Chula Vista, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

040 defines a 'barking dog' as one that barks, bays, cries, or howls audibly beyond the property line for an extended period to the disturbance of any person, and defines 'extended period of time' as 60 or more uninterrupted minutes in any 24-hour period, where 'uninterrupted' means the barking may not stop for five minutes or more during that window. A dog is not a 'barking dog' if it is reacting to a trespasser, being teased or provoked, or reacting to an invitee or someone lawfully conducting business on the property.

Enforcement runs through the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility (CVACF) at 130 Beyer Way: a resident must first file a written complaint form giving names, addresses, and specifics of the barking; CVACF then contacts the responsible owner and gives 10 days to resolve it. A second complaint may be filed 15 days after the first if barking continues, after which CVACF will not process further complaints against that specific animal. Only after two complaints, signed under penalty of perjury by two Chula Vista residents at separate addresses within 100 feet of the dog's property, can an Animal Control Officer issue either an infraction citation (requiring a written promise to appear in court) or an administrative citation (requiring a written promise to appear at an administrative appeal hearing) for conduct the officer did not personally witness.

The parties may instead choose City-facilitated mediation, to be completed within 30 days, generally at no cost. A qualifying barking dog is also declared a private nuisance under subsection (F), letting a resident sue in San Diego County Superior Court, and CVACF states plainly it will not confiscate dogs for barking alone.