Pima County, AZ Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- CB-1 Local Business, unincorporated Pima County
- Permit needed
- None, by-right use, § 18.43.030(B)(109)
- Boarding
- Not allowed
- Overnight confinement cap
- 5 animals, for clinic treatment only
- Building requirement
- Wholly enclosed building, § 18.43.020(A)
- Max civil penalty
- $750/day individual, $10,000/day corporation
Summary
A veterinary outpatient clinic for small animals is a by-right use in Pima County's CB-1 Local Business zone under Code § 18.43.030(B)(109), but boarding isn't allowed, and overnight confinement is capped at five animals held only for ongoing clinic treatment.
109. Veterinary outpatient clinic for small animals: a. No boarding allowed; b. Overnight confinement for clinic treatment permitted for a maximum of five animals;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
020. The listing carries two conditions that separate an outpatient clinic from a full-service animal hospital: subsection (a) bars boarding outright, so a CB-1 veterinary clinic can't function as a kennel or take in pets purely for overnight stays; subsection (b) allows overnight confinement only 'for clinic treatment,' and caps it at a maximum of five animals at any time. 030(B), the clinic must also be 'conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building,' and any retail sales on site, such as pet food or medication, must be sold at retail on the premises rather than wholesale.
020(A)(17), which instead carries a 100-foot setback from any abutting residential or rural property rather than the CB-1 clinic's animal-count and boarding limits. A veterinarian opening in the CB-1 zone who wants to board pets overnight beyond clinic treatment, or run a full-service kennel, would need to locate in a zone or under a use classification that permits boarding.
Violations & Fines
A CB-1 veterinary clinic that boards animals or exceeds the five-animal overnight confinement cap set by § 18.43.030(B)(109) is operating outside its permitted use and subject to zoning enforcement under § 18.95.030 by the chief zoning inspector. Civil penalties under § 18.95.040 reach $750 per day for an individual and $10,000 per day for a corporation, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense, and rulings appealable to the Board of Supervisors and then Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a veterinary clinic board pets overnight in Pima County's CB-1 zone?
Does a veterinary clinic need a conditional use permit in the CB-1 zone?
What's the difference between this clinic use and a full veterinary hospital?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
Compare Pima County to another location·View the Arizona animal ordinances overview
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