St. Louis, MO Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in St. Louis, MO, 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
- Trigger distance
- audible past 100 feet
- Covers
- any animal, bird, or fowl
- Standard
- frequent or long-continued noise
- Penalty
- $1–$500 fine and/or 90 days
Summary
St. Louis bans keeping any animal, bird, or fowl whose frequent noise disturbs neighbors' comfort and repose, with a 100-foot audibility threshold defining excessive noise.
The keeping of any animal, bird or fowl which, by causing frequent or long-continued noise, shall tend to disturb the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity is prohibited. Any such noise that can be distinctly heard at a distance of more than one hundred feet from its source shall be excessive.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 15.50.040, keeping any animal, bird, or fowl that causes frequent or long-continued noise tending to disturb the comfort and repose of anyone nearby is prohibited. The code sets an objective trigger: noise "distinctly heard at a distance of more than one hundred feet from its source shall be excessive," so a barking dog audible past 100 feet meets the violation standard without further proof of annoyance. This sits in the general Chapter 15.50 noise code alongside rules on horns, sound systems, and vehicle noise, and it applies citywide since St. Louis is an independent city with no county layer above it.
Violations & Fines
No specific penalty is set for this section, so the Code's general penalty under § 1.12.010 applies: a fine of $1 to $500, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far away does barking have to be heard to violate the rule?
Does the rule only cover dogs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
Compare St. Louis to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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