Kirkwood, MO Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Kirkwood, MO, 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
- General ban
- Any unreasonable disturbing noise, § 17-69
- Animal example
- Long, continual or frequent noise, § 17-70(e)
- Alternate route
- Chronic barking treated as 'public nuisance', § 4-37
- Penalty
- $5-$1,000 fine or up to 3 months jail, § 1-8
- No fixed threshold
- No decibel or time-of-day trigger for animals
Summary
Kirkwood folds barking dogs and noisy pets into its general noise ordinance. Section 17-69 bans any noise that unreasonably disturbs others' comfort or repose, and § 17-70(e) names keeping an animal or bird that makes long, continual, or frequent noise as one specific example.
It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or any noise which unreasonably or unnecessarily either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the City. ... (e) Animals, birds, etc. The keeping of any animal or bird which will disturb the comfort or repose of any persons in the vicinity by making long, continual or frequent noise.
Full Breakdown
Rather than a stand-alone barking-dog ordinance, Kirkwood handles noisy pets through Chapter 17's disturbing-noises article. Section 17-69 sets the general standard, prohibiting any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others in the City. ' standard; a noisy-animal complaint instead turns on whether the noise is 'long, continual or frequent' enough to disturb a neighbor's comfort or repose. Chapter 4's separate definitions article reinforces this from the animal side: § 4-37 defines a dog or cat as creating a 'public nuisance' when it is 'barking, whining, howling, meowing excessively or continuously,' which lets the City pursue chronic barking either as a noise violation under Chapter 17 or as a public-nuisance animal complaint under Chapter 4. Neither § 17-69 nor § 17-70 carries a chapter-specific penalty, so violations default to Kirkwood's general Code penalty in § 1-8.
Violations & Fines
A barking-dog complaint sustained under § 17-70(e) falls under the general Code penalty in § 1-8: a fine of $5 to $1,000, imprisonment up to three months, or both, with each day the noise continues charged as a separate offense. The City can alternatively pursue the same conduct as a public nuisance under Chapter 4's § 4-37 definition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kirkwood have a barking dog ordinance?
Is there a decibel limit for a barking dog in Kirkwood?
Can the City cite my dog as a 'nuisance' instead of a noise violation?
What's the penalty for a sustained noisy-animal complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkwood
Compare Kirkwood to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in St. Louis County handle barking dogs.