San Clemente, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- License from Coastal Animal Services Authority
- Records kept
- Owner, intake date, breed, age, vet on file
- License display
- Must be posted conspicuously
- Reapply ban after revocation
- 6 months
- Renewal deadline
- 30 days after expiration
Summary
A grooming parlor in San Clemente cannot open without a license from the Coastal Animal Services Authority. The permit chapter covers commercial groomers alongside kennels, pet shops and animal rescue shops, with inspection, record-keeping and revocation rules attached.
"Grooming parlor" means any place where animals are groomed, clipped, bathed, or otherwise conditioned as pets and/or for show in exchange for a fee, except when such service is offered and provided by a commercial kennel or licensed veterinary hospital. ... No person shall conduct or operate within the cities served by the authority any commercial breeding or boarding kennel or cattery, pet shop, commercial animal rescue shop, grooming parlor, commercial stable, riding academy, pony ride, guard dog and/or sentry dog service, zoo, animal menagerie, animal exhibition, rodeo, circus, pet show, miscellaneous animal or reptile establishment or operate as an animal dealer, without first obtaining a license from the authority.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
010 as any place where animals are groomed, clipped, bathed or otherwise conditioned as pets or for show in exchange for a fee, excluding services provided by a commercial kennel or a licensed veterinary hospital. 010 requires a license from the authority before operating a grooming parlor, alongside boarding kennels, catteries, pet shops, animal rescue shops and other commercial animal establishments. 040 requires the general manager to inspect the business location and confirm the operation will not endanger the health, peace or safety of the community, that the premises are clean and sanitary, and that the applicant has not had a similar license revoked in the prior year.
090 requires the holder of a grooming parlor license to keep on-premises records identifying each animal's owner, contact information, intake date, breed, age, sex, color and approved veterinarian, available for inspection. 120 requires posted emergency contact information visible from outside the building. 050 and become void if the business changes location or ownership for 30 days or more without renewal.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed grooming parlor, or one whose renewal lapses more than 30 days under Section 6.40.060, is deemed a public nuisance subject to abatement and misdemeanor prosecution. Section 6.40.070 authorizes the general manager to revoke or suspend a license for a Penal Code Section 596-599 conviction, unsanitary premises, or falsified application facts, and a revoked applicant is barred from reapplying for six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a pet groomer need a permit to operate in San Clemente?
What records must a grooming parlor keep?
Can a grooming parlor license be revoked?
Is a veterinary clinic's grooming service covered by this permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Groomer Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle pet groomer rules.