Seminole County, FL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Seminole County, FL, 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
- Seminole County Code § 20.19
- Duration threshold
- Continuing/repeating over 15 minutes
- Complaint requirement
- 2 neighbors' notarized affidavits or LE report
- Exempt
- Agricultural zoning; permitted commercial kennels
- First offense fine
- $50 civil penalty
- Hearing max fine
- Up to $500 if contested and found guilty
Summary
Seminole County makes it unlawful for a dog or other animal to bark, howl, screech or make other objectionable noise continuously or repeatedly for more than fifteen minutes if it disturbs a neighbor's peace and quiet. Section 20.19 requires a documented complaint or a notarized affidavit from two residents before animal control can act, and agricultural or licensed commercial kennel properties are exempt.
It is unlawful for any animal owner to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, any animal, in a continuing or repeating manner greater than fifteen (15) minutes, to bark, cry, howl, screech, squawk, scream, whine, or cause other objectionable noises that disturb the comfort, peace, quiet, or repose of any person residing in the vicinity. Upon the receipt of a documented and verified complaint from a law enforcement agency or a notarized affidavit from two (2) or more residents of Seminole County who reside in separate dwellings in the vicinity of the animal or incident, averring that a violation of this Section exists, the Animal Control Official will have reasonable cause to determine that a violation of this Section has occurred. Properties with animals that are zoned agricultural or permitted by the Building Division to have a commercial kennel building are exempt from this Section 20.19.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
19 bars an animal owner, willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, from permitting any animal to bark, cry, howl, screech, squawk, scream or whine, or make other objectionable noise, in a continuing or repeating manner lasting more than fifteen minutes, where it disturbs the comfort, peace, quiet or repose of a nearby resident. Before the Animal Control Official can find reasonable cause that a violation occurred, the county needs either a documented and verified complaint from a law enforcement agency or a notarized affidavit signed by two or more residents who live in separate dwellings near the animal or incident.
Those affidavits must lay out the specific facts: the dates and times the animal was on the property, the address of both the animal's owner and the complainants, and a description of the animal. 19 altogether. 136(a)(4), keeping it inside the Animal Control Ordinance's citation and hearing process rather than the county's general noise chapter.
Violations & Fines
A Section 20.19 violation is a noncriminal infraction under Section 20.137: $50 for a first infraction, $100 for a second violation of the same section within three years, and a mandatory county court appearance with a $200 fine for a third violation within that period. A person who contests the citation and loses at a hearing can be fined up to $500, and the county may pursue an injunction to stop a continuing violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a dog have to bark before it violates Seminole County's noise rule?
Can a neighbor file a complaint alone?
Are farms exempt from the barking dog rule?
What is the fine for a repeat barking-dog violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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