Arapahoe County, CO Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Arapahoe County, CO, 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
- Daytime limit
- 20 consecutive minutes (7 a.m.–9 p.m.)
- Nighttime limit
- 10 consecutive minutes (9:01 p.m.–6:59 a.m.)
- 24-hour cumulative cap
- 120 minutes total
- First step
- Written warning required before any citation
- Enforcing agency
- Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Animal Services
- First-offense fine
- $50, rising to $100 then $300
Summary
In unincorporated Arapahoe County, a dog that barks, howls, yelps or whines audibly beyond its own property for more than 20 consecutive minutes by day or 10 minutes at night is a petty offense. Owners get one written warning before any citation issues.
Section 4: Noisy Dogs
A. Any owner or keeper of a dog commits a petty offense if such dog individually, or in combination with another dog or dogs together, makes any noises or disturbances by barking, howling, yelping, whining or other utterance which is audible beyond the premises on which the dog is kept, in excess of twenty (20) consecutive minutes during the day (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) or in excess of ten (10) consecutive minutes during the night (9:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m.) and/or a cumulative period in excess of one-hundred twenty (120) minutes during any twenty-four (24) hour period.
B. No citation for a violation of this Section 4 shall be issued unless at least one written warning has been issued to an owner or keeper of the dog or dogs that have exceeded the noise limits.
Full Breakdown
Arapahoe County Animal Services Resolution No. , or for a cumulative total exceeding one hundred twenty minutes in any 24-hour period. The rule is enforced by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, which took over sole enforcement of Animal Services regulations effective June 21, 2025. No citation can be issued on a first complaint: the owner or keeper must first receive at least one written warning, after which a citation may follow for any violation occurring seven or more days later without a further warning. Section 4(B) also imposes a corroboration requirement modeled on the county's general "dog at large" evidentiary standard: no citation or conviction can result unless two complaining witnesses from separate households have given formal statements, unless either an Animal Services Officer personally observed and can testify to the noise, or the complainant presents audio or video recording corroborating the violation at the time of the complaint.
Repeated offenses are counted cumulatively only within a rolling 365-day period from the date of the last violation (Section 4(D)). 5), with the resolution's own graduated fine schedule applying instead, $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, $300 for a third, and a mandatory court appearance for a fourth or subsequent offense, per Section 15(D). This provision governs only unincorporated county land; it does not reach dogs in Aurora, Centennial, Littleton or the county's other incorporated cities and towns, which enforce their own municipal noise codes.
Violations & Fines
A first substantiated complaint draws a written warning, not a citation, from an Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Animal Services Officer. Any further violation seven or more days after that warning can be cited as a petty offense, fined $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $300 for a third, with a fourth or later offense requiring a mandatory court appearance under Resolution No. 25-140, Section 15(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited the first time my dog barks too long?
How much barking is actually illegal in unincorporated Arapahoe County?
Does one neighbor's complaint get my dog cited?
Does this rule apply if I live in Aurora or Centennial?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arapahoe County
Compare Arapahoe County to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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