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Redlands, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing term
"Animal hospital," § 18.08.050
Allowed zones
C-4 and C-M only, by conditional use permit
Approval path
Conditional use permit under Ch. 18.192
Parking minimum
6 spaces up to 1,000 sq ft, then 1/250 sq ft
Boarding limit
Only incidental to veterinary treatment
Penalty
Misdemeanor, separate offense per day

Summary

Redlands classifies a veterinary practice as an "animal hospital" under its zoning code and confines it to a conditional use permit in the C-4 general commercial zone or the C-M commercial-manufacturing zone. It cannot open by right in any residential, C-1, C-2 or C-3 district, and it must clear the city's discretionary CUP hearing process before a business license issues.

"Animal hospital" means a place where animals or pets are given medical or surgical treatment and are cared for during the time of such treatment. The use of the premises as a kennel or a place where animals or pets are boarded for remuneration may be permitted only when incidental to the principal use. ... The following uses may be permitted in the C-4 zone subject to approval of a conditional use permit: ... Animal hospitals. ... 6 spaces minimum up to 1,000 square Veterinary hospital feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space/each 250 square feet in excess of 1,000 square feet

Full Breakdown

050 defines "animal hospital" as "a place where animals or pets are given medical or surgical treatment and are cared for during the time of such treatment," and allows boarding (kennel use) on the same site only when it is incidental to the veterinary practice. That definition controls which zoning list a veterinary clinic falls into. 192 before they may operate. " Redlands does not list animal hospitals as a permitted or conditional use in the C-1, C-2 or C-3 commercial districts, so a clinic proposed for those zones, or for any residential district, has no path to approval under Title 18 as written.

240 requires "6 spaces minimum up to 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space/each 250 square feet in excess of 1,000 square feet," a materially higher ratio than the 1 space per 200 square feet set for a standard medical or dental office in the same table. Applicants pursuing the CUP route file with the community development department and appear before the planning commission, whose decision on the permit becomes the operative land-use approval for the site.

Violations & Fines

Operating an animal hospital use without an approved conditional use permit, or outside the C-4 or C-M zones, is enforced under Chapter 18.208. Section 18.208.050 makes it a misdemeanor to violate any Title 18 provision or the terms of a land use entitlement, and treats each day a violation continues as a separate offense. The city services representative in the community development department and the Redlands police department both hold citation authority under § 18.208.020, and § 18.208.040 allows the city attorney to pursue abatement, injunction and nuisance remedies against a noncompliant use in addition to criminal citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a veterinary clinic open in a Redlands strip mall zoned C-1 or C-2?
No. Redlands City Code lists "animal hospitals" as a conditional use only in the C-4 general commercial zone (§ 18.96.070) and the C-M commercial-manufacturing zone (§ 18.100.070). Neither the C-1 nor C-2 chapter lists the use, so a clinic there has no approval path under Title 18.
Does a Redlands vet clinic need special parking beyond a standard office?
Yes. Section 18.164.240 sets a veterinary hospital's parking at 6 spaces for the first 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, then 1 additional space per 250 square feet after that, a higher ratio than the 1 space per 200 square feet required for a medical or dental office in the same section.
Can a Redlands animal hospital board pets overnight?
Only if boarding is incidental to the treatment use. Section 18.08.050 states the use of the premises as a kennel or a place where animals are boarded for remuneration "may be permitted only when incidental to the principal use," so a standalone boarding kennel is a different, separately regulated use.
What happens if someone runs an animal hospital in Redlands without a conditional use permit?
It is enforced as a Title 18 violation. Section 18.208.050 makes operating without the required entitlement a misdemeanor, with each day of continued operation counted as a separate offense, and the city attorney may separately seek abatement or an injunction under § 18.208.040.

Sources & Official References

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