Guilford County, NC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Guilford County, NC, 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
- First citation
- $200 civil penalty
- Second violation (1 yr)
- $400 civil penalty
- Later violations (1 yr)
- $500 civil penalty each
- Late payment fee
- $50 after 10 days unpaid
- Criminal option
- Class 3 misdemeanor, up to $500
Summary
Guilford County's noise ordinance lists a dog or bird whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs a neighbor's comfort as an unlawful disturbing noise. A first citation costs $200, a second within a year costs $400, and any further violation within that year costs $500, on top of possible criminal prosecution.
Sec. 11-8(b). The following acts are declared to be loud, disturbing, annoying and unnecessary noises in violation of this section... (4) Animals. The keeping of any animal or bird, which by causing frequent or long continued noise, shall disturb the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity. (c) Enforcement... (2) Issue a citation subjecting a violator to a civil penalty of two hundred dollars ($200.00). A second violation by the same person or business within one (1) year of the first violation shall subject such person or business to a penalty of four hundred dollars ($400.00). All subsequent violations... shall subject such person or business to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-8(a) bars any unreasonably loud, disturbing or unnecessary noise in the unincorporated county, defining "disturbing" as noise an ordinarily sensitive person would perceive as interrupting the area's normal peace, and "unnecessary" as noise that disturbs a neighborhood's peace and could be lessened without unduly restricting the maker's conduct. Sec. " Unlike the vehicle-noise and amplified-sound items in the same list, the barking-animal provision carries no fixed distance or decibel presumption; it turns on whether the barking is frequent or long-continued and actually disturbs a neighbor.
Sec. 11-8(c) sets escalating civil penalties: a written warning for a first contact, then a $200 citation, $400 for a second violation by the same person or business within one year, and $500 for every violation after that within the same year, plus a $50 late fee if a penalty goes unpaid after ten days. S. S. 153A-123. Sec. 11-8(e) makes an absentee property owner civilly, though not criminally, liable for a tenant's barking-dog violations once notified of a prior offense. S. 153A-340(b)(2) is exempt.
Violations & Fines
A first substantiated barking-dog complaint draws a written warning or a $200 civil citation under Sec. 11-8(c)(2); a second violation by the same owner within a year is $400, and every later violation that year is $500, plus a $50 delinquency charge if unpaid within ten days. The county can also prosecute the owner criminally under G.S. 14-4 as a Class 3 misdemeanor, or pursue injunctive relief under G.S. 153A-123. Each additional day of ongoing barking is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a fine for a barking dog in Guilford County?
Does Guilford County require the noise to be a specific volume to count?
Can a landlord be fined if a tenant's dog barks constantly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Guilford County
Compare Guilford County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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