Dane County, WI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Dane County, WI, 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 law
- Dane County Code ch. 47.19
- Standard
- Disturbs neighbors' peace and quiet
- Farm dog exemption distance
- 1,500 feet from a residence
- First offense (90-day)
- $5.00-$20.00 forfeiture
- 4th+ offense (90-day)
- Up to $75.00-$200.00
Summary
Dane County Code ch. 47.19 bars anyone owning, renting, leasing, operating or occupying a building or premises from keeping an animal that disturbs the peace and quiet of neighbors. The rule exempts farm animals and guard dogs kept on a farm operation, as long as those dogs stay at least 1,500 feet from a neighboring residence.
47.19 KEEPING OF BARKING DOGS PROHIBITED. (1) No person, firm or corporation owning, renting, leasing, operating, having charge of, or occupying any building or premises shall keep or allow to be kept any animal which shall disturb the peace and quiet of people living in the vicinity thereof. (2) Sub. (1) does not apply to farm animals, as defined in sec. 951.01, Wisconsin Statutes, nor does it apply to noises made by dogs that are kept on a farm operation for the purpose of protecting domestic animals so long as such dogs are not kept or allowed within 1,500 feet of a neighboring residence.
Full Breakdown
19(1) makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation owning, renting, leasing, operating, having charge of, or occupying a building or premises to keep or allow to be kept any animal that disturbs the peace and quiet of people living nearby; the standard is disturbance of neighbors' peace and quiet, not a fixed decibel level or time-of-day window. Subsection (2) carves out farm animals as defined under state law, sec. 01, Wis. , and also exempts noise from dogs kept on a farm operation to protect domestic animals, but only if those dogs are not kept or allowed within 1,500 feet of a neighboring residence; a barking farm dog closer than that distance loses the exemption.
The chapter is administered by the Department of Public Health for Madison and Dane County, and the corporation counsel's office prosecutes violations. Because Chapter 47 governs animal control countywide but yields to any village or town with its own municipal court and a more restrictive animal ordinance under sec. 05, residents inside Madison and the other cities should check their own municipal noise or nuisance-animal code instead of relying on this county section, since it applies only where the county animal-control ordinance actually governs.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of ch. 47.19(1) within a 90-day period forfeits $5.00 to $20.00, rising under ch. 47.51(11) to $10.00-$30.00 for a second offense in the same 90 days, $20.00-$40.00 for a third, $50.00-$150.00 for a fourth, and $75.00-$200.00 for each subsequent offense in that same 90-day window. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense under ch. 47.52.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific decibel limit for a barking dog in Dane County?
Are farm dogs exempt from the barking-dog rule?
How many times can I be cited for the same barking dog?
Does this county rule apply if I live inside the City of Madison?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dane County
Compare Dane County to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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