Palm Springs, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone where permitted by right
- C-D-N designed neighborhood shopping center
- Scope of permitted use
- Outpatient only, no boarding
- Similar-use approval path
- Planning commission, § 92.10.01(B)
- Governing code
- Zoning Code § 92.10.01(A)(37)
Summary
Veterinary clinics are a permitted use in Palm Springs's C-D-N neighborhood shopping center zone, but only as outpatient facilities. The Zoning Code's listing does not extend to overnight boarding or inpatient animal hospitals, which fall outside this by-right category.
37. Veterinary clinic, outpatient only;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
01(A)(37) of the Palm Springs Zoning Code lists 'Veterinary clinic, outpatient only' as a permitted use in the C-D-N designed neighborhood shopping center zone, in the same subsection as pet shops, retail stores and other neighborhood-serving businesses. The 'outpatient only' qualifier is the operative limit: a clinic that treats and releases animals the same day fits this listing, but an inpatient veterinary hospital that boards animals overnight for treatment or recovery is not covered by it. 00, to direct convenience commercial uses to serve their immediate residential neighborhood rather than draw citywide traffic, and the zone can only be established after a conditional use permit is granted and its conditions met.
03 governing site layout and building placement, plus the zone's performance and property maintenance standards. 01(B), or would need to pursue a different zone or permit path entirely. As with every other zoning use in this code, this listing reaches only lots within the city's own zoning jurisdiction; a clinic sited on an Agua Caliente trust land parcel is not governed by this Zoning Code section.
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary clinic with an unpermitted inpatient or boarding component under this outpatient-only listing, or operating outside a zone that permits it, is enforced as a Municipal Code violation under Section 1.01.140. Penalties run from infraction fines starting at $100 for a first offense under Section 1.01.155 up to misdemeanor exposure of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail under Section 1.01.160, with each day of continued unpermitted operation a separate violation under Section 1.01.150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary clinic by right in Palm Springs?
Does the Palm Springs veterinary clinic listing cover animal boarding?
What if I want a veterinary clinic outside the C-D-N zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Springs to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Veterinary Clinic Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle veterinary clinic zoning.