Aurora, CO Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Aurora, CO, 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
- Aurora City Code § 14-72
- Complaint threshold
- 2+ households, signed, willing to testify
- Reviewed by
- Animal protection officer for probable cause
- Enforcement
- Aurora Municipal Court
Summary
Aurora bans keeping a dog whose habitual barking annoys neighbors, but a case only proceeds with two signed complaints from separate households willing to testify.
It shall be unlawful to keep or harbor any dog which by frequent, habitual, or continued barking, yelping, or howling shall cause an annoyance or inconvenience to the neighbors. No summons and complaint shall be issued nor shall there be a conviction for violation of this section unless there are at least two or more complaining witnesses from separate households who shall have signed a complaint form stating the date, time, and how the barking caused an annoyance or inconvenience to the complaining party. The complaining party shall be willing to appear and testify at the trial for their complaint. Any witness who fails to testify at trial on a barking dog complaint shall not be considered as a "witness willing to testify at trial" for any subsequent barking dog complaints. An animal protection officer, or designee, will review the complaint forms delivered to the Aurora animal shelter and determine if there is probable cause for a summons and complaint to be issued. The animal protection officer is not required to appear for the trial or any court proceeding on barking dog complaints. (Code 1979, § 7-23; Ord. No. 2020-55, § 25, 11-2-2020)
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Aurora City Code § 14-72, it's unlawful to keep or harbor a dog whose frequent, habitual, or continued barking, yelping, or howling annoys or inconveniences neighbors. But the city won't issue a summons or convict unless at least two complaining witnesses from separate households sign complaint forms stating the date, time, and how the barking caused annoyance, and are willing to testify at trial. An animal protection officer reviews the forms for probable cause before any summons issues; the officer doesn't have to appear at trial. A witness who skips testifying is disqualified as a willing witness for future complaints on that dog.
Violations & Fines
Municipal court citation under § 14-72 once two qualifying signed complaints from separate households support probable cause; penalties follow the general penalty provision in § 1-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one neighbor's complaint get a barking dog cited in Aurora?
Who decides if a barking complaint moves forward?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle barking dogs.