Monterey, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Monterey, 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
- General animal-noise standard
- Monterey City Code § 22-18(b)
- Pet Permit barking condition
- triggers over 3 dogs, § 38-26(K)
- Permit consequence
- modification, revocation, or forced reduction
- Emergency noise exemption
- generators/equipment during declared emergency
Summary
Monterey's noise ordinance makes it unlawful to allow the repeated or persistent emission of raucous noise from an animal that habitually disturbs the peace and quiet of any person, and a Pet Permit for four or more dogs or cats can be modified or revoked over a barking complaint.
b.No person, unless otherwise stated in this section, shall cause, suffer, permit, or allow the repeated or persistent emission of any noise or sound produced by any such person, by an animal or fowl or through any mechanical means within their ownership, possession, or control, which by reason of its raucous nature habitually disturbs the peace and quiet of any person.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3721, passed July 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
' That general nuisance-noise standard covers chronic barking dogs along with other animal or mechanical noise, and it exempts noise generated during a declared emergency, such as an emergency generator during a power outage. A separate, more targeted layer applies to households that keep four or more dogs and cats under a zoning Pet Permit: Monterey City Code § 38-26(K)(3)(a)(5) requires the Community Development Director to find, before issuing that permit, that 'adequate measures have been taken to prevent excessive noise from barking' whenever more than three dogs are kept on the premises.
Under § 38-26(K)(4), any Pet Permit is subject to reopening at any time to address a pet-related complaint, and if a valid nuisance problem is found, the permit can be modified, revoked, or denied renewal, forcing the owner to immediately reduce the number of dogs or cats to fewer than four. Between the two provisions, a resident with three or fewer dogs is governed by the general animal-noise nuisance rule in § 22-18(b), while a household with a Pet Permit for four or more animals faces the added, permit-specific barking-noise condition.
Violations & Fines
A sustained or repeated barking complaint that habitually disturbs a neighbor's peace and quiet can be cited as a violation of § 22-18(b); for a permitted four-or-more-animal household, a substantiated barking nuisance can trigger reopening of the Pet Permit under § 38-26(K)(4) and lead to modification, revocation, or a forced reduction to fewer than four dogs or cats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific barking dog law in Monterey?
Can my Pet Permit be revoked over barking complaints?
Does the barking rule apply if I only have two dogs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Monterey County handle barking dogs.