Taylorsville, UT Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Taylorsville, UT, 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
- Nuisance trigger
- Continued/repeated barking, howling, whining
- Natural-behavior defense
- Explicitly barred by § 8.07.002
- Civil penalty
- $25/day, capped $5,000 (§18.05.050)
- Repeat violations
- 3 in 12 months = license revoked
- Enforcement
- Animal division / Taylorsville Police
Summary
A dog that keeps up continued and repeated howling, barking, or whining loud enough to cause unreasonable annoyance, disturbance, or discomfort to neighbors is legally a 'nuisance animal' under Taylorsville City Code § 8.07.002(E), and it doesn't matter that barking is natural dog behavior: § 8.07.002 says that excuse doesn't defeat a nuisance charge.
An animal causing a nuisance includes, but is not limited to, any animal that: A. Is repeatedly found at large; ... ... E. Makes disturbing noises including, but not limited to, continued and repeated howling, barking, whining, or other noise which causes unreasonable annoyance, disturbance, or discomfort to neighbors or others; ... The fact, or evidence of the fact, that the factors alleged to have caused the animal to be a nuisance are inherent and/or natural behavior for such animal, or the action of the owner or animal are otherwise legal, shall not negate or excuse a charge of nuisance.
Full Breakdown
Section 8.07.002 lists thirteen ways an animal can become a legal nuisance, and disturbing noise is one of them: subsection E covers 'continued and repeated howling, barking, whining, or other noise' that causes 'unreasonable annoyance, disturbance, or discomfort to neighbors or others.' The same section closes with a rule aimed squarely at the most common defense: the fact that barking is inherent, natural behavior for a dog, or that the owner's conduct is otherwise perfectly legal, does not excuse or negate a nuisance charge once the noise crosses that unreasonable-annoyance line.
Section 8.07.001 makes allowing any nuisance behavior, including chronic barking, a violation in its own right, imposing liability directly on 'any owner or person having charge, care, custody, or control' of the dog, not just a titled owner. A barking complaint doesn't require proof of a specific decibel level or duration; the standard is whether the noise is continued and repeated and whether it would unreasonably disturb a neighbor, which the animal control officer or a hearing officer evaluates case by case from complaint evidence.
A chronic barking nuisance also counts toward the three-violations-in-twelve-months threshold in § 8.05.008, which lets the director seek a court order revoking the dog's license for a year and impounding the animal until the owner reapplies and satisfies compliance conditions.
Violations & Fines
Allowing a dog to become a nuisance through chronic barking is a Title 8 violation under § 8.07.001, carrying the general $25-per-day civil penalty set at § 18.05.050 and capped at $5,000 per violation, enforced through the Title 18 administrative hearing process or a civil action in district court at the City's discretion under § 8.03.001.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much barking is too much in Taylorsville?
Can I argue that barking is just natural dog behavior?
Who enforces a barking dog complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Taylorsville
Compare Taylorsville to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle barking dogs.