Clayton County, GA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance Sec. 4.85, Tier 6 (MV-MME)
- Banned use
- Animal hospital, vet clinic, boarding, grooming shop
- District
- Mountain View Overlay District, Tier 6
- Location
- Land adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson airport
- Max lot coverage
- 80% of lot area
Summary
Clayton County's Mountain View Overlay District, the zoning tier wrapped around Hartsfield-Jackson, bans animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, animal boarding, pet supply stores and grooming shops outright in its Tier 6 Makers and Advanced Manufacturing district under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 4.85.
5.Prohibited Uses:(A)Drive thru restaurants.(B)Parking facilities not associated with a use.(C)Gas/service station.(D)Adult entertainment establishment.(E)Adult service facility.(F)Blood collection center.(G)Breeding kennel...(CC)Liquor store.(DD)Animal hospital, veterinary clinic, animal boarding, pet supply store, and animal grooming shop.(EE)Building and landscape contractor.(FF)Barber shop, beauty shop (Unless interior to a primary use).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104).
Full Breakdown
The Mountain View Overlay District covers land the Board of Commissioners designated as an 'International Hub' near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, spanning six character-area tiers set out in Sec. 85, Permitted Uses and District Standards by Tiers. Tier 6, labeled MV-MME (Mixed Use Makers & Advanced Manufacturing & Entertainment), is built for high-tech manufacturing, maker spaces and entertainment venues like indoor karting, and it carries a specific list of prohibited uses. That list bars veterinary and pet-care businesses by name: item (DD) prohibits 'Animal hospital, veterinary clinic, animal boarding, pet supply store, and animal grooming shop' alongside other incompatible uses such as breeding kennels, pawn shops, truck stops, and self-storage facilities.
0 units per acre, a front yard setback of zero to 20 feet, zero-foot minimum side and rear setbacks, and a maximum lot coverage of 80 percent for all primary and accessory structures and impervious surface combined. Outside the Mountain View Overlay's Tier 6, veterinary clinics are not barred by this list; the prohibition is specific to this airport-adjacent character area, reflecting the county's preference for manufacturing, office and entertainment uses there rather than animal-care businesses.
Violations & Fines
A veterinary clinic, animal hospital, boarding kennel, or grooming shop proposed for Tier 6 MV-MME land is not an eligible use and the Department of Community Development will deny the permit or site plan application outright rather than issue a conditional approval. An applicant who believes their parcel falls outside the Tier 6 boundary can seek an administrative appeal under Article 13.22 or pursue rezoning through the Zoning Amendment Process in Article 13.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary clinic near Hartsfield-Jackson in unincorporated Clayton County?
Does this ban apply county-wide?
What uses are allowed instead in Tier 6?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clayton County
Compare Clayton County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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