Bloomington, MN Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Bloomington, MN, 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
- Bloomington City Code § 12.99, Animal Code
- Duration test
- Noise repeats over at least a 14-minute period
- Frequency test
- Average of at least 12 animal noises per minute
- Who is covered
- Owner, operator, person in charge or occupant of the premises
- Animals covered
- Any dog or other animal
- Nuisance service call fee
- $250 or more, up to $2,000, per call under § 12.15
- Criminal exposure
- Misdemeanor; notice cites up to $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail
Summary
Bloomington, Minnesota bars anyone who owns, has charge of or occupies a premises from keeping a dog or other animal whose noise unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet. The code sets a measurable test: noise heard from outside the premises that repeats over at least a 14-minute period, at an average of at least 12 animal noises per minute.
§ 12.99 NOISE MADE BY ANIMALS. No person owning, operating, having charge of or occupying any building or premises shall keep or allow to be kept any dog or other animal which shall, by any noise, unreasonably disturb the peace and quiet including, but is not limited to, the creation of any noise by any animal which can be heard by any person , including animal control officers or licensed peace officers, from a location outside of the building or premises where the animal is being kept and which animal noise occurs repeatedly over at least a 14-minute period of time, at an average of at least 12 animal noises per minute.
Full Breakdown
The rule is Bloomington City Code § 12.99, part of the Animal Code in Article IV of Chapter 12. It is not limited to dogs. The text reaches any dog "or other animal," so a cat, a bird or livestock kept on a Bloomington lot is measured the same way. It also reaches every person tied to the premises: an owner, an operator, someone having charge of the animal, and an occupant, which brings in tenants as well as owners.
The standard is counted, not guessed at. The noise has to be audible to any person, expressly including animal control officers and licensed peace officers, from a location outside the building or premises where the animal is kept. It has to repeat over at least a 14-minute period, at an average of at least 12 animal noises per minute. No decibel reading is required. That matters because the city's Noise Code, § 10.30 subdivision (6), sends the subject away from the sound-level rules: noise made by dogs and other animals is governed by the Animal Code, Article IV of Chapter 12.
Enforcement belongs to the animal control officers, licensed peace officers or Police Department designee that the city designates under § 12.123. Under § 12.124 the animal control authority or health authority investigates complaints and can give written notice to both the animal owner and the owner of the property, naming the violation and setting a deadline to fix it. Failing to correct a noted violation within that deadline counts as a separate violation for each day it continues.
Other Animal Code rules sit alongside the barking standard. Section 12.101 caps a household at four dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits or other domestic animals over six months old. Section 12.102(f) puts a general duty on dog owners to take all necessary steps to protect other people, property and animals from harm caused by the dog's behavior. Section 12.102(c) bars picketing a dog within ten feet of any lot line or sidewalk, within 50 feet of a dwelling unit other than the owner's, or in any front yard.
Violations & Fines
Section 12.130 makes a violation of the Animal Code a misdemeanor under state law unless the code says otherwise. It also allows enforcement by administrative citations and civil fines through the Administrative Mediation and Hearing Process in Chapter 1, Article II, by the nuisance service call provisions of § 12.15, and by Civil District Court action. Under § 12.15, after an abatement notice, each successive nuisance service call within a 365-day period draws a fee of $250 or more, up to $2,000, based on the actual cost of the law enforcement response. An unpaid fee is charged against the private property and collected in the manner of a tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a dog have to bark before it violates Bloomington's ordinance?
Does a police officer have to hear the barking?
Do the Noise Code decibel rules apply to barking in Bloomington?
Can a landlord be charged for a tenant's barking dog?
Does the rule cover cats and other pets or only dogs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
Compare Bloomington to another location·View the Minnesota noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle barking dogs.