-801.1, Service Businesses
- Minimum lot size
- 0.5 acre, 100 ft width (§ 37-801.3)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated DuPage County only
- Violation fine
- $100 to $500 per week (§ 37-1417)
Summary
Pet grooming shops are a permitted, by-right use in unincorporated DuPage County's B-1 Local Business District, so opening one does not require a conditional-use hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals. The zoning ordinance still requires every permitted use in B-1 to sit on a lot of at least 0.5 acre with 100 feet of frontage, and operating outside that framework risks fines up to $500 a week.
37-801: - B-1 LOCAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. The B-1 local business district is intended to provide areas for retail or service establishments supplying convenience items or personal services for the daily needs of residents within the neighborhood. ... 37-801.1: - PERMITTED USES. The following uses are permitted: ... Service businesses: Animal grooming. ... 37-801.3: - LOT SIZE REQUIREMENTS. Except as otherwise provided herein, a separate ground area, herein called the zoning lot, shall be designated, provided and continuously maintained for each building containing a permitted or conditional use. Use: All Permitted or Conditional Uses -- Minimum Lot Size: 0.5 Acre -- Minimum Lot Width: 100 feet. ... 37-1417: - ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES; GENERAL. D.VIOLATION PENALTIES: Any person who violates any provision of this Code or fails to comply with any of the requirements thereof...shall be guilty of an offense punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). Each week that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
' Because grooming sits on the permitted-use list rather than the conditional-use list, an operator does not need to petition the Zoning Board of Appeals or sit through a public hearing before opening a storefront in that district. 5 acre with a minimum lot width of 100 feet. This is a county ordinance, so it reaches only unincorporated DuPage County. Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Woodridge and Carol Stream each administer their own municipal zoning codes inside city limits, so a groomer opening inside any of those cities answers to that city's ordinance, not this one.
Operating a grooming business in a zoning district where it is not a listed permitted or conditional use, or without a required permit, is enforced under Section 37-1417's general zoning enforcement and penalties provision, the same clause that governs every use classified in Article VIII of the zoning ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Operating a grooming shop in a zoning district where it is not a listed permitted or conditional use, or without the required permits, is enforced under Section 37-1417 of the DuPage County Zoning Ordinance. A conviction carries a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, and each week the violation continues is treated as a separate offense, so an unresolved case can compound quickly. The county's legal counsel can also seek a court order to stop the use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special permit to open a pet grooming shop in unincorporated DuPage County?
What zoning district allows a grooming business in DuPage County?
How big does the lot need to be?
Does this rule apply inside Naperville or Wheaton?
What happens if a grooming shop operates in the wrong district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DuPage County
Compare DuPage County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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