Ventura, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Use type
- Animal Sales and Services: Grooming and Pet Stores
- Zone
- Permitted by right in C-1 commercial zone
- Permit needed
- None for the grooming/pet store use itself
- Related use
- Overnight boarding is a separate Animal Boarding use type
- Enforcing department
- Community Development Department
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Ventura, a dog grooming salon or pet store is defined by Section 24.115.330(A) of the Municipal Code as an Animal Sales and Services: Grooming and Pet Stores use, and it is a use permitted outright, with no discretionary permit, in the C-1 limited commercial zone under Section 24.232.020.
A. Animal Sales and Services: ... Grooming and Pet Stores. Grooming or selling of animals. Typical uses include dog bathing and clipping salons, pet grooming shops, and pet stores and shops. ... The following use types are permitted, ... subject to the provisions of this chapter: ... B. General. ... Animal Sales and Services: Grooming and Pet Stores.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
330(A). That definition sits alongside two related categories in the same section: Animal Sales and Services: Veterinary in subsection (B) and Animal Boarding in subsection (C), which can trigger different permit requirements depending on whether overnight boarding is involved. 530. The same use type appears as a permitted use in the code's other principal commercial zone chapters, so operators generally have several commercial corridors to choose from. If a grooming business also boards animals overnight, the operation may cross into the separate Animal Boarding use type, which is regulated differently in some zones and can require a director's permit or use permit rather than by-right approval, so an operator adding overnight stays should confirm the classification with Community Development before expanding services.
The use type definition governs zoning only; state licensing and animal-welfare requirements for grooming facilities are handled separately by the state and county, not by this chapter of the Municipal Code.
Violations & Fines
Operating an Animal Sales and Services: Grooming and Pet Stores use, or the broader Animal Boarding use type, in a zone where it is not listed as permitted or use-permitted is a violation of Title 24 and, under Section 1.150.010 of the Municipal Code, a misdemeanor, with each day of continued operation treated as a separate offense. Section 1.150.020 sets the default penalty at a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a dog grooming shop in Ventura without a special permit?
Does boarding dogs overnight change the zoning classification?
What zones allow a pet grooming business in Ventura?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Groomer Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle pet groomer rules.