Barking dog rules in Portland, ME — also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances — define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Portland City Code Sec. 5-18 prohibits owning, possessing, or harboring any dog whose 'loud, frequent, or habitual barking, howling, or yelping' disturbs the peace of any person. The first violation receives a warning; subsequent violations within six months of the warning carry a fine of $10 to $100. State law (7 M.R.S. Sec. 3950) forbids breed-specific bans but allows Portland's barking ordinance.
Sec. 5-18 (Chapter 5, Article II, Dogs — Disturbing the Peace): 'No person shall own, possess, or harbor any dog which by loud, frequent, or habitual barking, howling, or yelping, disturbs the peace of any person. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall, upon the first occasion thereof, be given a warning and shall, upon conviction of any subsequent violations within a period of six (6) months from such warning, be subject to a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) and not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).' The ordinance cross-references Portland's general public-peace provisions in Sec. 17-16 et seq. Enforcement is handled by Portland Animal Control Officers and Police; per Sec. 5-22, designated representatives of the Chief of Police or the canine control officer may enforce. State law at 7 M.R.S. Sec. 3950 explicitly authorizes municipalities to adopt barking-dog ordinances and prohibits breed-specific local rules.
First offense: written warning (no fine). Subsequent offense within 6 months of the warning: civil fine of $10 minimum, $100 maximum (Sec. 5-18). Persistent disturbance can also support a separate disorderly-conduct citation under Sec. 17-17 ($100 - $500) or a state Class E disorderly-conduct charge under 17-A M.R.S. Sec. 501-A.
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See how Portland's barking dogs rules stack up against other locations.
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