Durham, NC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Durham, NC, 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
- Authority
- City Code § 26-23(b)(3)
- Offense class
- Misdemeanor
- Standard
- Frequent or long-continued noise disturbing repose
- Threshold
- No fixed bark count or decibel limit
- List type
- Non-exclusive example under general noise ban
Summary
Keeping an animal or bird that causes frequent or long-continued noise disturbing a neighbor's comfort and repose is listed as an unreasonably loud and disturbing noise under City Code § 26-23(b)(3), a misdemeanor. The city doesn't set a bark-count or duration threshold; it asks whether the noise is frequent or long-continued enough to disturb people nearby.
(a)Unreasonably loud and disturbing noises prohibited...Disturbing. Noise which is perceived by a person of ordinary sensibilities as interrupting the normal peace and calm of the area...(b)Particular noises prohibited. The following acts, among others, are declared to be unreasonably loud and disturbing noises in violation of this section but the enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive, namely...(3)The keeping of any animal or bird which, by causing frequent or long continued noise, shall disturb the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Section 26-23 is Durham's general noise ordinance. Subsection (a) bans any 'unreasonably loud and disturbing noise' in the city and defines 'disturbing' as noise 'perceived by a person of ordinary sensibilities as interrupting the normal peace and calm of the area,' weighed against factors including time of day, proximity to residential structures, whether the noise is recurrent or constant, its volume and intensity, and whether it is enhanced electronically. ' The list is non-exclusive, the code states the enumeration 'shall not be deemed to be exclusive', so a barking dog complaint can also be evaluated under the general subsection (a) standard even if it doesn't neatly fit (b)(3).
Unlike the numeric decibel table in subsection (d), which applies specifically to mechanically or electronically amplified sound, the animal-noise provision has no measured threshold; enforcement turns on whether the barking is frequent or long-continued and disturbs a neighbor's comfort and repose, factors an officer weighs case by case using the subsection (a) list. The section traces to the 1964 and 1982 codes and was last amended in 2022.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 26-23 is a misdemeanor 'in addition to any other remedy available in the Code.' Enforcement is complaint-driven: officers weigh the frequency, duration, time of day, and proximity to residences described in subsection (a) before citing an owner, since the ordinance sets no fixed bark-count or decibel trigger for animal noise specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific rule against barking dogs in Durham?
How many minutes of barking counts as a violation?
Could my dog's barking be cited under a different part of the ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
Compare Durham to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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