Skip to content

Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT

Section 1251 — [CA]—VETERINARY PREMISES

2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

1251.1 Unless otherwise specified in this section, all veterinary premises shall…

1. Indoor lighting shall be adequate for its intended purpose. All surgical rooms shall be provided with emergency lighting with a viable power source. 2. A reception room and office, or a combination of the two. 3. An examination room separate from other areas of the veterinary premises and of sufficient size to accommodate the doctor, assistant, patient and client. 4. All floors, doors, table tops, countertops and window coverings shall be nonporous.

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT

5. Fire precautions shall meet the requirements of local and state fire prevention codes. 6. The temperature and ventilation of the veterinary premises shall be maintained so as to assure the comfort of all patients. 7. If animals are housed or retained for treatment, the following shall be provided: A. Separate compartments, one for each animal, maintained in a sanitary manner so as to assure comfort. B. Effective separation of known or suspected contagious animals. 8. A veterinary premises that provides aseptic surgical services shall comply with the following: A. A room, separate and distinct from all other rooms shall be reserved for aseptic surgical procedures that require aseptic preparation. A veterinarian may perform emergency aseptic surgical procedures in another room when the room desig- nated for aseptic surgery is occupied or temporarily unavailable. 1. The California Veterinary Medical Board (Board) may exempt a fixed veterinary premises that is currently regis- tered with the Board, but does not have a separate aseptic surgery room, where it determines that it would be a hardship for the veterinary premises to comply with the provisions of paragraph A. In determining whether a hard- ship exists, the Board shall give due consideration to the following factors: (i) Zoning limitations. (ii) Whether the premises constitutes a historical building. (iii) Whether compliance with this requirement would compel the veterinary premises to relocate to a new location.

B. The surgery room shall not contain a functional sink with an open drain. C. The doors into the surgery room must be able to be fully closed, fill the entire door space, be made of nonporous material and not provide access from outside the veterinary premises. In cases where the size of the animal prevents entry to a fixed veterinary premises via a regularly sized door, doors for outside access are permitted as long as such doors are able to be fully closed, fill the entire door space and be made of nonporous material.

1251.2 (a) An animal vaccination veterinary premises, as defined in Section 2030.3 of…

(a) An animal vaccination veterinary premises, as defined in Section 2030.3 of Article 4 of Division 20 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, shall meet all minimum standards specified in Section 1251.1 except for Items 2 and 3 of that section. (b) For the purposes of this section, a “large animal fixed veterinary premises” shall mean a building where veterinary services are being provided to equines or food animals and livestock, as defined in Section 4825.1 of the Business and Professions Code. A large animal fixed veterinary premises shall meet all minimum standards specified in Section 1251.1 except for Item 6 of that section.

(c) For the purposes of this section, “animal shelter premises” shall mean a building or portion(s) thereof where veterinary services are being provided to animals impounded by a privately or publicly operated agency or organization and does not meet the exception criteria pursuant to paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 4827 of the Business and Professions Code. An animal shelter premises providing veterinary services solely to impounded animals shall meet all minimum standards specified in Section 1251.1 except for Items 2 and 3 of that section. This includes post-adoption veterinary services to animals adopted from the same premises within 30 days of adoption.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸ Contents — 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  4. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  5. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  6. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  7. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  8. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
  9. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  10. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  11. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  12. Chapter 11 — RESERVED
  13. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  14. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  15. ▸ Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
    Overview
    1. Section 1201 — GENERAL
    2. Section 1202 — VENTILATION
    3. Section 1203 — TEMPERATURE CONTROL
    4. Section 1204 — LIGHTING
    5. Section 1205 — YARDS OR COURTS
    6. Section 1206 — SOUND TRANSMISSION
    7. Section 1207 — ENHANCED CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS
    8. Section 1208 — INTERIOR SPACE DIMENSIONS
    9. Section 1209 — ACCESS TO UNOCCUPIED SPACES
    10. Section 1210 — TOILET AND BATHROOM REQUIREMENTS
    11. Section 1211 — UV GERMICIDAL IRRADIATION SYSTEMS
    12. Section 1212 — [HCD 1 & HCD 2]—GARAGE DOOR SPRINGS
    13. Section 1213 — [HCD 1]—POLLUTANT CONTROL
    14. Section 1214 — RESERVED
    15. Section 1215 — RESERVED
    16. Section 1216 — RESERVED
    17. Section 1217 — RESERVED
    18. Section 1218 — RESERVED
    19. Section 1219 — RESERVED
    20. Section 1220 — RESERVED
    21. Section 1221 — RESERVED
    22. Section 1222 — RESERVED
    23. Section 1223 — RESERVED
    24. Section 1224 — [OSHPD 1]—HOSPITALS
    25. Section 1225 — [OSHPD 2]-SKILLED NURSING AND INTERMEDIATE-CARE…
    26. Section 1226 — [OSHPD 3]-CLINICS
    27. Section 1227 — [OSHPD 4]-CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT CENTERS
    28. Section 1228 — [OSHPD 5]—ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS
    29. Section 1229 — [OSHPD 6] — CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY RECOVERY HOSPIT…
    30. Section 1230 — [BSCC] — MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR JUVENILE FACILIT…
    31. Section 1231 — [BSCC] — LOCAL DETENTION
    32. Section 1232 — RESERVED
    33. Section 1233 — RESERVED
    34. Section 1234 — RESERVED
    35. Section 1235 — [DPH]—SANITARY CONTROL OF SHELLFISH (PLANTS AND…
    36. Section 1236 — [DPH]—LABORATORY ANIMAL QUARTERS
    37. Section 1237 — [DPH]—WILD ANIMAL QUARANTINE FACILITIES
    38. Section 1238 — RESERVED
    39. Section 1239 — RESERVED
    40. Section 1240 — [AGR]—MEAT AND POULTRY PROCESSING PLANTS
    41. Section 1241 — [AGR]—COLLECTION CENTERS AND FACILITIES
    42. Section 1242 — [AGR]—RENDERERS
    43. Section 1243 — [AGR]—HORSEMEAT AND PET FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
    44. Section 1244 — RESERVED
    45. Section 1245 — RESERVED
    46. Section 1246 — RESERVED
    47. Section 1247 — RESERVED
    48. Section 1248 — RESERVED
    49. Section 1249 — RESERVED
    50. Section 1250 — [CA]—PHARMACIES
    51. Section 1251 — [CA]—VETERINARY PREMISES
    52. Section 1252 — [CA]—BARBER COLLEGES AND SHOPS
    53. Section 1253 — [CA]—SCHOOLS OF COSMETOLOGY, COSMETOLOGICAL EST…
    54. Section 1254 — [CA]—ACUPUNCTURE OFFICES
  16. Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  17. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  18. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  19. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  20. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  22. Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  25. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  26. Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 21A — MASONRY
  30. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  31. Chapter 22A — STEEL
  32. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  33. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  34. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  35. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  36. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  37. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  38. Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
  39. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  40. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  41. Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
  42. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  43. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  44. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  45. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  46. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  47. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  48. Chapter 34 — RESERVED
  49. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  50. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  51. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  52. Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  54. Appendix E — RESERVED
  55. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  56. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
  57. Appendix H — SIGNS
  58. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  59. Appendix J — GRADING
  60. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
  61. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
  62. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
  63. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  64. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
  65. Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
  66. Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.