Nassau County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Sec. 6-40 defines a grooming shop as a commercial establishment where animals are bathed, clipped, plucked or otherwise groomed, and specifically bars the shop from buying or selling animals; a business doing both grooming and sales instead falls under the broader 'commercial animal establishment' definition, which also covers pet shops, kennels, catteries, riding schools and zoological parks. Sec. 6-43(a) makes it unlawful to operate any commercial animal establishment, including a grooming shop, without first obtaining a permit from the county or its designee, and Animal Control issues the permit only after confirming the applicant is willing and able to comply with the county's humane-care regulations.

Sec. 00 per year. The permitting year runs from October 1 through the following September 30, and renewal applications are due within thirty days before or after October 1; filing late adds a 20 percent penalty on top of the fee. 00 transfer fee rather than a new application. Sec. 6-43(h) treats every facility as a separate enterprise needing its own permit, so an operator running grooming shops at more than one location in the unincorporated county needs a permit for each. Sec. 6-44 lets the county inspect the premises before issuing the permit and again during a renewal term, and it can revoke a permit for noncompliance with the article or any animal-protection law; anyone convicted of animal cruelty cannot be issued a permit at all.