Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Zoning category
'Personal Services Establishment' (UDO § 13.02)
Named use
'Animal grooming establishments' listed by name
Parking cap
3 spaces per 1,000 sq ft of GFA
Bicycle parking
1 short-term space per 1,000 sq ft GFA
Kept separate from
'Animal Boarding, Hospital, or Shelter' use

Summary

Waukegan classifies pet groomers under 'Personal Services Establishment,' the same zoning category as barbershops and dry cleaners, expressly naming 'animal grooming establishments' in its definition. The use is capped at 3 off-street parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area and is kept legally separate from animal boarding or shelter uses.

Personal Services Establishment: An establishment primarily engaged in the provision of services of a personal nature. "Personal Service Establishment" includes facilities that sell products and goods in an incidental manner to the establishment's provision of services. "Personal Service Establishment" uses may include, but are not limited to, dry cleaners, barbershops, beauty salons, animal day care establishments, animal grooming establishments, express shipping services (e.g. UPS, FedEx, DHL), electronics repair, shoe repair shops, and tailor shops... "Personal Services Establishment" does not include "Adult Entertainment Establishment," "Animal Boarding, Hospital, or Shelter" or "Tattoo Parlor."

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).

Full Breakdown

02-1 lists Personal Services Establishment as an allowed principal use across Waukegan's business and light-industrial zoning districts, reviewed either as a permitted by-right use or, in at least one district, as a conditional use requiring City approval. 03-1 sets no minimum parking requirement for the category but caps parking at 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, with 1 additional short-term bicycle parking space required for every 1,000 square feet of floor area. 3. licensing, health, and safety requirements,' so state animal-welfare and business-licensing rules apply on top of the zoning classification.

Violations & Fines

A pet grooming business operating in a district where Personal Services Establishment is not listed, or exceeding the 3-space-per-1,000-square-foot parking cap in Table 10.03-1, is an unpermitted or noncompliant zoning use subject to Waukegan's standard code-enforcement and permit-denial process, the same treatment given any other Unified Development Ordinance violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What zoning category does a dog grooming shop fall under in Waukegan?
Personal Services Establishment. Section 13.02 of the Unified Development Ordinance defines that category to expressly include 'animal grooming establishments' alongside barbershops, beauty salons, and dry cleaners, so a groomer is reviewed against the same district table and parking standard as those businesses.
How much parking does a Waukegan pet grooming business need?
Table 10.03-1 sets no minimum but caps parking at 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, with 1 additional short-term bicycle parking space required for every 1,000 square feet of floor area.
Is a grooming salon regulated the same as a dog boarding kennel in Waukegan?
No. The Personal Services Establishment definition that covers grooming shops specifically excludes 'Animal Boarding, Hospital, or Shelter,' which the Unified Development Ordinance treats as its own use category with separate standards under Section 9.02.B.3, so a groomer that also boards animals overnight needs that different approval.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Waukegan

All Waukegan rules

Compare Waukegan to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview

Get notified when Pet Groomer Rules in Waukegan, IL changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.