Full Use Matrix

Every use in Table 25.16-1 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code, across all six commercial and industrial districts. P is permitted, A needs an administrative use permit, C needs a conditional use permit, and N is not permitted.

Use	OP	PC-1	PC-2	PC-3	PC-4	SI	Special provisions
Residential Uses
Caretaker housingA residence on a business site for someone who provides security or round-the-clock supervision. Allowed only when it is incidental to a permitted or conditional use on the same site.	N	N	N	N	N	P	§ 25.16.040A
CondominiumResidential uses can be approved only as part of a mixed-use development, with a conditional use permit.	C	C	C	N	C	C	§ 25.16.040B; Ch. 25.42
Dwelling, duplexResidential uses can be approved only as part of a mixed-use development, with a conditional use permit.	C	C	C	C	C	C	§ 25.16.040B
Dwelling, multifamilyResidential uses can be approved only as part of a mixed-use development, with a conditional use permit.	C	C	C	C	C	C	§ 25.16.040B; Ch. 25.42
Dwelling, single-familyResidential uses can be approved only as part of a mixed-use development, with a conditional use permit.	C	C	C	N	C	C	§ 25.16.040B
Group homeA facility providing nonmedical residential care, day treatment, adult day care, or foster family agency services.	C	C	N	N	C	C	§ 25.16.040B; Ch. 25.42
Single-room occupanciesA residential building made up of single-room units, each for one eligible occupant.	N	N	N	N	N	C
Homeless shelterShelter housing for people experiencing homelessness.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Recreation, Resource Preservation, Open Space, and Public Assembly Uses
Amusement facility, indoorsIndoor amusement or entertainment for a fee, such as dance halls, ballrooms, and game arcades. Five or more games counts as an arcade.	N	N	C	C	C	N
Amusement facility, outdoorsOutdoor amusement or entertainment for a fee or admission charge.	N	N	N	C	C	N
Community facilityA noncommercial use set up mainly to serve the surrounding community.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Day care centerState-licensed care and supervision of children for less than 24 hours a day.	N	A	A	A	A	N
Emergency sheltersShort-term housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness.	N	P	N	N	N	P
Entertainment facility, indoorNot separately defined in the code.	N	N	N	P	P	N
Entertainment facility, outdoorNot separately defined in the code.	N	N	N	P	P	N
Institution, educationalPublic or private schools, colleges, and universities qualified by the State Board of Education to give general academic instruction. Trade and vocational schools may be classified differently, so ask Planning.	C	C	C	N	N	C
Institution, generalNonprofit, philanthropic, or similar activities that aren't residential, commercial, or industrial.	C	N	C	N	N	C
Institution, religiousA church or other religious organization.	C	N	C	N	N	C
Open space (developed or natural)Land kept substantially free of structures.	N	P	P	N	P	N
Recreation facility, commercialA for-profit use providing amusement, pleasure, or sport.	N	N	P	P	P	N
Recreation facility, privateA private recreation use that isn't run mainly for profit.	N	N	N	P	P	N
Theater/auditoriumIndoor venues for public assembly and group entertainment: live theaters, concert halls, movie theaters, and exhibition or convention halls.	N	N	P	P	N	N
Utility, Transportation, Public Facility, and Communication Uses
Commercial communication towerA tower over 35 feet tall, including the antenna, that supports commercial transmitting or receiving equipment. It also has to meet the city's communication tower rules.	C	C	C	C	C	C	§ 25.16.040C
Commercial parking lotAn outdoor parking area that serves commercial businesses.	C	N	N	N	N	N
Public utility installationEquipment and utility infrastructure needed for an individual development.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Public facility (utility or service)Government and quasi-government facilities that provide public services, such as municipal buildings and fire or police stations.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Utility facilityBuildings, substations, and equipment that serve more than one property with utilities such as electricity and natural gas.	N	N	C	N	N	P
Retail, Service, and Office Uses
Accessory massage establishmentA certified massage business inside a hotel, salon, day spa, athletic club, medical or chiropractic office, or yoga or Pilates studio, earning less than half of that business's revenue.	P	N	P	P	P	N	§ 25.34.160
Adult entertainmentSexually oriented businesses. They also have to meet the city's adult entertainment rules.	N	N	N	N	N	C	§ 25.16.040D
Ancillary commercialCommercial sales or operations that are incidental to a site's main use, like a coffee kiosk in an office building. In office and industrial complexes this applies only to complexes of two acres or more, with ancillary uses capped at 25% of leasable floor area.	A	P	P	P	N	A	§ 25.16.040E
Art galleryA place where art is exhibited or sold.	A	P	P	P	P	C
Art studioA workplace for teaching or practicing an art.	A	P	P	P	P	C
Bed and breakfastA home with a resident family that rents up to five bedrooms for overnight stays.	N	A	A	A	A	N
Business support servicesBusinesses that mainly serve other businesses from inside a building: equipment repair, commercial art and design production, computer rental and repair, copying, printing and blueprinting, indoor equipment rental, film processing, janitorial services, mail advertising, mailbox services, outdoor advertising services, and photofinishing.	N	N	N	N	P	P
Cannabis Storefront retailStorefront cannabis sales. Subject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	C	C	C	C	N	§ 25.34.120
Cannabis testing and research laboratorySubject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	N	N	N	N	N	§ 25.34.120
Convention and visitors bureauAn organization that markets the area to business and leisure travelers.	N	N	P	N	P	N
DrugstoreRetail sale of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicine, cosmetics, and related supplies. Includes tobacco stores.	N	P	P	P	N	N
Financial institutionBanks, trust companies, credit agencies, lenders, and investment companies. Includes ATMs.	C	P	P	P	N	N
Grocery storeA self-serve market selling food and household goods. Building size is capped at 10,000 SF in PC-1, 30,000 SF in PC-2, and 60,000 SF in PC-3.	N	P	P	P	N	N	§ 25.16.040F
Health club, gyms or studiosFitness centers, gyms, and health or athletic clubs, including indoor courts and other indoor sports.	N	A	P	P	P	A
HotelA building with six or more guest rooms rented for temporary or overnight stays.	N	A	A	A	P	N	§ 25.34.070
Independent stand-alone massageA certified massage business where massage brings in more than half of total revenue.	N	N	P	P	N	N	§ 25.34.160
Liquor storeA store that mainly sells alcoholic beverages to take away.	N	P	P	P	N	N
Liquor, beverage and food items shopA store selling a mix of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and food items.	N	P	P	P	P	N
Medical, clinicA group of doctors providing physical or mental health care without overnight stays.	P	N	P	P	N	N
Medical, officeMedical, dental, surgical, rehabilitation, podiatry, optometry, chiropractic, and psychiatric offices, without overnight stays.	P	P	P	P	N	N
Medical, hospitalHospitals with inpatient beds, an organized medical staff, and full treatment facilities.	N	N	N	N	N	C
Medical, laboratoryLabs that do analysis or diagnostics for the medical profession, and labs that make dentures, artificial teeth, and orthodontic appliances for dentists.	P	N	N	N	N	P
Medical office, accessoryAllowed only when it is ancillary to and operated with a hotel.	N	N	N	N	N	P	§ 25.16.040G
Medical, research facilityA laboratory used mainly for medical scientific research.	P	P	N	N	N	C
MortuaryFuneral preparation and services, including embalming, memorials, and cremation.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Office, professionalAdministrative and professional offices: insurance, accounting, law, employment, public relations, advertising, architecture, computer programming, and photography studios. It doesn't cover medical offices or banks. No outdoor storage of materials.	P	N	P	P	P	P
Office, local governmentA government agency's administrative or public-contact office, including postal facilities.	P	N	N	N	N	P
Office, travel agencyA business that books tickets and reservations for travelers.	P	P	P	P	P	N
Outdoor salesPermanent outdoor sales or rental businesses, where the business isn't run entirely inside a building.	N	N	A	A	A	A
Personal servicesNonmedical services for individuals: barber and beauty shops, clothing rental, dry cleaning pick-up, home electronics and small appliance repair, laundromats, shoe repair, tailors, and tanning salons.	N	P	P	P	P	N
RestaurantFood and drink prepared and sold for eating on site: cafes, coffee shops, sandwich shops, ice cream parlors, and fast food. Food and nonalcoholic drinks must be at least 51% of sales. In office and industrial complexes the ancillary commercial rules apply (two-acre minimum, restaurants capped at 10% of leasable floor area). Drive-throughs are limited to certain locations.	A	A	A	A	P	A	§ 25.16.040E, H
RetailSelling goods directly to the end consumer.	N	P	P	P	P	N
Retail, bulky itemsSelling large-sized merchandise.	N	N	N	P	P	N
SpaA business devoted to health, beauty, and relaxation that offers professionally administered cosmetic, therapeutic, or holistic treatments.	N	N	P	P	P	N
Time-share projectA project where buyers get recurring rights to use a unit for set periods.	N	N	N	C	C	N
Veterinary clinics/animal hospitalsMedical or surgical treatment for animals, mainly outpatient. Boarding can be incidental.	A	N	A	A	N	A
Pet boardingKeeping four or more dogs or cats over four months old. The code treats "kennel" and "pet boarding" as the same thing.	N	A	A	A	N	A
Automobile and Vehicle Uses
Automotive rental agencyDisplay or rental of cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, mobile homes, RVs, and boats.	N	N	N	N	P	P
Automotive gasoline stationRetail fuel sales, with minor repair, a mini-market, and similar services incidental to selling fuel.	N	N	C	C	N	C	§ 25.34.090
Automotive service facilityVehicle repair and related sales and installation: auto repair, body and fender, wheel and brake, oil change, auto glass, stereo and alarm, and tire shops. No dismantling, salvage, or tire recapping.	N	N	C	C	N	P	§ 25.34.090
Automotive sales new and used (indoor)Selling or renting new or used cars, boats, vans, campers, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, and similar vehicles entirely inside an enclosed building. No outdoor display.	N	N	N	N	N	A
Automotive sales new and used (outdoor)The same vehicle sales and rentals, with outdoor display allowed.	N	N	N	N	N	C
Automotive sales of accessory parts and suppliesA store selling only new auto parts, tires, and accessories. No repair work or service bays.	N	N	N	P	P	N
Golf cart, neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) sales (indoor)An indoor showroom selling or renting new or used golf carts, neighborhood electric vehicles, and mopeds. No outdoor display.	N	N	A	A	A	A	§ 25.34.190
Golf cart, neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) sales (outdoor)Golf cart, NEV, and moped sales or rentals with outdoor display.	N	N	N	N	N	C	§ 25.34.190
Vehicle storage facilityStorage of operative or inoperative vehicles, tow and impound yards, and bus or RV storage lots. No dismantling. The facility has to be completely screened.	N	N	N	N	N	P	§ 25.16.040I
Industrial, Manufacturing, and Processing Uses
Cannabis cultivationSubject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	N	N	N	N	N	§ 25.34.120
Cannabis deliverySubject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	N	N	N	N	N	§ 25.34.120
Cannabis distributionSubject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	N	N	N	N	N	§ 25.34.120
Cannabis manufacturingSubject to the city's separate cannabis rules.	N	N	N	N	N	N	§ 25.34.120
Industrial planned unit developmentIndustrial parcels developed as one coordinated project under an approved specific plan.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Light industrial and research and developmentAs the code defines it, a laboratory used mainly for scientific research that isn't office work: designing, developing, and testing components before they go into production. It doesn't cover fabrication, mass manufacturing, or processing.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Maintenance facilityA facility that maintains and repairs vehicles and operational equipment.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Pest control facilityA pest control business.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Preparation of foodstuffsNot separately defined in the code. In plain terms, preparing food products. Ask Planning whether your operation fits.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Production of home and office decor accessoriesNot separately defined in the code. In plain terms, making decorative accessories for homes and offices. Ask Planning whether your operation fits.	N	N	N	N	N	P
Warehouse or storage facilityStorage of furniture, household goods, farm products, or other commercial goods.	N	N	N	N	N	P

Temporary uses are handled separately under Section 25.34.080. Residential zones, the Downtown districts, and overlay zones have their own tables and aren't covered here.

This tool is a convenience, not legal advice. Use descriptions are plain-English summaries of the code's definitions. Always confirm your specific use with the City of Palm Desert Planning Division. Source: Palm Desert Municipal Code Section 25.16.030, Table 25.16-1 and Chapter 25.99 (Definitions), as amended through Ordinance 1454 (July 2026). Last checked October 9, 2026.

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