Brentwood, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Brentwood, CA, 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
- Enforcing agency
- Contra Costa County Animal Services Dept.
- Complaint requirement
- Signed under penalty of perjury
- First violation fine
- Up to $100 infraction
- Repeat violation fine
- Up to $200, then $500
- Kennel barking rule
- Barred beyond premises in R/MHP zones
- Governing county code
- § 416-12.202, Animal Noise
Summary
Brentwood enforces barking-dog and noisy-animal complaints through the Contra Costa County Animal Services Department, adopted by reference in Municipal Code Section 6.12.010. A signed, sworn complaint or a department employee's observation can trigger an administrative penalty, and repeat nuisance violations escalate from a $100 to a $500 fine.
The department may issue an administrative penalty under Article 416-4.8 to any responsible person for a violation of Section 416-12.202, Animal Noise, based on either or both of the following: 1. An observation of the violation by a department employee. 2. A complaint, signed under penalty of perjury, lodged by a person who has been disturbed by the barking dog or noisy animal. E. Violation of Article 416-12.2, Nuisance, is an infraction. Except as otherwise provided by statute, every infraction violation is punishable, upon conviction thereof, by: 1. A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for a first violation; 2. A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year; 3. A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year. ... B. Kennels shall not evidence any barking beyond the premises within any R district or the MHP district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4604307; v5 updated 2025-12-09).
Full Breakdown
202. 020(D) authorizes the county's animal services department to issue an administrative penalty to a responsible person for an Animal Noise violation based on either a department employee's own observation of the violation or a complaint signed under penalty of perjury by someone disturbed by the barking dog or noisy animal. 020(E) sets that article's fine schedule as an infraction: not more than $100 for a first violation, not more than $200 for a second violation of the same ordinance within a year, and not more than $500 for each additional violation within that year.
007(B) provides that kennels may not evidence any barking beyond the premises within any residential (R) district or the mobile home park (MHP) district, on top of the odor restriction in subsection (A) that applies to all kennels citywide.
Violations & Fines
A first substantiated animal-noise complaint draws an infraction fine capped at $100, rising to $200 for a second violation of the same ordinance within a year and $500 for each further violation within that year, under Section 6.12.020(E). The county animal services department can also issue a separate administrative penalty under Article 416-4.8 based on a sworn complaint or its own observation. A kennel that lets barking carry beyond its property line in an R or MHP district violates Section 17.670.007(B) independently of any noise complaint against an individual pet owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who investigates a barking dog complaint in Brentwood?
How much is the fine for a barking dog violation in Brentwood?
Do Brentwood's licensed kennels have separate barking rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brentwood
California rules heatmap·Compare Brentwood to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Contra Costa County handle barking dogs.