Long Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Development standard
- LBMC § 21.45.133
- Residential adjacency
- prohibited unless mixed-use PD exempt
- Boarding/adoption cap
- 50% of gross floor area
- Animal density minimum
- 75 sq. ft. floor area per animal
- Sound documentation
- licensed acoustical engineer report
- Standalone boarding clinic
- CUP needed in CCA, CCP, CCR, CCN, CHW
Summary
Long Beach lets small-scale veterinary care operate by right in most commercial zones, but boarding and adoption space triggers Municipal Code § 21.45.133: the site cannot adjoin a residential district, boarding is capped at 50% of gross floor area, and operators must document sound-abatement compliance before opening.
The following special development standards shall apply to businesses involving indoor animal adoption and boarding uses by right or requiring an Administrative Use Permit: A.Location. The site shall not adjoin or abut a residential use district. Planned Development Districts allowing ground floor mixed-use commercial and residential are exempt from this requirement.B.Size. Adoption and boarding areas shall remain an accessory component of the established primary operation and shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the gross floor area.C.Building Improvements.1.The facility shall be improved with sound abatement measures to ensure compliance with the noise ordinance, Chapter 8.80 of the Long Beach Municipal Code. Written documentation by a licensed acoustical engineer shall be provided to demonstrate compliance with the noise ordinance...D.Operations.1.All business activities must be confined within an enclosed building....3.The number of animals shall be limited to a minimum area of seventy-five (75) square feet of floor area per animal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Under Table 32-1 (Uses In All Other Commercial Zoning Districts), indoor animal-related uses including veterinary clinics, grooming and animal daycare are permitted by right when adoption and boarding space stays under 25% of gross floor area, in every neighborhood, community and regional commercial district (CNP, CNA, CNR, CCA, CCP, CCR, CCN, CHW) but not in the Service (CS) district; exceeding 25% of floor area requires an Administrative Use Permit in those same commercial zones. A freestanding veterinary clinic operated with boarding as its own listed use instead needs a Conditional Use Permit in the CCA, CCP, CCR, CCN and CHW districts and is barred outright in the CNP, CNA, CNR and CS districts.
80 noise ordinance, animal areas need impervious flooring and floor drains (cat-only operations are exempt from the drain requirement), all activity must stay inside an enclosed building, animal density is capped at a minimum of 75 square feet of floor area per animal, and the operator must clean recreation and boarding areas daily and properly dispose of animal waste.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance with Section 21.45.133's development standards or operating boarding space beyond the permitted floor-area cap is enforced as a Title 21 zoning violation under Section 21.10.080: a $100 infraction citation for the first offense, $250 if it recurs within six months, then referral for misdemeanor prosecution carrying up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail under Section 1.32.010, plus possible civil abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a veterinary clinic in Long Beach sit right next to a house?
How much of my clinic can be used for boarding animals?
Do I need a sound study to open a veterinary clinic with boarding?
How much space does the code require per boarded animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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