Grant County, WA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Grant County, WA, 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 section
- GCC § 6.24.020(1)
- Standard
- Frequent or repetitive noisemaking, unreasonably interferes
- Exempt operations
- Kennels, shelters, vet hospitals, pet shops, breeders
- Enforcing agency
- Grant County Sheriff's Office
- First offense
- $150 civil infraction
- Repeat offense
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days or $1,000
Summary
Unincorporated Grant County bans keeping or harboring any animal, including dogs, whose frequent or repetitive noisemaking unreasonably interferes with neighbors' peace in residential districts, under Grant County Code § 6.24.020(1). Commercial kennels, shelters, vet hospitals, pet shops and breeders are excluded from the rule.
(1)Keeping or harboring any animal, including without limitation, dogs, whose frequent or repetitive noisemaking unreasonably interferes with the peace and comfort of persons in residential districts. This chapter shall not apply to commercial kennels, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, grooming parlors, commercial dog breeders, or any similar business.
Full Breakdown
020 of the Grant County Code lists keeping or harboring any animal, including without limitation dogs, whose frequent or repetitive noisemaking unreasonably interferes with the peace and comfort of persons in residential districts, as a 'public noise disturbance' at subsection (1). The same subsection expressly carves out commercial kennels, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, grooming parlors and commercial dog breeders, so the rule targets ordinary residential dog-keeping, not licensed animal businesses. 040 makes it unlawful for any person to cause, continue, or allow such a disturbance to originate from property they possess or control anywhere in the unincorporated county.
030; there is no fixed number-of-minutes-barking test in the text, only whether the noise is frequent or repetitive and unreasonably interferes with a neighbor's peace and comfort in a residential district. 06.
Violations & Fines
A first barking-dog noise citation is a civil infraction carrying a $150 fine under § 6.24.070. A dog owner previously found in violation who is cited again commits a misdemeanor, punishable by up to ninety days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, with each day of continued barking counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my neighbor's constantly barking dog be reported in Grant County?
Are kennels or breeders exempt from the barking dog rule?
What's the fine for a barking dog complaint that leads to a citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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