Knoxville, TN Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Knoxville, TN, 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
- Governing section
- § 18-4(c)(5)
- Standard
- Frequent/long-continued noise
- No dB threshold
- Nuisance-based, not numeric
- Applies to
- Any animal or bird
Summary
Knoxville bans keeping any animal or bird whose frequent barking, howling or crying disturbs a neighbor's comfort and repose: one of eight noises the city names as automatically unreasonable under § 18-4(c).
(5)Animals and birds. The keeping of any animal or bird which, by frequent barking, howling, crying, singing or causing any other frequent or long-continued noise, disturbs the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity.(6)Sound trucks. The use or operation on or upon the public streets in the city or on driveways or throughways owned by or leased to Knoxville's community development corporation of any device known as a sound truck, or any loudspeaker, sound amplifier or other instrument of any kind or character which emits therefrom loud and raucous noises and is attached to and upon any vehicle operated or standing upon the city streets or on driveways or throughways owned by or leased to Knoxville's community development corporation.(7)Defect in vehicle or noisy load. The use of any automobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle so out of repair or loaded in such a manner as to create loud or unnecessary grating, grinding, rattling or other noise.(8)Pneumatic devices. The use of any mechanical devices operated by compressed air unless the noise created thereby is effectively muffled and reduced. (Ord. No. O-507-98, § 1, 10-6-98; Ord. No. O-116-2018, § 1, 8-28-18)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 18-4(c)(5) lists animal noise among the acts Knoxville treats as unreasonably loud or unnecessary even when the sound stays under § 18-3's decibel numbers: keeping any animal or bird whose frequent barking, howling, crying, singing, or other frequent or long-continued noise disturbs the comfort and repose of a person nearby. The section applies regardless of measured volume, persistence and disturbance are what matter, weighed against the factors listed in § 18-4(b) such as time of day, frequency, and proximity to residential sleeping areas.
Violations & Fines
Cited under Chapter 18's general penalty (§ 1-9): up to a $50 fine, up to $500 in costs, and/or 30 days in jail per offense; each recurring half hour counts as a separate offense under § 18-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a barking dog illegal in Knoxville?
Do I need a decibel meter to report a barking dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knoxville
Compare Knoxville to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
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