Birmingham, AL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Birmingham, AL, 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
- Code Section
- Birmingham City Code sec. 11-8-23(2)
- Continuous threshold
- Barking 10 minutes continuously or incessantly
- Intermittent threshold
- Barking intermittently for one-half hour or more
- Noise sensitive area
- Within 500 ft of school, hospital, church, court, library (sec. 11-8-22)
Summary
Birmingham City Code section 11-8-23(2) makes it a noise violation to keep any animal that creates excessive noise across a property line, defining a barking dog as one barking continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for a half hour or more.
Animals, birds, etc. ... For the purposes of this section, the term "barking dog" means a dog that barks, bays, cries, howls, or makes other noise continuously and/or incessantly for a period of ten minutes, or barks intermittently for one-half hour or more which disturbs the comfort or repose of persons of ordinary sensibilities in the vicinity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-8-23(2) of the Birmingham City Code prohibits owning, possessing, harboring or keeping any animal or bird that, by frequent or long-continued howling, barking or squawking, creates excessive and unnecessary noise across a residential or commercial real property line or within a noise sensitive area. The ordinance sets a bright-line test: a 'barking dog' is one that barks, bays, cries, howls or makes other noise continuously and/or incessantly for ten minutes, or barks intermittently for one-half hour or more, in a way that disturbs the comfort or repose of persons of ordinary sensibilities in the vicinity. A 'noise sensitive area' is defined in section 11-8-22 as an area within 500 feet of a school, hospital, nursing home, church, court, or public library. This animal-noise provision supplements Birmingham's separate animal-control ordinances and is enforced as a nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Animal-noise violations are nuisances charged in Birmingham Municipal Court. Per Birmingham City Code section 1-1-6, the general penalty is a fine up to $500 or imprisonment up to six months, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a dog bark before it is a violation in Birmingham?
Does the rule cover animals other than dogs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Birmingham
Compare Birmingham to another location·View the Alabama noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle barking dogs.