Merced, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Merced, CA, 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
- Enforcing agency
- Merced Police Dept. Animal Control
- Complaint filing window
- 30 days of the noise incident
- First-offense fine
- Up to $150 infraction
- Repeat within 30 days
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
- Possible outcome
- Impoundment or destruction of animal
Summary
Merced Municipal Code Sec. 6.04.040(C) bars owners from letting any animal make loud or disturbing noises, expressly including chronic howling, yowling, barking, or whining, and repeated barking that annoys neighbors also qualifies as an abatable animal nuisance under Sec. 6.04.010(D).
No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, shall permit or suffer the animal to do any of the following:A.Be at large;B.Bite, scratch, or claw any human being or other animal without provocation;C.Make loud or disturbing noises without provocation, including, but not limited to, chronic howling, yowling, barking, whining, or other utterances;D.Act or be kept in such a manner as to constitute an animal nuisance within the meaning of this chapter;E.Endanger the life or health of others;F.Damage the property of others; orG.Be afflicted with and not be receiving medically accepted treatment for zoonotic or other communicable disease.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 040 lists prohibited conduct for any animal, wild or domestic: being at large, biting without provocation, damaging property, endangering others, or making loud or disturbing noises without provocation, which explicitly covers chronic howling, yowling, barking, and whining. Separately, an "animal nuisance" under Sec. 010(D) includes making excessively loud or disturbing noise along with fouling the air with waste odor or creating unsanitary conditions. Anyone aggrieved by a barking dog may file a written, sworn complaint with the animal control manager describing the animal, the owner, and specific incidents, within 30 days of the most recent event (Sec.
280(C)-(D)). The manager investigates and, if the facts show a genuine nuisance, schedules a hearing under Sec. 300; if the barking poses an imminent threat to public health or safety the animal may be impounded immediately (Sec. 280(E)). After a hearing, the animal control manager can order measures to abate the nuisance, up to and including impoundment and destruction of the nuisance animal (Sec. 280(B)). Notice of the hearing, a copy of the complaint, and a copy of the applicable code provisions must be mailed or personally served on both the affiant and the owner (Sec. 280(F)).
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Sec. 6.04.040 is an infraction punishable by a fine up to $150; a second violation of the same provision within a year draws up to $300, and a third or later up to $550 (Sec. 6.04.320(B)). If a second violation occurs within 30 calendar days of the first, it becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in county jail (Sec. 6.04.320(A), (C)). The maintenance of an animal in violation of the chapter, or of a hearing officer's abatement order, is separately declared a public nuisance (Sec. 6.04.310).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal for a dog to bark constantly in Merced?
How do I file a noisy dog complaint in Merced?
What happens after animal control investigates a barking complaint?
What is the fine for violating Merced's animal noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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