Jonesboro, AR Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 10-4 of Chapter 10, Animals, is a single sentence: it is unlawful to harbor or keep any animal or fowl that disturbs the peace and quiet with loud, unusual, or obnoxious noises at any time of the day or night. Unlike some cities' barking-dog codes, Jonesboro doesn't require a set number of consecutive minutes of barking, a written complaint, or a decibel reading before a violation exists; the ordinance turns on whether the noise disturbs the peace, a standard animal control officers and the municipal court apply case by case.

The section traces to the city's original 1962 animal code, Ordinance No. 04 before its current numbering. It sits in Chapter 10's general article alongside the cruelty ban at Section 10-1, the dangerous-animal-at-large ban at Section 10-2, and the running-at-large ban at Section 10-5, all enforced by the same animal control department and the Jonesboro Police Department. Because Section 10-4 doesn't carry its own listed fine, a noise violation is prosecuted as a misdemeanor in Jonesboro Municipal Court under the city's general penalty provisions that apply throughout the Code of Ordinances, the same track used for other Chapter 10 offenses like cruelty and running at large.