Iron County, UT Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Iron County Code Section 8.20.030(F) lists "unnecessary or unauthorized noises and annoying vibrations, including animal noises" as a nuisance when they violate Section 8.20.060, the county's general noise ordinance. That section makes it unlawful to recklessly cause any loud, unnecessary or offensive noise, including one that may reasonably be anticipated to annoy, disturb or endanger the comfort, slumber, peace, health or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensitivity in a residential area, whether due to volume or duration. Section 8.20.060(C) lists factors used to judge a complaint, including the noise level, whether it is usual or unusual, its proximity to sleeping facilities, the time of day, its duration and whether it is recurrent, intermittent or constant, which is the framework applied to a persistent barking complaint since there is no separate decibel test for animals.

Section 8.20.060(G) lets the enforcement officer skip the standard notice-to-abate step for noise complaints and issue an administrative or criminal citation immediately given the need for prompt abatement. Owners may seek relief from the noise restrictions from the Board of County Commissioners under Section 8.20.060(F). A sustained violation is also enforceable under the general nuisance penalties in Chapter 8.20: a $100-$200 weekly administrative fine or a Class B misdemeanor citation under Section 8.20.130 carrying up to $1,000 and six months in jail.