Murrieta, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Although Murrieta has its own Police Department, animal services are contracted through the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, which operates the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus serving Murrieta residents. Barking dog complaints in Murrieta are evaluated under Riverside County Ordinance No. 630, which defines a nuisance animal as one that barks, bays, howls, or cries continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for a total of thirty minutes within any three-hour period. Complaints typically require a log of dates, times, and duration, and Animal Services may request corroboration from a second household before pursuing formal action. The enforcement sequence generally begins with a mailed warning, proceeds to an administrative citation under Riverside County Ordinance 725, and may culminate in a public nuisance hearing and abatement order. In Murrieta neighborhoods with small-lot HOAs such as Mapleton and Alta Murrieta, cumulative impact from multiple dogs in adjacent yards is a common issue. Exceptions exist for service animals performing working duties and for dogs reacting briefly to trespassers or wildlife (coyotes are common in hillside areas near Clinton Keith and the Santa Rosa Plateau).