Royal Oak Township, MI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 4-21 of the Code of Ordinances of the Charter Township of Royal Oak is the barking rule, and it sits in Article II, Dogs. It bars any person from keeping or harboring a dog which by loud or frequent or habitual barking, yelping or howling causes a serious annoyance to the neighborhood or to people passing by upon the streets. Three sounds are named: barking, yelping and howling. Two groups of victims are named: the neighborhood and people passing by on the streets. The qualifier is serious annoyance, so a single bark does not trip the rule, while loud, frequent or habitual noise that seriously annoys the neighborhood does. The section prints no measured sound level, no time-of-night window and no minimum number of complaints.

The duty falls on whoever keeps or harbors the dog. Under § 4-19 that includes every person in possession of any dog, or who allows the dog to remain about his premises for a period of ten days, so a tenant or houseguest owner is covered along with the property owner.

Kennels get a stricter noise standard. Section 4-22 requires a kennel operator to keep the kennel at all times in a clean and sanitary condition and not permit it to become a nuisance by reason of uncleanliness or noise, and failure to do so is cause for revocation of the license. The Township can revoke a kennel license at any time for cause upon ten days' written notice and after giving the licensee an opportunity to be heard. Under § 4-57, anyone keeping four or more dogs six months or older is deemed a kennel operator, and no kennel is permitted within 50 feet of any dwelling house unless the occupants of that dwelling consent when the application is made.

Cats have their own noise provision in § 4-82, which bars keeping cats so as to create a public nuisance by noise or other threat to public health and welfare.