Barking dog rules in New York, NY — also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances — define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Under Admin. Code Sec. 24-235, an animal owner may not permit unreasonable animal noise that is plainly audible inside any nearby residential property for 10 continuous minutes or more between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or 5 continuous minutes or more between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Section 24-235 ('Animals') holds owners accountable for excessive animal noise such as barking. It provides that no person having charge, care, custody, or control of any animal shall cause or permit such animal to cause unreasonable noise, including any sound plainly audible at any location within any residential receiving property: (a) at or after 7:00 a.m. and before 10:00 p.m., continuously for a period of 10 minutes or more; and (b) at or after 10:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m., continuously for a period of 5 minutes or more. DEP notes the Code is intended to be flexible because barking may signal distress or emergency: first complaints often lead to an educational mailing to the owner's residence with tips on controlling the noise, and further enforcement follows only when complaints persist. The plainly-audible standard means a sound-level meter is not strictly required; an inspector or officer can act on whether the barking is audible inside the neighboring residence for the relevant continuous period.
A persistent barking-dog complaint can result in a Noise Code summons returnable to OATH/ECB after initial education efforts. Civil penalties apply under the Sec. 24-257 schedule, with the lower 5-minute nighttime trigger making after-10 p.m. barking easier to cite.
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