Glenn County, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

The targeted noise ordinance the Board of Supervisors adopted in January 2023, Chapter 10.25, regulates 'Audio Equipment' only, which Section 10.25.020(B) defines as radios, musical instruments, phonographs, stereos, tape players, CD players, MP3 players, televisions, and similar sound-reproducing devices. Barking dogs are not within that definition, so Chapter 10.25 does not directly govern dog noise. Glenn County instead relies on its general animal-control provisions in Title 8 of the Glenn County Code and on nuisance authority, together with state law. Under California Penal Code section 415(2), it is a misdemeanor to maliciously and willfully disturb another person with loud and unreasonable noise, and California Civil Code section 3479 defines anything that is offensive to the senses or interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of property as a nuisance. The zoning noise standard, Section 15.56.100, sets the county's general one-hour dBA limits (45 dBA at a residential property line at night), which can apply to persistent animal noise crossing property lines. Because the county does not publish a specific decibel limit or duration test for barking dogs, residents with chronic problems typically pursue an animal-control or nuisance complaint with Glenn County. These rules cover unincorporated communities; Willows and Orland handle barking-dog complaints under their own city codes.