Bradenton, FL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Animal noise in the City of Bradenton falls under the Sound Control Ordinance in Article V of Chapter 38, not the short animals chapter. Section 38-154(a)(2)e declares it unreasonable sound to own, possess, harbor, keep, raise or maintain any animal which frequently or for a duration over 15 minutes howls, barks, yelps, squawks, screeches or makes other sounds in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, injure or endanger the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensibilities.

The rule is not limited to dogs. Birds and any other animal fall under the same wording, and the responsible party is the person who owns, harbors or keeps the animal. Two triggers exist: sound that is frequent, or sound that continues for a duration over 15 minutes. Section 38-153 defines unreasonable sound as sound which is excessive, unnecessary, or unusually loud so that it annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers a reasonable person of normal sensibilities, and defines sound source to include any animal.

The exemption is narrow. The provision does not apply to public zoos or private animal attractions operated for profit to which the public has general admission and which are regulated by the city, nor to livestock on a working farm in an area zoned for such.

Section 38-154(b) lists what an officer weighs in deciding whether a sound is disturbing: the level and intensity of the sound, whether its nature is usual or unusual, the background sound, proximity to residential sleeping facilities, the zoning of the area, the time of day or night, the duration, and whether the source is commercial or noncommercial. Time of day and proximity to bedrooms matter, so a barking dog at night next to a neighbor's bedroom is judged more harshly than daytime barking.

Enforcement is by the Bradenton Police Department and the code enforcement division of the planning and community development department under § 38-158. An officer who finds a violation gives notice and sets a reasonable time to correct, which is 15 minutes absent special circumstances. A repeat violation, meaning the same provision violated within five years, can be cited immediately with no correction period.