Hawthorne, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Hawthorne, CA, 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
- Complainant residency requirement
- Within 200 yards of the dog
- Barking duration to establish nuisance
- 10 minutes, 2 occasions in 7 days
- Correction warning period
- 48 hours
- Hearing notice
- At least 10 days by certified mail
- Appeal deadline
- 20 days to superior court
Summary
Hawthorne treats a dog that barks in a substantially continuous manner, day or night, to the annoyance of neighbors as a declared nuisance, enforced through a formal complaint, investigation and hearing process before the city's animal control board rather than an immediate citation.
No person shall keep, maintain or harbor within the city any dog which shall by loud and continuous, or loud and frequent barking, disturb the peace and quiet of any neighborhood.
Full Breakdown
Section 6.25.010 declares that "a dog which barks in a substantially continuous manner in the daytime or nighttime to the annoyance of people in the neighborhood is declared to be a nuisance," and Section 6.25.015 makes it unlawful to "keep, maintain or harbor within the city any dog which shall by loud and continuous, or loud and frequent barking, disturb the peace and quiet of any neighborhood." To act on that, Section 6.25.020 requires at least one neighbor living within two hundred yards to file a sworn declaration describing the barking, the emotional-health impact, and mailing a copy to the dog's owner by certified mail.
The bureau of animal control then investigates and warns the owner under Section 6.25.040, and if the barking is not corrected within 48 hours, an officer who personally hears the dog bark continuously for at least ten minutes on two separate occasions within a seven-day period files a further declaration under Section 6.25.050, triggering a hearing before the animal control board under Section 6.25.060 with at least ten days' certified-mail notice. The board decides by a preponderance of the evidence under Section 6.25.080 and, if it finds a nuisance, issues a written administrative order under Section 6.25.090 setting a compliance schedule, either removal of the dog or confinement indoors during specified hours.
Violations & Fines
The animal control board's administrative order carries penalties set under Section 6.25.100 by resolution of the city council, plus administrative costs of investigation and hearing preparation under Section 6.25.110, and Section 6.25.100 allows a separate daily penalty under Section 1.23.001(A) for each day the violation continues uncorrected. A responsible person has twenty days after service of the order to appeal to the superior court under Section 6.25.120; failing to file that appeal makes the order final, and failing to comply with a final administrative order is a misdemeanor under Section 6.25.130.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I file a barking dog complaint in Hawthorne?
How is it decided whether my neighbor's dog is a nuisance?
Can I appeal a barking dog administrative order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle barking dogs.