Barking dog rules in Sioux Falls, SD — also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances — define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Sioux Falls Code § 90.004 (Disturbing the Peace) gives Animal Control or any police officer authority to remove and impound an animal that is disturbing the peace when the owner cannot be located. Barking dogs are also a 'noise disturbance' under Chapter 93 — the Code Enforcement test is whether the barking annoys reasonable persons of normal sensitivities at the property boundary.
Two parallel sections cover barking dogs in Sioux Falls. (1) Chapter 90 (Animals and Fowl) § 90.004 (Disturbing the Peace) makes it the owner's responsibility to control a dog's barking at all times, day or night, and authorizes any animal-control or police officer to impound a barking animal when the owner cannot be reached — a notice of impoundment is left on the premises. (2) Chapter 93 § 93.002(a) prohibits any 'noise disturbance,' which § 93.001 defines as 'any sound which annoys or disturbs reasonable persons with normal sensitivities, or which injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace and safety of other persons.' Animals are not separately enumerated in § 93.002(b) but fall within the general prohibition. The city's stated enforcement protocol (siouxfalls.gov Animal Control) asks complainants to first speak to the owner; if barking persists, call Animal Control at 605-367-7000 while the dog is barking so an officer can witness and cite. Sioux Falls operates under home-rule charter authority (SDCL Chapter 6-12), and the dangerous-dog provisions in Chapter 90 are breed-neutral as required by SDCL § 40-34-16 (statewide BSL preemption, 2014). The state backstop for repeated, deliberate barking nuisance is SDCL § 21-10-1 (civil nuisance definition: 'annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others'), giving neighbors a private right of action in Minnehaha or Lincoln County circuit court.
Animal Control may issue a citation under § 90.004 and impound the animal; redemption requires payment of impound fees plus any unpaid license fee. The general penalty in § 10.999 applies (Class 2 misdemeanor — up to 30 days and/or $500 per offense). Habitual offenders face escalating fines and potential 'public nuisance' classification under Chapter 93 § 93.010 with summary-abatement injunction.
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