Charles County, MD Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Charles County, MD, 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
- Nuisance behavior
- Bark/harsh noise disturbing neighbors
- Governing section
- § 230-12.4(A)(6)
- Complaint deadline
- 1 year and 1 day
- First-offense fine
- $50
- Repeat-order violation fine
- $50 to $200
Summary
Charles County treats a dog or other animal that barks or makes harsh, excessive noise disturbing a neighborhood's quiet as a public nuisance under Chapter 230, giving the Animal Matters Hearing Board authority to fine the owner and order the noise stopped after a complaint and hearing.
No person, partnership, corporation or other legal entity shall keep or maintain any animal in such manner as to cause or permit the animal to be a public nuisance. A public nuisance is when an owner or custodian allows an animal to: (1) Be at large; (2) Damage the property of anyone other than its owner; (3) Molest pedestrians, neighbors or passersby; (4) Intimidate pedestrians, neighbors or passersby; (5) Chase vehicles; (6) Bark or make other harsh or excessive noise so as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of members of the community as reflected by reasonable persons with normal sensitivities;
Full Breakdown
" Other listed nuisances include letting an animal run at large, damage another's property, molest or intimidate passersby, chase vehicles, foul the air with odor, or repeat behavior the Board has already found to be a nuisance. A neighbor pursues this by filing a written complaint with the Animal Matters Hearing Board under § 230-4(C)(1), which must name the animal's owner, describe the animal, and specify the date, time and location of the incidents, filed within one year and one day of the alleged violation.
The Board gives the owner 14 days' written notice before a hearing, and after weighing the evidence it can dismiss the complaint or issue a written order with findings of fact, which may include restricting or confining the animal, requiring restitution, or imposing a fine, appealable only to the Circuit Court for Charles County.
Violations & Fines
A first public-nuisance finding under § 230-12.4(A)(1) through (8), which includes excessive barking, carries a $50 fine under the § 230-12.9 schedule. If the Board finds the owner repeated behavior it had already ruled a nuisance, that repeat violation under subsection (A)(9) escalates to a $50 to $200 fine after a hearing. Fines for any repeat violation of the same section within a rolling 12-month period are doubled, and failing to appear before the Board or to comply with its order is a separate misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a $300 fine, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I report a neighbor's constantly barking dog in Charles County?
What can the Animal Matters Hearing Board do about a barking dog?
Is a single barking incident enough for a nuisance finding?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charles County
Compare Charles County to another location·View the Maryland noise ordinances overview
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