Grand Forks, ND Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 11-0116 reaches two distinct behaviors: a dog that runs out and barks at passersby, vehicles or other objects passing on a street, highway or public ground, and a dog that commits a nuisance or act of destruction on someone else's property or disturbs people in the locality by barking, howling, whining or making other disagreeable noises. The rule applies whether or not the dog is licensed, and Section 11-0117 gives police officers authority to act on a verbal or written complaint: an officer taking up a dog under Section 11-0116 places it in the pound or another suitable place for up to four days, and must notify the owner immediately of the taking and the reason.

The owner may redeem the dog by paying a thirty-five dollar impounding fee plus the cost of its care and keep under the city's agreement with the Grand Forks Humane Society. The section carves out one exception: dogs owned by local, state or federal governments are not covered while they are in training or being used for law enforcement purposes. Section 11-0128 sets the general penalty for the animal-control article, a fine of up to one thousand dollars per incident, so a persistent barking complaint that leads to citation and a municipal court conviction can carry that same exposure in addition to the impound fee.