Bay County, MI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Bay County, MI, 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
- Prohibited conduct
- Loud, frequent, persistent barking/howling nuisance
- First-offense penalty
- Civil infraction, up to $500
- Repeat-offense penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- Bay County Animal Control Division
- Governing section
- § 50.801(a)
Summary
Bay County's Animal Control Ordinance bars owners from letting their animal bark, howl, yelp, cry or otherwise make disturbing sounds that create a neighborhood nuisance. A first violation is a civil infraction with fines up to $500 plus court costs, and two or more violations can be charged as a misdemeanor.
Sec. 1. It shall be unlawful for an owner to let or allow his animal to do any of the following: (a)By loud, frequent and persistent barking, howling, yelping, crying or any other disturbing sounds or behaviors to create a nuisance in the neighborhood in which said animal is kept, possessed or harbored; ... ... Sec. 2. Violations of Article VIII, Section 50.801(a), (b), (c), and (d), 802, and 803(a), (b) and (c), are punishable as civil infractions with the Courts assessing fines in an amount up to Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), plus court costs. Two or more violations of Article VIII, Section 50.801(a), may be punishable as a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than ninety (90) days or by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), together with court costs, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
200(b) to include dogs, cats, birds and other domestic species, to engage in loud, frequent and persistent barking, howling, yelping, crying or any other disturbing sounds or behaviors that create a nuisance in the neighborhood where the animal is kept, possessed or harbored. The provision does not set a decibel level or a specific number of minutes; it turns on whether the noise rises to a nuisance in the surrounding neighborhood, which the Animal Control Officer or a peace officer assesses when investigating a complaint.
003(e) covers similar conduct. 801(a) is a civil infraction, with the court assessing fines up to $500 plus costs. Two or more violations may instead be charged as a misdemeanor, carrying up to 90 days in the county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, reflecting the ordinance's escalation for repeat noise complaints against the same animal or owner.
Violations & Fines
A single barking-dog complaint sustained under Section 50.801(a) is a civil infraction with court-assessed fines up to $500 plus costs. Section 50.1001(2) allows two or more violations to be charged as a misdemeanor instead, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, at the court's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a barking-dog violation in Bay County?
What is the penalty for a barking dog complaint?
Who investigates a barking complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bay County
Compare Bay County to another location·View the Michigan noise ordinances overview
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