Bayonne, NJ Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Bayonne, NJ, 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
- Restricted hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Standard
- Habitual barking or crying
- Governing section
- § 5-3.4, Disturbing the Peace
- Minimum fine
- $100
- Maximum penalty
- $1,250 or 10 days jail
Summary
City Code § 5-3.4 bars owning, keeping or harboring any dog that habitually barks or cries between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in the City of Bayonne. A conviction under Chapter 5's general penalty section, § 5-17, carries a minimum $100 fine, a maximum of $1,250, or up to 10 days in jail.
No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks or cries between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ... Unless otherwise provided, for violation of any provision of this chapter the minimum penalty, upon conviction of a violation, shall be a minimum fine of $100, not to exceed $1,250, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 days, or both.
Full Breakdown
Bayonne's animal control chapter treats a habitually barking dog as a disturbance of the peace rather than folding it into a separate noise ordinance. Section 5-3.4, titled 'Disturbing the Peace,' states flatly that no person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks or cries between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., placing the restriction inside the nighttime-to-morning window rather than banning barking at all hours. The rule sits among the Article III dog regulations that also cover running unleashed, leashing, property damage and pet waste, all enforceable by the Police Department, the Animal Control Officer and other designated municipal officials.
Because Chapter 5 does not set a separate penalty for § 5-3.4 alone, violations fall under the chapter-wide penalty clause at § 5-17: unless otherwise provided, any conviction carries a minimum fine of $100, a maximum fine of $1,250, or imprisonment for up to 10 days, or both. A resident who believes a neighbor's dog habitually barks overnight can bring the issue to the Police Department or the Animal Control Officer, and the owner or keeper is entitled to a hearing in municipal court to contest any summons before a fine is imposed.
Violations & Fines
A conviction for habitually allowing a dog to bark or cry between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. carries, under the chapter-wide penalty in § 5-17, a minimum fine of $100 and a maximum of $1,250, or imprisonment for up to 10 days, or both, since Chapter 5 sets no separate penalty specific to § 5-3.4. Each summons is adjudicated in municipal court, where the dog's owner or keeper can contest the citation before any fine is finalized.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bayonne
Compare Bayonne to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle barking dogs.