Aiken County, SC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Aiken County, SC, also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances, define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15-22(10)(b)
- First-offense penalty
- $200-$300 fine or 30 days jail
- Repeat-offense penalty
- $400-$500 fine and/or 30 days
- Who investigates
- Aiken County Sheriff's Office
- Complaint threshold
- One resident, anywhere in county
- Warnings allowed
- Only one per person, ever
Summary
Aiken County Code § 15-22(10)(b) makes habitual barking, howling, yelping, crying, crowing or singing by a dog, other animal or bird that disturbs the neighborhood a declared noise nuisance. Residents may complain directly to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, and a habitual violator faces an escalating criminal fine under the chapter's penalty section.
The following acts, whether on or within public or private property, and the causing or permitting thereof, are hereby specifically declared to be unreasonably loud and disturbing noises in violation of this section: ... b. The harboring or keeping of a dog or other animal or bird that by loud and frequent or habitual barking, howling, yelping, crying, crowing, cackling, or singing shall cause disturbance to the neighborhood.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Section 15-22(10) declares any unreasonably loud noise causing 'material, physical or mental discomfort' to persons of ordinary sensibilities a nuisance, and subsection (b) singles out 'the harboring or keeping of a dog or other animal or bird that by loud and frequent or habitual barking, howling, yelping, crying, crowing, cackling, or singing' as causing disturbance to the neighborhood. Unlike most nuisance complaints under this chapter, which require five or more residents within 1,000 feet of the property before the county administrator opens an investigation (§ 15-25), a barking-dog complaint under subsections (10) and (12) can be filed by a single resident anywhere in the county, made directly to the sheriff, and investigated by the sheriff or a designee.
If the sheriff confirms the nuisance, code enforcement issues one written warning giving the owner thirty calendar days to abate it (§ 15-26); only one warning is ever issued to the same person for a Chapter 15, Article III violation. A second complaint against the same owner skips the warning and goes straight to a summons in magistrate's court (§ 15-27), and any citizen who personally witnesses or hears the barking may also ask a magistrate to issue an arrest warrant (§ 15-29). Deputies may issue a citation on the spot when they witness the violation themselves.
Violations & Fines
A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $200 to $300 or up to thirty days in jail (§ 15-30(1)). A second or subsequent offense within the same nuisance chapter draws a fine of $400 to $500 and/or up to thirty days imprisonment (§ 15-30(2)). Because only one warning is issued per person, any repeat barking complaint against the same owner is placed immediately on a summons rather than a second warning (§ 15-26).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aiken County
Compare Aiken County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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