Montgomery County, MD Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Outdoor yard setback
- 50 ft from residential zone
- Animal curfew
- no animals outside 9 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Conditional-use setback
- 75 ft from any lot line
- Approval authority
- Hearing Examiner (conditional use)
- Not covered here
- Rockville, Gaithersburg, Poolesville, etc.
Summary
Montgomery County's Zoning Ordinance treats a Veterinary Office/Hospital as its own land-use category, separate from Animal Boarding and Care, with fenced-yard setbacks, a 9 p.m.-7 a.m. outdoor curfew, and Hearing Examiner conditional-use approval required in agricultural and residential zones.
Veterinary Office/Hospital means any structure and land where medical, surgical, and other veterinary care is provided to domestic animals, which may stay overnight only for medical purposes. Veterinary Office/Hospital does not include Animal Boarding and Care... Where a Veterinary Office/Hospital is allowed as a limited use, it must satisfy the following standards: ...an outdoor exercise yard is allowed if: (a) it is fenced and set back a minimum of 50 feet from any Residential zone; and (b) any animal is prohibited from being outdoors between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-90: Montgomery County Code contains legislation effective through May 7, 2026 | Zoning Updated Effective: April 13, 2026 | COMCOR Regulations effective as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The Zoning Ordinance defines Veterinary Office/Hospital as a use where medical, surgical, and other veterinary care is provided to domestic animals, which may stay overnight only for medical reasons, distinct from Animal Boarding and Care. Where allowed as a limited use, any outdoor exercise yard must be fenced, set back at least 50 feet from a residential zone, and animals kept indoors from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Where the use instead requires Hearing Examiner conditional-use approval, exercise areas must be set back 75 feet from any lot line, screened, and the sound level at the nearest property line must meet Chapter 31B noise limits.
Violations & Fines
A written log of appointments and drop-in visits must be kept for DPS inspection, and abuse of the walk-in exemption can lead to revocation of the conditional-use approval by the Hearing Examiner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does zoning treat a vet hospital differently from a boarding kennel?
Can a veterinary clinic have an outdoor exercise yard?
Does this zoning rule apply inside Rockville or Gaithersburg?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Maryland animal ordinances overview
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