Charlotte, NC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 15-66, part of Chapter 15's noise article, makes it unlawful for any person to own, keep, possess or harbor a dog, other animal or bird that, by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking or otherwise, causes loud noises and produces a seriously annoying disturbance to any person or to the neighborhood. Unlike the amplified-sound and mechanical-noise sections that set specific db(A) ceilings and measurement points, Section 15-66 relies on the frequency and habitual nature of the animal noise and its annoying effect on a person or the neighborhood, rather than a decibel reading.

The provision covers dogs, other animals and birds alike, and applies wherever the animal is kept in the city, not only in residential zones. Because it sits in Article III alongside the amplified-sound, construction-noise and vehicle-noise sections, a barking-dog complaint is enforced the same way those sections are, through the general enforcement and penalty schedule in Section 15-68 rather than a separate animal-control fine structure. The section traces to Ordinance No. 4663, adopted May 23, 2011, which rewrote Charlotte's noise article. Residents typically first bring habitual barking to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control or CMPD, since either can document the frequency and disturbance needed to support a citation.