Albany, OR Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Albany, OR, 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
- Barking threshold
- More than 10 minutes cumulatively in any one-hour period
- Audibility test
- Audible off the owner's or keeper's premises
- Legal status
- Public nuisance, unlawful to permit
- Enforcers
- Police officer or dog control officer
- Animal control assessment
- $100.00 on top of court penalties
- Liability
- Strict liability offense
Summary
In the City of Albany, Oregon, a dog that barks cumulatively for more than 10 minutes during any one-hour period, with the barking audible off the owner's or keeper's premises, is a public nuisance. It is unlawful for the owner or keeper to permit it, and violations are prosecuted as strict liability offenses.
Dogs shall be considered a public nuisance under the meaning of this chapter in the following instances: ... (7) Any dog which barks cumulatively for more than 10 minutes during any one-hour period when such barking is audible off the premises of the dog’s owner or keeper;
Full Breakdown
In the City of Albany, Oregon, dog barking is a defined public nuisance with a stated threshold, not a matter left to a neighbor's tolerance. Albany Municipal Code § 6.04.170(7) makes a dog a public nuisance when it barks cumulatively for more than 10 minutes during any one-hour period and the barking is audible off the premises of the dog's owner or keeper. The word cumulatively matters: the minutes add up across the hour, so a dog that barks in short bursts crosses the line once the total passes 10 minutes. The barking must also be audible off the premises of the owner or keeper.
Section 6.04.175 turns the definition into a duty. It is unlawful for any person being the owner or keeper of any dog to permit the dog to be a public nuisance as defined in the chapter. Under § 6.04.185, the adult occupants of a dwelling are presumed to be the co-owners of any dogs housed there, and the person shown on the license application is presumed to be the owner. The enforcement route runs through § 6.04.020: when a dog is a public nuisance under § 6.04.170, a police officer or dog control officer shall impound it or cite the owner or keeper into court, or do both.
Barking is one of eight listed nuisance instances in § 6.04.170. The others include unprovoked bites, chasing vehicles, scattering garbage, trespass, accumulated animal waste that produces offensive odors, and being found within a park outside designated areas.
Noise from other animals is covered by a different section. Section 6.10.040(2) treats any animal or group of animals that make loud or frequent noises disruptful of any person's comfort or repose as a public nuisance. That section applies to the animals described in chapter 6.10 and to domestic cats, and it prints no minute count.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the dog chapter is punished under § 1.04.010: a violation is a civil penalty of not more than $1,000, and a misdemeanor is a fine of not more than $2,500 or imprisonment not to exceed one year, or both. Section 6.04.190 adds an animal control assessment of $100.00 on top of the court's other fines and assessments. Violations are prosecuted as strict liability offenses. An owner who disputes an impound can apply to the Municipal Judge for release under § 6.04.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much barking is too much in Albany, Oregon?
Who is responsible when a dog barks in a shared household?
Do the same barking rules apply to cats, chickens, or other animals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albany
Compare Albany to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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