Beaufort County, SC Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Beaufort County, SC, 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
- Code of Ordinances § 14-34(b)(10), animal noise
- Trigger
- Frequent barking, howling or crowing across property line
- Complaint threshold
- 2 written witness statements, non-household complainants
- Cure period
- 14 days to suppress noise after formal notice
- Penalty
- Up to $500 administrative fine or misdemeanor charge
Summary
Beaufort County treats chronic barking, howling or crowing that disturbs a reasonable neighbor across a property line or shared wall as a public nuisance under Code of Ordinances § 14-34(b)(10). BCAS investigates by complaint, gives the owner a chance to fix it, and only escalates to a citation after a documented, multi-step notice process.
(10)Animal noise.a.It shall be a violation for any person to own, keep, possess or harbor an animal of any age which frequently or for a continued duration barks, howls, crows, or makes any other loud noise disturbing, annoying, or causing discomfort to a reasonable person of normal sensitivities across a residential real property boundary or through a common partition within a building.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Animal noise sits inside § 14-34's broader nuisance-pet and livestock article, which also reaches property damage, unsanitary conditions and habitual chasing or attacking of passersby. The animal-noise procedure in § 14-34(b)(10)b requires a formal path before any citation issues: the animal control officer investigates a complaint, and if a violation appears evident, sends the owner a certified letter asking for cooperation in resolving it. If the noise continues after two weeks, the complainant must submit two written nuisance-animal-noise complaint forms from witnesses who are not of the same household (one form is enough if only one household sits within a half-mile of the property), each stating that the signer witnessed the violation and understands they may be subpoenaed to testify.
Only after receiving those forms does the officer serve a formal notice of violation giving the owner 14 days to suppress the noise; a citation follows if the noise persists past that deadline, and additional citations can issue for each day the violation continues once a complainant has already filed a complaint form. A pet or livestock found to be a habitual nuisance under § 14-27 can be impounded by BCAS and is not returned until the owner shows the director the underlying problem has been abated.
Violations & Fines
A sustained, uncorrected animal-noise complaint is enforced as a chapter 14 violation, carrying the general § 14-48 penalty: a misdemeanor fine up to the Beaufort County Magistrate Court's jurisdictional maximum or up to 30 days' imprisonment, or both. BCAS may instead issue it as a civil administrative citation under § 14-48(f), starting at up to $100.00 for a first infraction and rising to $500.00 for repeat infractions of the same abatement order, and can pursue impoundment for a habitual nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many neighbors have to complain before Beaufort County will cite a barking dog owner?
Does BCAS cite a barking-dog owner immediately after the first complaint?
Can a repeatedly noisy dog be taken away from its owner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaufort County
Compare Beaufort County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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