Toledo, OH Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Use type
- Sales and Grooming (§ 1116.0203(F))
- Permitted districts
- CN, CM, CS, CR, CD only
- Overnight boarding
- Not allowed for this use type
- CN floor-area cap
- 10,000 sq ft per establishment (§ 1106.0500)
- First-offense fine
- $75, rising to $600 by 4th offense
- Enforcing agency
- Director of Building and Code Compliance
Summary
Toledo's zoning code defines pet stores, dog-bathing salons and grooming shops as the "Sales and Grooming" animal-service use type and permits it by right in only five commercial districts. Neighborhood Commercial, Mixed Commercial-Residential, Storefront Commercial, Regional Commercial and Downtown Commercial. No overnight boarding is allowed, and the Neighborhood Commercial district caps any single business at 10,000 square feet.
F. Sales and Grooming. Sales, grooming and daytime care of dogs, cats, and similar small animals. Typical uses include pet stores, dog bathing and clipping salons and pet grooming shops. No overnight boarding is allowed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-105: Complete to June 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
0203(F) classifies grooming shops, dog-bathing and clipping salons and pet stores together as the "Sales and Grooming" animal-services use type, distinguishing them from Kennels (which allow overnight boarding) by stating flatly that "No overnight boarding is allowed" for this use. 0100 lists Sales and Grooming as permitted by right ("P") in the CN Neighborhood Commercial, CM Mixed Commercial–Residential, CS Storefront Commercial, CR Regional Commercial and CD Downtown Commercial districts. It is not permitted in any residential district, in CO Office Commercial, or in any industrial or open-space district.
0500: an individual Sales-and-Grooming establishment located in the CN district "may not exceed a floor area of 10,000 square feet," though a larger building can still hold it as long as each business inside stays under that cap. 0400) rather than a flat ratio, and the schedule lists no minimum bicycle-parking requirement for the use. Because Sales and Grooming is a zoning use classification, opening a grooming shop or pet store in a district where the Use Table shows no "P" or "S", including any RS, RD or RM residential district or the CO district, is a zoning violation, not merely a licensing issue.
Violations & Fines
Operating a grooming shop, pet store or dog-bathing salon in a district where the Use Table doesn't list "P" is a Zoning Code violation under § 1115.0201. The Director of Building and Code Compliance or Planning Director can cite it under § 1115.0507: $75 for a first offense, $150 for a second, $300 for a third, and $600 for a fourth or later offense, each due within 15 days, with unresolved violations elevated to a first-degree misdemeanor and possible daily penalties for continuing violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a pet grooming shop in a Toledo residential neighborhood?
Can a Toledo pet grooming shop board dogs overnight?
Is there a size limit on a pet grooming shop in Toledo?
What happens if I run a pet store in the wrong Toledo zoning district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Toledo
Compare Toledo to another location·View the Ohio animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.