Queen Anne's County, MD Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 9-19 of the Queen Anne's County Code lists the behaviors that make an animal a public nuisance animal, and barking is one of them. Subsection A(1)(d) covers an animal that barks or makes other harsh noise as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of members of the community as reflected by a reasonable person with normal sensitivities to noise. The section prints no decibel reading, no hours of the day, and no count of minutes of barking; the standard is what a reasonable person would find disturbing. The other listed behaviors are being repeatedly at large, molesting pedestrians or passersby, chasing vehicles or bicycles, defecating or urinating on private property without permission, molesting, defacing or destroying the property of another, and any other act the Commission determines, after notice to the owner or custodian and a hearing, to be injurious to the public health, welfare, or safety.

Two exclusions apply. Activity or behavior resulting from a farm operation, including production of livestock, pasturing, raising of poultry and fowl, production of eggs, production of milk, and production of bees and honey, is not a public nuisance. Community cats are excluded as well.

The remedy for a barking dog is administrative. A person who keeps an animal deemed a public nuisance is subject to the regulations and orders set by the Commission. Animal Control Officers are not authorized to seize and impound an animal for the conduct in A(1)(d), barking, or A(1)(e), defecating or urinating on private property. By contrast, they can seize an animal they witnessed engaging in the conduct in A(1)(a) through (c), (f) and (g), or when the owner was found in violation within the past 12 consecutive months for the same offense. Under § 9-23A(2), an Animal Control Officer provides notice to the owner or custodian within 24 hours after observing an animal in violation and can issue a citation.