Butte County, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Butte County's Zoning Ordinance does not have a separate use category for veterinary clinics. Section 24-304 (Definitions) folds them into "Animal Services," defined as any establishment that keeps animals for sale or hire, provides medical treatment for animals on the premises, or regularly offers temporary boarding, with veterinarian clinics, commercial dog and cat grooming businesses, animal hospitals, commercial kennels, and animal shelters listed as examples. Where that use lands on the zoning map is set out zone by zone in the Use Regulation Tables of Article II.

Table 24-13-1 (Section 24-13) requires a Conditional Use Permit for Animal Services in both the Agriculture (AG) and Agriculture Services (AS) zones. Table 24-19-1 (Section 24-19) requires a Conditional Use Permit in the Foothill Residential, Foothill Country Residential, Rural Residential, and Rural Country Residential zones, but the "-" notation across the Very Low Density Residential, Very Low Density Country Residential, Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, Medium High Density Residential, High Density Residential, and Very High Density Residential columns means the use is not allowed at all in the county's denser residential zones. Table 24-22-1 (Section 24-22) requires a Conditional Use Permit in the General Commercial, Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, and Mixed Use zones, while the Recreation Commercial and Sports and Entertainment zones show "-" and bar it outright. Table 24-26-1 (Section 24-26) permits it by right, subject only to a Zoning Clearance, in the Light Industrial and General Industrial zones, but not the Heavy Industrial zone. Table 24-29-1 (Section 24-29) bars it in the Public Building, Airport, and Research and Business Park special purpose zones. A Conditional Use Permit application goes to the Planning Commission for a noticed public hearing under Article VI, Division 2.