Norfolk, VA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Norfolk, VA, 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
- Governing section
- Norfolk Code § 6.1-76(a)
- Nuisance conduct named
- Excessive, continuous, untimely barking
- Who is liable
- Owner or custodian of the animal
- Also covered
- Chasing vehicles, trespassing, attacks
- Enforcing agency
- Norfolk animal protection unit
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor per day
Summary
Norfolk requires owners to control their animals so they do not become a public nuisance, and specifically names excessive, continuous, or untimely barking, along with molesting passersby and trespassing, as nuisance conduct that can draw a citation.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian of an animal to fail to exercise proper care and control of his animal to prevent it from becoming a public nuisance. Excessive, continuous or untimely barking, molesting of passersby, chasing vehicles, attacking other domestic animals, or trespassing upon school grounds or trespassing upon private or public property shall be deemed a nuisance.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having in his possession or under his control any female dog or cat in estrus to fail to exercise proper care and control over such animal to prevent it from becoming a nuisance. Allowing said animal to be at large or to be tied or confined outside so as to attract other animals shall constitute a nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1-76(a) makes it unlawful for an animal's owner or custodian to fail to exercise proper care and control to prevent the animal from becoming a public nuisance, and it defines nuisance conduct to include excessive, continuous, or untimely barking, molesting passersby, chasing vehicles, attacking other domestic animals, and trespassing on school grounds or private or public property. The section places the legal duty on the owner or custodian, not just on the animal, so a citation follows a failure to control the dog rather than the barking alone; a dog that barks occasionally during the day is not automatically in violation, but one allowed to bark excessively, continuously, or at inappropriate hours is.
1-76(b) separately addresses female dogs or cats in estrus, requiring the owner to prevent the animal from becoming a nuisance by being at large or tied or confined outside in a way that attracts other animals. 1-3's designation of the animal protection unit within the Norfolk Police Department's Second Patrol Division as the enforcing body that responds to nuisance-animal complaints, investigates, and can issue a summons.
Violations & Fines
Failing to control an animal so that its barking becomes excessive, continuous, or untimely violates § 6.1-76(a). Chapter 6.1's general penalty at § 6.1-1 makes a violation a class 1 misdemeanor, with each day the nuisance continues counted as a separate offense, and the court may order restitution for any city investigation or enforcement costs tied to the complaint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited if my dog barks a lot at night in Norfolk?
Who enforces Norfolk's barking dog ordinance?
Is the dog or the owner cited for excessive barking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
Compare Norfolk to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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