Gulfport, FL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Two sections of the Code reach barking dogs. Section 5-31, Vicious dogs and barking dogs-Prohibited, makes it unlawful to own or keep any vicious dog or any dog that creates a nuisance in the community by reason of barking and howling. Enforcement of this section is unusual: section 5-32 requires a verified, written complaint before a warrant issues, meaning a neighbor must sign a sworn complaint alleging the specific violation before the city can charge the dog owner, and the warrant is then served, tried, and disposed of like any other Code offense.

Separately, the general noise ordinance in section 14-36 enumerates Pets as one of its listed prohibited noises: no person shall have or keep any animal or bird which, by making or causing frequent or long continued and unreasonable noise, disturbs the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity. Section 14-37 layers on its own complaint procedure for sections 14-35 and 14-36 together, again requiring a complainant to appear before a police officer and request a summons before a charge can be filed; a police officer who personally witnesses a violation may summons the offender directly.

Because 14-36 sits within the broader noise chapter, it is measured against the standard of disturbing the peace and comfort and repose of others in the vicinity, rather than a decibel threshold, which the noise ordinance reserves for mechanical and construction sources under section 14-35(b). Both sections predate modern noise metering and instead rely on a subjective nuisance standard tied to neighbor complaints.