St. Tammany Parish, LA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in St. Tammany Parish, LA, 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
- Nuisance trigger
- excessive/untimely barking, howling, yelping
- Fine range
- $250.00 to $500.00 per violation
- Jail exposure
- up to 30 days
- Covered property
- single-family, duplex, multifamily, nursing homes, surgical facilities
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Animal Services / animal control officers
- Alternate track
- administrative hearing, Bureau of Administrative Adjudication
Summary
St. Tammany Parish declares excessive or untimely barking, howling or yelping a public nuisance whenever it is unreasonably loud and disturbing enough to interfere with a neighbor's right of privacy at home. Code of Ordinances Sec. 10-646(1) names this "excessive noise" outright, and a conviction under the article carries a misdemeanor fine of $250 to $500 or up to 30 days in jail.
Every owner or keeper of animals shall exercise proper care and control of such animals so as to prevent them from creating or becoming a public nuisance. A violation of any of the following provisions shall constitute a public nuisance and is strictly prohibited: (1)Excessive noises. Excessive or untimely barking, howling, yelping, or other animal noise that is unreasonably loud and intrusive or disturbing and which essentially interferes with the right of privacy within one's home or unreasonably interferes with the use of one's residential property, which is defined to include single-family, duplex or multifamily dwellings, nursing homes, outpatient surgical facilities and similar facilities. ... (14)a.Misdemeanor enforcement. Whoever violates any provision of this article ... shall be fined not less than $250.00 nor more than $500.00, or imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
" The section defines "residential property" broadly to include single-family homes, duplexes, multifamily dwellings, nursing homes and outpatient surgical facilities, so the barking rule reaches apartment complexes and care facilities as well as standalone houses. The same section also covers animals that attack, molest or chase vehicles, animals allowed to run at large, and owners who fail to clean up after their pets, treating all of them under one nuisance umbrella enforced by the parish department of animal services and its animal control officers. 00, or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both, plus court costs and any boarding or medical costs the parish incurred; and, as an alternative or addition, an administrative track before the parish's bureau of administrative adjudication hearing officer under Sec. , which can impose the same fine range civilly.
Violations & Fines
Whoever lets a dog's barking rise to a public nuisance under Sec. 10-646(1) faces a misdemeanor fine of $250.00 to $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, or both, plus court costs. The parish can instead route the complaint through its administrative hearing officer for the same fine range, and in either track the owner also owes any boarding or veterinary costs the department of animal services incurred handling the animal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a nuisance barking violation in St. Tammany Parish?
How much is the fine for a barking dog complaint?
Who investigates a barking dog complaint in the unincorporated parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
Compare St. Tammany Parish to another location·View the Louisiana noise ordinances overview
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