Bergenfield, NJ Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Bergenfield, 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
- Governing section
- § 215-8D, animal noise
- Covered noise
- Frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing
- Also covers
- Kennels, pounds and animal-holding facilities
- First offense
- Up to $200 fine or 30 days
- Repeat offense (6 months)
- $200-$500 fine, up to 90 days
- Enforcing agency
- Bergenfield Police Department
Summary
Bergenfield makes it a noise violation to own, keep or harbor any animal that causes a noise disturbance through frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing or squawking. Section 215-8D applies to private owners and to any facility, including animal pounds, that holds or treats animals, and it is enforced by the Borough Police Department.
D. Animals. Owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any animal or animals which, by frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing, squawking or other noisemaking, cause a noise disturbance. The provisions of this subsection shall also apply to all private or public facilities, including any animal pounds, which hold or treat animals.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 215, Noise, treats a nuisance-barking animal as one of the specific prohibited acts under § 215-8. Subsection D, titled 'Animals,' bars owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any animal or animals which, by frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing, squawking or other noisemaking, cause a 'noise disturbance,' a term defined at § 215-3 as any sound that annoys, disturbs or perturbs reasonable persons with normal sensitivities, or that injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of others. Unlike the chapter's device-based provisions, subsection D carries no fixed curfew window; the standard is whether the barking or other noisemaking is frequent or habitual enough to disturb neighbors at any hour.
The subsection expressly extends to 'all private or public facilities, including any animal pounds, which hold or treat animals,' so a kennel, shelter or veterinary boarding operation is covered on the same terms as an individual pet owner. Enforcement runs through the Police Department under § 215-4, which may investigate complaints, and under § 215-5 may issue a 24-hour written notice to the animal's owner or keeper to abate the disturbance before a summons issues, since the source is not a motor vehicle on a public right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 215-8D is punishable under § 215-10A by a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in the county jail, or both, with every day the barking continues counted as a separate offense. A second violation within six months escalates under § 215-10B to a fine of $200 to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The chronic noise source can also be abated as a public nuisance by court order under § 215-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a set number of barks before it's a violation in Bergenfield?
Does the animal noise rule cover a boarding kennel, not just a pet owner?
What can Bergenfield do if a neighbor's dog barks constantly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bergenfield
Compare Bergenfield to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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