Sammamish, WA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Sammamish, WA, 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
- SMC § 11.05.015(1)(J)
- Standard
- Disturbs person/neighborhood to unreasonable degree
- Source
- Adopts King County Code § 11.04.230(J)
- Enforcement
- City animal control authority (§ 11.05.020)
- Bail schedule
- King County District Court schedule (§ 11.05.050)
Summary
Sammamish adopts King County's animal nuisance definition, naming a dog that 'howls, yelps, whines, barks or makes other oral noises' to an unreasonable degree as a public nuisance. Sammamish Municipal Code § 11.05.015(1)(J) makes that King County Code standard the local law, enforced under the city's animal control regulations.
11.04.230 Nuisances defined. For purposes of this chapter, nuisances are violations of this chapter and shall be defined as follows: ... (J) Any domesticated animal that howls, yelps, whines, barks or makes other oral noises, in such a manner as to disturb any person or neighborhood to an unreasonable degree.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance O2026-598, and legislation passed through August 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
015 carves out a locally-modified version of one King County nuisance definition. 230, "Nuisances defined," "as it pertains to the City of Sammamish," listing the conduct that constitutes an animal nuisance in the city. " That clause is Sammamish's operative barking-dog rule: a nuisance turns on whether the noise disturbs a person or the neighborhood to an unreasonable degree, not on a fixed decibel level or duration. The same adopted nuisance list reaches other animal-control problems the city treats similarly: dogs running at large (subsection B), animals entering public beaches, playgrounds or food-service areas (subsections C-D), vicious or threatening animals (subsections F-I), and animals kept on public property without written consent (subsection L).
015 folds the King County Code language directly into Sammamish's own text rather than merely cross-referencing it, the quoted nuisance definition is itself Sammamish law, not an external reference. 020.
Violations & Fines
A dog owner whose animal barks, howls, yelps or whines enough to disturb a neighbor or the neighborhood "to an unreasonable degree" is subject to a nuisance violation under § 11.05.015(1)(J). Because the standard hinges on disturbance to a person or neighborhood rather than a numeric noise limit, enforcement is complaint-driven, and penalties and bail follow the King County District Court's bond and bail schedule under § 11.05.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a barking dog law in Sammamish?
How is 'unreasonable' barking measured in Sammamish?
Does King County or Sammamish enforce the barking dog rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sammamish
Compare Sammamish to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle barking dogs.