Placer County, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Placer County's zoning ordinance defines 'medical services - veterinary clinics and hospitals' as 'office and medical treatment facilities used by veterinarians, including large and small animal veterinary clinics, and animal hospitals,' under Placer County Code § 17.04.030. Animal hospitals are expressly carved out of the county's general animal-raising-and-keeping standards at § 17.56.050(B)(1) and are instead regulated as this specific commercial land use, so the kennel, run and setback rules written for backyard livestock and pets do not apply to a veterinary practice.

Whether a clinic can locate on a parcel, and what permit it needs, depends entirely on the zone district. In the Farm (F) district, Placer County Code § 17.10.010(B) requires a Minor Use Permit (MUP) for 'medical services - veterinary clinics and hospitals,' the same standard applied in most other agricultural and resource districts. By contrast, in the Highway Services (HS) commercial district, Placer County Code § 17.26.010(B) allows veterinary clinics with only a zoning clearance (marked 'C' on the table), the lightest level of review, matching the district's traveler-oriented commercial purpose. Notably, the Residential Single-Family (RS) district's allowable-use table under § 17.50.010(B) does not list veterinary clinics or animal hospitals at all, meaning the use is not permitted in that zone.

Wherever a clinic is approved, Placer County Code § 17.54.060, the countywide parking-by-land-use table, requires one parking space per 300 square feet of floor area for veterinary clinics and hospitals, the same ratio the table applies to kennels and animal boarding facilities.