Barking dog rules in Orange County, 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.
OC Animal Care enforces barking dog complaints in unincorporated areas under OCCO Sections 4-1-3 and 4-1-59. A barking dog is defined as one that barks incessantly for 30 or more minutes, or intermittently for a cumulative 60 minutes in any 24-hour period. Fines start at $250 per citation.
Under OCCO §4-1-3, a barking dog violation occurs when a dog barks, bays, cries, or howls incessantly for 30 or more minutes in any 24-hour period, or intermittently accumulating 60 or more minutes in any 24-hour period. Complaints must be filed in writing under penalty of perjury via email at barkingdogdesk@occr.ocgov.com, by fax, or by mail to OC Animal Care. A courtesy notice is first sent to the dog owner giving 10 days to resolve the issue. If barking continues, a second complaint within 40 days triggers a civil citation. The ordinance also covers animal nuisance noise from non-dog animals (amended October 2017). The responsible person includes the animal owner and property owner or lessee.
OCCO §4-1-59.6: First offense $250, second offense $275, third offense $303, fourth offense $333, fifth offense $366 (all within the same 12-month period). The responsible party has 30 days to pay. Appeals are heard by a Hearing Officer whose decision is final.
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See how Orange County's barking dogs rules stack up against other locations.
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