Columbia County, FL Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Columbia County's Land Development Regulations treat a veterinary clinic the same as a commercial kennel or animal shelter: a special exception, not a use permitted by right, under Sec. 4.5.7 for the Agricultural districts (A-1, A-2, A-3) and under Sec. 4.6.5 for Rural Residential (RR). In the Agricultural districts, a clinic's buildings and any open animal runs must be set back at least 150 feet from every lot line. In RR, the special exception is available only on a parcel of three and one-half acres or more that is not located within a subdivision, and the setback for open runs or animal-housing buildings drops to 50 feet from any lot line.

Neither the Residential Single-Family (RSF) nor RSF/Mobile Home districts list veterinary clinics among their permitted or special-exception uses, which under the catch-all prohibition on unlisted uses effectively excludes new clinics from those subdivisions. A special exception application goes through the planning and zoning board and board of adjustment under Articles 12 and 13 of the LDR, which require a public hearing and posted notice on the property before approval. Clinics that also function as commercial kennels or boarding facilities fall under the same 150-foot or 50-foot setback, whichever district applies.

Property owners should confirm zoning before purchasing land for a clinic, since the setback and acreage minimums differ sharply by district and a variance is a separate, harder process under Article 12.