Passaic, NJ Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Passaic, NJ, 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
- City Code § 193-13B(3)
- Barking-dog threshold
- 10 min continual or 30 min intermittent
- Provoked barking
- Excluded from the definition
- Also covers
- Pet birds, under general disturbance standard
- Enforcer
- Noise Control Officer
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 per offense
Summary
City Code § 193-13B(3) bans owning or harboring a pet that "frequently or for continued duration" makes disturbing sounds across a residential property line, and it defines a barking-dog disturbance precisely: barking continually for 10 minutes, or intermittently for 30 minutes, unless the dog was provoked.
(3) Animals and birds: owning, possessing or harboring any pet animal or pet bird that frequently or for continued duration makes sounds that create a noise disturbance across a residential real property line (for the purpose of this section, a "noise disturbance from a barking dog" shall be defined as that created by a dog barking continually for 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes unless provoked).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4978046; v41 updated 2026-07-01; through 07-01-2026).
Full Breakdown
" That built-in definition matters because it removes the subjective "reasonable person" guesswork that governs most of Chapter 193, a complainant or officer documenting 10 continuous minutes, or 30 cumulative intermittent minutes, of unprovoked barking has what the ordinance itself calls a disturbance. The provision applies to birds as well as dogs, though only dogs get the numeric time thresholds; a disruptive parrot or other pet bird is judged under the general "frequently or for continued duration" standard instead. Enforcement follows the rest of the noise article: the Noise Control Officer, defined at § 193-9 as an officially designated employee trained in sound measurement, can issue a summons under § 193-16A or an abatement order requiring the owner to correct the problem within a set time under § 193-16B.
Penalties reach $1,000 per ordinary offense, $25 to $1,000 for a willful or knowing violation, and each day the barking continues after notice is treated as a separate offense (§ 193-16C).
Violations & Fines
A summons issues under § 193-16A, or an abatement order requiring the owner to stop the disturbance within a set time under § 193-16B. Fines run up to $1,000 per offense, or $25 to $1,000 if the violation is willful or knowing (§ 193-16C(1)-(2)), with each additional day of continued barking a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does my neighbor's dog have to bark before it's a violation?
What if the dog was provoked into barking?
Does this rule cover cats or other pets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Passaic
Compare Passaic to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Passaic County handle barking dogs.