Franklin County, NC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Franklin County's Board of Commissioners adopted the Noise Ordinance of Franklin County under Chapter 14, Article III, pursuant to G.S. 153A-133, and it governs sound complaints across the unincorporated area outside the corporate limits of Louisburg, Youngsville, Franklinton, Bunn and Centerville. Section 14-58(b)(4) singles out animal noise: keeping any animal, except livestock and poultry, that causes frequent or long continued noise on a regular basis and disturbs the comfort and repose of a person of normal sensibility in the vicinity is a declared loud and disturbing noise violation.

The section builds in a cure period: if the barking continues, or if complaints come in from more than one household, the owner is granted ten working days to rectify the situation before the county pursues the case further. Section 14-58(a) frames the general prohibition, barring noise of a character, intensity and duration detrimental to health, safety or welfare. Proof does not rest on one neighbor's word alone: section 14-60 makes complaints from two or more persons in different households, combined with a report from a duly authorized investigating officer, prima facie evidence that the noise is unreasonably loud and disturbing.

Enforcement runs through Animal Services for the animal itself and the Sheriff's Office or county investigators for the noise complaint. Livestock and poultry are carved out of subsection (b)(4) entirely, so barnyard animals on agricultural parcels are not covered by this particular clause even though other noise provisions could still apply. A violation of Article III is a misdemeanor under section 14-56, punishable as a Class III misdemeanor, and each day of a continuing violation is treated separately once the ten-day cure window has passed without correction.