Elko County, NV Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Elko County, NV, 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
- Code section
- Elko County Code § 7-2-13, Barking Dogs
- Covered animals
- Any animal, not only dogs
- Standard
- Loud or frequent habitual noise causing annoyance to neighbors
- License revocation
- After three convictions under § 7-2-13 (§ 7-2-14)
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine, six months jail, or both (§ 7-2-23)
- Appeal of revocation
- Board of County Commissioners hearing within forty five days
Summary
In unincorporated Elko County, Nevada, Section 7-2-13 makes it unlawful to own, keep, harbor or possess any animal whose loud or frequent habitual barking, howling, yelping, braying or other noise annoys the neighbors or anyone nearby. A conviction lets the court order abatement, and three convictions for the same dog end its county license.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, harbor, or possess any animal which, by loud or frequent habitual barking, howling, yelping, braying or other noise, causes annoyance to the neighbors or to any person in the vicinity. In addition to any other fines and penalties imposed by the court in the event of a conviction of this section, the court shall have full powers to order abatement of the nuisance caused by the animal.
Full Breakdown
The rule sits in Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Elko County Code, the animal chapter adopted by the Board of County Commissioners, and it applies in unincorporated Elko County, not inside the cities of Elko, Carlin, Wells or West Wendover. The text is not limited to dogs. It reaches any animal, so a howling dog, a braying donkey and a yelping pack all fall under the same sentence. The trigger is noise that is loud or frequent and habitual, and the harm the code names is annoyance to the neighbors or to any person in the vicinity. Section 7-2-13 prints no decibel limit, no quiet hours and no minimum number of barks, so the question at trial is whether the noise annoyed people nearby.
Responsibility is wide. Section 7-2-15 places compliance on the head of the household where a dog is kept or harbored, whether or not another resident claims ownership, and says the parent or guardian of a minor owner appears in court in the minor's place. Section 7-2-24 says a conviction does not require proof that the owner had notice or knowledge that the animal was in violation.
Section 7-2-14, titled Barking Dogs; Revocation of License, adds the escalation. The dog license is revoked whenever the owner has been convicted three times of violating Section 7-2-13, and it is then unlawful to keep that dog in Elko County. If the dog is not removed within five days, the Animal Control Officer can impound it. The owner can sign an agreement under written protest and appeal to the Board of County Commissioners, which sets the hearing within forty five days. The Board can reinstate the license, reinstate it conditionally, or revoke it permanently, and its decision is final.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 7-2-23 a violation of the animal chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000, up to six months in the county jail, or both, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense. The court can also order the nuisance abated. Under Section 7-2-26 an unpaid fine adds a ten percent penalty for each month, capped at one hundred percent of the original fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the barking rule apply to animals other than dogs?
What happens after repeated convictions for a barking dog?
Who answers in court if the dog belongs to a child?
Does the owner have to know the animal was disturbing neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elko County
Compare Elko County to another location·View the Nevada noise ordinances overview
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