Faulkner County, AR Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Faulkner County, AR, 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
- Faulkner County Code § 720.01(4) (Ord. 2002-013)
- Violation class
- Level One Violation
- First offense fine
- $50 to $100 plus restitution
- Repeat offense fine
- Up to $500 by third offense
- Warnings required
- Two documented notices before impoundment
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Welfare Officer, Faulkner County Sheriff
Summary
Faulkner County treats a dog that barks, whines or howls in an excessive, continuous or untimely fashion as a nuisance animal under § 720.01(4). After two documented warnings to the owner go uncorrected, the Animal Welfare Officer may impound the dog, and the owner faces an escalating fine starting at $50 to $100 for a first offense.
4) NUISANCE ANIMALS AND HAZARDOUS ANIMALS. a. Owners of nuisance animals shall be subject to fine. Nuisance animals are any animals which infringe upon the rights of another animal or person by any of the following: ... vi. Bark, whine, or howl in an excessive, continuous, or untimely fashion; or ... b. In the case of animals causing a noise problem and after owner of such animal has been duly notified twice that the problem needs correcting, and such correction has not been put in place, nuisance animals may then be impounded and a notice left at the owner's residence so as to provide the owner with instructions for reclaiming the animal. ... d. Violation of this Section shall constitute a Level One Violation and will be sanctioned pursuant to Section 16.
Full Breakdown
01(4), enacted by Ordinance 2002-013 and its later amendments, defines a 'nuisance animal' as any animal that infringes on another animal's or person's rights, and it specifically lists barking, whining or howling 'in an excessive, continuous, or untimely fashion' alongside molesting passersby, trespassing on school grounds, damaging property, running at large and interfering with refuse collection. The Animal Welfare Officer, appointed by the Faulkner County Sheriff, handles complaints. For a noise complaint specifically, the ordinance requires the owner be 'duly notified twice that the problem needs correcting' before the county can act; if the barking still isn't corrected after those two notices, the animal may be impounded and the owner left written instructions at the residence for reclaiming it.
01(16), which sets escalating fines: $50 to $100 for a first offense plus restitution for any damages, up to $200 for a second offense, and up to $500 for a third or later offense. § 14-14-906, depending on the circumstances. The fines collected go into the county's Animal Control Fund, earmarked to further the ordinance's enforcement goals. Because the code requires two prior warnings before impoundment specifically for noise complaints, owners get an opportunity to correct a barking problem before facing fines or losing custody of the animal, unlike some of the county's other nuisance categories that can be enforced immediately.
Violations & Fines
A first barking-dog violation draws a fine of $50 to $100 plus restitution; a second offense costs up to $200; a third or later offense costs up to $500. The county must document two warnings to the owner before impounding the dog for an uncorrected noise problem. The Animal Welfare Officer, under the Sheriff's Office, investigates complaints and can prosecute repeat offenses as continuing violations under state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a barking dog against the law in unincorporated Faulkner County?
How much is the fine for a nuisance barking dog?
Do I get a warning before my dog is impounded for barking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Faulkner County
Compare Faulkner County to another location·View the Arkansas noise ordinances overview
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