Butte County, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Butte County, CA, 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
- Barking threshold
- 60 minutes, continuous or intermittent, per 24 hours
- First-offense fine
- $100 under Sec. 4-14.8
- Second offense (12 mo)
- $200
- Third+ offense
- $500, no suspension allowed
- Complaint requirement
- 2 households, written, then sworn affidavit
- Enforcing agency
- Public Health Department Animal Control
- Appeal deadline
- 20 days to Superior Court
Summary
Chapter 4, Article IA of the Butte County Code lets Animal Control issue civil citations for chronic barking. A dog qualifies as a nuisance once it barks, howls or cries for sixty minutes total, continuous or broken, within any 24-hour period. Two neighbors from separate households must file signed complaints, and the owner gets ten days to fix the problem before a citation issues under Section 4-14.3.
"Barking dog" means a dog that barks, bays, cries, howls or makes any noise for an extended period of time to the disturbance of any person at any time of day or night, regardless of whether the dog is physically situated in or upon private property. Such extended period of time shall consist of incessant barking for sixty (60) minutes or more in any twenty-four-hour period, or intermittent barking for sixty (60) minutes or more during any twenty-four-hour period. A dog shall not be deemed a "barking dog" for purpose of this article if, at any time the dog is barking, a person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property in or upon which the dog is situated, or when the dog is teased or provoked by someone other than the owner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
2 defines a barking dog as one that barks, bays, cries or howls for an extended period, meaning sixty minutes of incessant barking or sixty minutes of intermittent barking in any twenty-four-hour period, and excludes barking triggered by a trespasser or by someone other than the owner teasing the animal. 6, the spheres of influence around Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville and the Town of Paradise. 4: at least two complainants from separate households file a first written complaint, an animal control officer visits the dog's owner with information on training resources, and the owner has ten calendar days to stop the barking.
5. 8: one hundred dollars for a first violation, two hundred dollars for a second within twelve months, and five hundred dollars for a third or subsequent violation in that period. 10 before a hearing officer chosen through the Butte County Administrative Hearing Officer Program, who can order alternatives such as a bark collar or behavior training in place of the fine but cannot reduce the dollar amount. 4, with proof of service delivered to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at 25 County Center Drive in Oroville.
Violations & Fines
Fines escalate under Section 4-14.8: $100 for a first citation, $200 for a second within twelve months, and $500 for a third or later violation in that period, with no part of any fine subject to suspension. Unpaid fines are due immediately if a violator skips the administrative hearing, and the county can still pursue separate nuisance abatement or criminal remedies under Section 4-14.3(d) regardless of citation status.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many neighbors have to complain before Butte County cites a barking dog owner?
What legally counts as a barking dog in Butte County?
How much does a Butte County barking dog citation cost?
Can I appeal a barking dog citation in Butte County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
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