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Bakersfield, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

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

Key Facts

By-right use
small-animal vet clinic, no kennel
Excluded
kennel/boarding services
C-O zone
vet services need CUP (§ 17.20.040)
Parking
1 space per 500 sq ft
Zone
C-1 neighborhood commercial

Summary

Bakersfield lets a small-animal veterinary clinic open as a by-right use in the C-1 neighborhood commercial zone under § 17.22.020(B)(31), but the ordinance draws a hard line at boarding, 'excluding kennel services', so any overnight kennel component takes the use out of this permitted list.

17.22.020 Uses permitted. The following uses are permitted in a C-1 zone: A. Any use listed in the uses permitted section in the C-O zone; B. Any one or more of the following uses: ... 31. Veterinary (small animal only), excluding kennel services;

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).

Full Breakdown

040(A)(11) requires a conditional use permit for "Veterinary services" in the C-O professional office zone. 64. " The clinic must also meet the standard site plan review, landscaping and screening requirements that apply to every commercial use in the zone.

Violations & Fines

Operating a veterinary clinic with kennel or boarding services in the C-1 zone without first obtaining a conditional use permit is a zoning violation under § 1.40.010, punishable as an infraction ($50 to $250 for repeat offenses within a year) or an administrative citation ($100 to $1,000 under § 1.40.030), with each day of unpermitted operation counted as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a veterinary clinic open in Bakersfield's C-1 zone without a special permit?
Yes, if it's small-animal only and doesn't include kennel services. Section 17.22.020(B)(31) lists "Veterinary (small animal only), excluding kennel services" as a use permitted outright in the C-1 neighborhood commercial zone, with no conditional use permit or hearing required.
Does a Bakersfield vet clinic need a permit to also offer boarding?
Boarding pushes the use outside the by-right C-1 listing, which specifically excludes kennel services, so a full-service clinic with overnight boarding needs the discretionary conditional use permit review the code requires elsewhere in the zoning ordinance.
Where does Bakersfield require a conditional use permit for veterinary services?
In the C-O professional and administrative office zone, § 17.20.040(A)(11) lists "Veterinary services" among the uses that need planning commission approval of a conditional use permit under Chapter 17.64 before the business can operate there.

Sources & Official References

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All Bakersfield rules

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