Las Cruces, NM Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Las Cruces, NM, 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
- Noise duration threshold
- More than 10 minutes
- Audibility test
- Beyond the property line
- Proof required
- Neighbor complaint plus recording, or officer report
- Repeat-offender risk
- 2 citations/364 days risks 2-year pet ban
Summary
Las Cruces treats a barking or howling animal as a nuisance once the noise runs more than ten minutes and reaches beyond the property line. Sec. 7-18(f) requires either a neighbor complaint plus a verified audio recording of the full ten minutes, or confirmation from an animal control or police officer, before a citation issues.
Noise. A person owning or having guardianship, care, custody or control of an animal shall not permit that animal to howl, bark or create noise which disturbs the comfort and repose of any person of ordinary sensibilities in the vicinity. It shall be a violation of this section if the howling, barking or noise is frequent or long-continued; is audible beyond the property line of the premises on which the animal is located for more than ten minutes; and is attested to by: (1)Complaints from one or more separate neighbor(s); and(2)A verified audio recording which records the howling, barking or noise for more than ten minutes; or(3)An animal control officer or law enforcement officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Land Development Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 7-18(f) bars an owner or guardian from letting an animal howl, bark or make noise that disturbs the comfort and repose of a person of ordinary sensibilities nearby. The violation only attaches once the noise is 'frequent or long-continued,' defined by the section itself as not needing to be continuous or uninterrupted, and it must be audible past the property line for more than ten minutes. Proving the violation takes documentation: either one or more separate neighbors' complaints backed by a verified audio recording capturing more than ten minutes of the howling, barking or noise, or direct observation and confirmation from an animal control officer or a law enforcement officer.
The nuisance section covers more than noise: the same Sec. 7-18 also requires an owner to keep an animal from damaging a neighbor's property, confine a female animal in heat so she does not become a nuisance, bag pet waste in a watertight, fly-tight container, and stop livestock waste from piling up by clearing or spreading it at least weekly. An owner cited and charged with a chapter 7 violation, including this noise provision, more than twice in a 364-day period, or who surrenders animals to the ASCMV twice or more in that period, can be petitioned by animal control into a two-year court-ordered ban on owning animals.
Violations & Fines
A sustained noise complaint that clears the ten-minute, beyond-the-property-line threshold and is backed by a neighbor's recording or an officer's own observation is cited under chapter 7's general penalty section. Nuisance citations count toward the negligent or irresponsible owner determination in Sec. 7-18(i): two or more citations or surrenders within 364 days lets animal control ask a court to bar the person from owning any animal for two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does my neighbor's dog have to bark before it's a violation in Las Cruces?
What proof does animal control need to cite a barking dog?
Can repeated barking complaints cost me the right to own pets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Las Cruces
Compare Las Cruces to another location·View the New Mexico noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.