Sumner County, TN Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 2 acres; 5 acres if kennel included
- Building/kennel setback
- 100 feet from all property lines
- Screening trigger
- Type 2 Landscape Buffer within 200 feet
- Permit needed
- Special exception plus Site Plan approval
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Sumner County only
- Governing section
- Zoning Resolution Ch. 11, Sec. 1103.G.4
- Effective date
- Revisions effective December 8, 2025
Summary
In unincorporated Sumner County, veterinary clinics and animal care facilities need at least 2 acres of land, with 5 acres required once the use includes an indoor or outdoor kennel. Buildings, kennels and outdoor exercise areas must sit at least 100 feet off every property line, and the county only allows the use by special exception with Site Plan approval.
4. Special Conditions for Animal Care and Veterinarian Services
a. There shall be a minimum lot size of 2 acres. Any uses proposing an indoor or outdoor kennel area shall have a minimum lot size of 5 acres.
b. Site Plan approval shall be required as set forth in this Chapter.
c. All buildings, structures, kennels, outdoor animal exercise areas and other areas utilized pursuant to this use must be no less than 100 feet from all property lines.
d. All buildings, structures, and parking and staging areas utilized for this use that are 200 feet or less from any property line shall be screened from view, with a Type 2 Landscape Buffer or equivalent provided.
Full Breakdown
G limits to a special exception granted only if the listed conditions are met. For animal care and veterinarian services, Site Plan approval is required before the Board of Zoning Appeals can issue that special exception. The base lot-size floor is 2 acres; any facility adding an indoor or outdoor kennel area must instead sit on at least 5 acres, roughly doubling the land requirement once boarding is part of the operation. Every building, structure, kennel run, or outdoor exercise area tied to the use has to be set back a minimum of 100 feet from all property lines.
Where any building, structure, or parking or staging area for the use sits within 200 feet of a property line, the applicant must install a Type 2 Landscape Buffer, or an equivalent screen, so neighboring parcels are shielded from view. These standards apply only within unincorporated Sumner County; Gallatin, Hendersonville, Portland, and White House each administer their own municipal zoning codes and can set different veterinary-use standards inside city limits. The Zoning Resolution's most recent revisions took effect December 8, 2025, and Chapter 11 is administered and enforced by the County's Director of Building & Codes under Section 1413.
Violations & Fines
Operating an animal care or veterinary use without the required special exception, Site Plan approval, or minimum acreage is a zoning violation under Section 1413.D: each offense is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $50, and every day the noncompliant use or structure continues counts as a separate offense with its own fine. The Director of Building & Codes may also pursue civil remedies, including injunction, mandamus, or abatement, to force compliance or removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open a veterinary clinic in unincorporated Sumner County?
How far must a veterinary clinic sit from my property line?
Does this rule apply inside Gallatin or Hendersonville?
What happens if a kennel operates without the required acreage or setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumner County
Compare Sumner County to another location·View the Tennessee animal ordinances overview
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