Portland, OR Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Use category
- Retail Sales And Service, personal-service group
- Grouped with
- hair salons, veterinarians, boarding kennels
- Special permit
- None required beyond standard zoning
- Where allowed
- Commercial zones; capped in some residential zones
Summary
Portland classifies animal grooming as a Retail Sales and Service personal-service use under Title 33.920.250, letting groomers operate in commercial zones alongside hair salons and veterinarians without a separate pet-specific permit.
2. Personal service-oriented: Branch banks; urgency medical care; laundromats; photographic studios; photocopy and blueprint services; hair, tanning, and personal care services; business, martial arts, and other trade schools; dance or music classes; taxidermists; mortuaries; veterinarians; kennels limited to boarding, with no breeding; and animal grooming.
3. Entertainment-oriented: Restaurants, cafes, delicatessens, taverns, and bars; indoor or outdoor continuous entertainment activities such as bowling alleys, ice rinks, and game arcades; pool halls; indoor firing ranges; theaters, health clubs, gyms, membership clubs, and lodges; hotels, motels, recreational vehicle parks, and other temporary lodging with an average length of stay of less than 30 days.
4. Repair-oriented: Repair of TVs, bicycles, clocks, watches, shoes, guns, appliances and office equipment; photo or laundry drop off; quick printing; recycling drop-off; tailor; locksmith; and upholsterer.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 33.920.250 places animal grooming in the Retail Sales And Service use category's personal-service-oriented group, alongside hair and tanning salons, veterinarians, and boarding-only kennels. A pet-grooming shop needs no grooming-specific permit: it goes through the same zoning review as any other personal-service retail business. Where it can locate, how much floor area it can occupy, and whether hours are capped come from the base zone's use table in Chapters 33.130 through 33.150; commercial zones allow it outright as a permitted use, while residential zones restrict or prohibit it.
Violations & Fines
Running a grooming shop in a zone where Retail Sales And Service isn't allowed, or past a zone's floor-area or hours cap, is a zoning violation Portland Permitting & Development can order stopped.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special license to open a pet-grooming business in Portland?
Can I run a pet-grooming shop in a residential zone in Portland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Oregon animal ordinances overview
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