Springfield, IL Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Springfield's zoning code lists 'Animal training, grooming' among the retail and personal service establishments permitted in the S-2 Community Shopping and Office District under Sec. 031(b)(2). Because the S-3 Central Shopping District (Sec. 032(b)(1)) and the B-1 Highway Business Service District (Sec. 033(b)(1)) both incorporate 'all uses permitted in the S-2 district,' a pet grooming or animal training business is also allowed by right in those two commercial zones. It is not listed among the permitted uses in the S-1 Neighborhood Commercial and Office District (Sec.

030) or in any residential district, so a storefront groomer cannot locate there without a rezoning or a use that qualifies as a home occupation under a different section of the code. Because grooming is a permitted use rather than a conditional permitted use, the operator does not need to appear before the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission or the city council for a public hearing. The business still needs a building permit and any required inspections from the Office of Public Works, Department of Building and Zoning, plus whatever business license the city's licensing chapter requires for a retail service establishment.

Operating a grooming or training business in a district where it is not a listed permitted or conditional use, such as an R-1 or S-1 zone, is a zoning violation subject to enforcement by the Department of Building and Zoning.