Riverside County, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Riverside County, 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
- Governing section
- RivCo Code § 6.20.060(A)
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Animal Services
- First step
- Written noisy animal warning notice
- Repeat complaint window
- 12 months triggers hearing petition
- Abatement options
- Collar, training, debarking, removal
- First-violation fine
- $100, rising to $500
- Appeal deadline
- 20 days, $25 superior court fee
Summary
Riverside County Code Chapter 6.20 makes it "unlawful and a public nuisance" to keep a dog or other animal whose excessive, unrelenting or habitual barking disturbs neighbors. Animal Services enforces it through a written warning notice and, on a repeat complaint, a hearing before an administrative hearing officer who can order anything from a noise-suppression collar to permanent removal.
C. "Noisy animal." Any animal or animals maintained on the same premises or location whose excessive, unrelenting or habitual barking, howling, crying or other noises or sounds annoy or become offensive to a resident or residents in the vicinity thereby disturbing the peace of the neighborhood or causing excessive discomfort to any reasonable person of normal sensitivity hearing such sounds. ... A. It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to allow on their property, own, keep, permit, harbor or have in their care, custody or control a noisy animal. B. It is unlawful for the responsible party, after being informed in writing that his animal has been declared a noisy animal and that the maintenance of a noisy animal is a public nuisance, to fail, refuse or neglect to take whatever steps or use whatever means are necessary to assure that such noisy animal does not again disturb residents in the vicinity in which the noisy animal is kept.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
050(C) defines a "noisy animal" as any animal whose excessive, unrelenting or habitual barking, howling, crying or other noises annoy or become offensive to a nearby resident, disturbing the peace of the neighborhood or causing excessive discomfort to a person of normal sensitivity. 060(A) then makes it "unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to allow on their property, own, keep, permit, harbor or have in their care, custody or control a noisy animal," and subsection B separately penalizes ignoring a written notice that the animal was already declared a nuisance.
Enforcement runs through the Department of Animal Services, not the sheriff. 070, an animal control officer who personally confirms a noisy animal, or receives a complaint signed under penalty of perjury, issues a written warning notice and must try to contact the responsible party within five days. 090. 120 authorizes abatement orders ranging from confining the animal indoors, fitting a noise-suppression device, obedience training, restricting outdoor hours, debarking, or permanently removing the animal, all at the responsible party's expense; the owner gets five days to comply and the decision is final. 040. 140.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with an administrative abatement order is a separate offense under Section 6.20.130, enforceable through administrative citations under Section 6.20.150: $100 for a first violation of the order, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional violation, payable to the Department of Animal Services. Recipients have twenty days to file a written appeal with a full penalty deposit, and a further superior court appeal costs a $25 filing fee due within twenty days of the hearing officer's decision; the county may also file a civil abatement action under Section 6.20.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a "noisy animal" under Riverside County law?
Do I get a warning before Riverside County cites me for a barking dog?
Can the county force me to get rid of my dog?
How much can I be fined for a noisy animal in Riverside County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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