Newark, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Title XLI, Newark's Zoning and Land Use Ordinance adopted November 1, 2023 by Ordinance No. 6PSF-E, separates animal grooming from animal daycare, animal boarding and kennel uses even though the three often share storefronts. Section 41:2-2 defines Animal Grooming narrowly: a place whose primary service is bathing, clipping or combing cats or dogs for aesthetics or health, and the definition expressly excludes boarding, kennels and daycare, so a business offering overnight stays must qualify separately as a kennel or animal day care use. Table 4-2 (Section 41:4-2), which governs the Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts, lists 'Animal Daycare, Animal Grooming' as permitted (P) in the C-2, C-3, MX-2 and MX-3 zones but not permitted (-) in C-1 or MX-1.

Table 4-1 for the Residential Districts (R-1 through R-6) does not list the use at all, and under Section 41:4-0 any use absent from a district's table is prohibited there unless the Zoning Officer finds it substantially similar to a listed use. Section 41:4-3's industrial table separately permits the combined use in the I-1 zone only, not I-2, I-3, the airport zones or the Port District. Off-street parking is set by Table 7-2 (Section 41:7-2-6) at one space per 1,000 square feet of floor area, excluding the first 3,000 square feet, so a small grooming shop under that threshold can operate without dedicated parking. Any structural alteration for a grooming shop must also meet the applicable district's bulk and design standards in Chapter 41:5.