Perth Amboy, NJ Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Perth Amboy, 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
- Dog chapter rule
- § 199-22: no dog that habitually barks, howls, whines or cries
- Noise chapter rule
- § 304-10(E): animals causing frequent or long-continued noise
- Dog article penalty
- $100 to $1,000, up to 10 days, or both
- Noise article penalty
- $100 to $1,000, up to 90 days, or both
- Repeat noise offense
- Additional $250 to $2,000 within one year
- Dog park barking
- Owner must immediately remove the dog (§ 199-23)
Summary
In the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, § 199-22 bars anyone from keeping, harboring or maintaining a dog which habitually barks, howls, whines or cries. The noise chapter separately lists keeping an animal that makes frequent or long-continued noise disturbing the comfort or repose of persons in the vicinity.
§ 199-22. Barking dogs. No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks, howls, whines or cries. ... E. Animals, birds, etc. The keeping of any animal or bird which by causing frequent or long-continued noise shall disturb the comfort or repose of any persons in the vicinity.
Full Breakdown
Two sections of the Perth Amboy code reach a barking dog. The first is § 199-22 in Chapter 199, Dogs: no person shall keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks, howls, whines or cries. The test is habit, and the ordinance names four sounds, not just barking. The duty falls on the person keeping the dog. The chapter defines an owner as every person having a right of property in the dog and every person who has the dog in his keeping, so a tenant or a relative who houses the dog is covered as well as the title holder.
The second is § 304-10(E) in Article III, Unnecessary Noise, of Chapter 304. Section 304-9 makes it unlawful for any person to make or continue any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise which annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city. Section 304-10 then lists acts declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises, and item E is the keeping of any animal or bird which by causing frequent or long-continued noise shall disturb the comfort or repose of any persons in the vicinity. The list is expressly not exclusive.
Neither section prints a decibel reading or a quiet-hours clock for animals. The 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. plainly-audible-at-50-feet presumption in § 304-10(B) is written for radios and sound devices, not for pets. For animals the standard is frequent or long-continued noise that disturbs people nearby.
Dogs in the city's designated dog parks carry a separate duty under § 199-23(B)(4): the owner or person in charge must immediately remove a dog from the park if it engages in excessive barking toward people or other dogs. Animal control work sits with the Animal Control Officer, who is placed within the Police Department by § 199-14, and § 199-20 requires police and Division of Health personnel to assist.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the dog article is punishable under § 199-28 by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $1,000, or imprisonment not to exceed ten days, or both, with each day a separate offense. Under the noise article, § 304-11 sets a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or both. A repeat conviction within one year, after a fine for the earlier violation, adds a separate fine of not less than $250 and not more than $2,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit or quiet hour for barking in Perth Amboy?
Who is responsible when a dog barks in the City of Perth Amboy?
What is the penalty for a barking dog violation?
What about barking at a Perth Amboy dog park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Perth Amboy
Compare Perth Amboy to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle barking dogs.