Shawnee County, KS Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Shawnee County, KS, 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
- Noise clause
- Shawnee County Code § 5-55(c)
- Where it applies
- Only subdivisions with a board order (§5-54)
- Petition threshold
- 60% of owners/occupants must sign
- Maximum fine
- $250.00 (§5-58)
- Exempt
- Licensed shelters, zoning-permitted kennels
Summary
In platted subdivisions where the rule has been activated, Sec. 5-55(c) makes it unlawful to keep or harbor a dog that 'frequently disturbs the peace or repose of any persons in the vicinity by long, continued barking, howling or other noise.' Licensed shelters and permitted kennels are exempt, and violators face up to a $250.00 fine.
It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, hinder or prevent the impounding of any dog found at large contrary to the provisions of this article or to break open, damage or destroy the door, gate or enclosure of any impoundment area to take, or attempt to take therefrom, any dog impounded therein. It is unlawful for any person to keep or harbor any dog which frequently disturbs the peace or repose of any persons in the vicinity by long, continued barking, howling or other noise. The provisions of this article shall not apply to any authorized animal shelter or to any dog kennel that has obtained a special permit from the board of county commissioners, pursuant to the county's zoning resolution.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
The barking ban sits inside Division 2 of Chapter 5, 'Dogs at Large in Platted Subdivisions,' and only applies where it has been formally activated. Sec. 5-54 requires at least 60 percent of the real property occupants and owners in a platted subdivision to sign a certified petition before the board of county commissioners will set a public hearing, held within 30 days and noticed once in the official county newspaper, to decide whether to enforce the division there. Once the board issues an order and the county clerk publishes it, Sec.
5-55(a) makes it unlawful for a dog to be at large within that subdivision's boundaries, with the owner held strictly liable, and Sec. 5-55(b) bars interfering with impoundment of a dog found at large. Sec. ' A dog impounded under the division is held for at least 72 hours at Helping Hands Humane Society or another designated shelter (Sec. 00 per additional day (Sec. 5-57).
Violations & Fines
Sec. 5-58 makes any knowing violation of this division a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $250.00. Because the barking clause sits in the same division as the at-large and impoundment-interference rules, that $250.00 cap applies to a noise conviction the same as it does to the division's other prohibitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a barking dog automatically against the law in Shawnee County?
How does a neighborhood activate the barking dog rule?
What's the penalty for keeping a dog that barks constantly?
Are kennels or animal shelters exempt from the barking rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shawnee County
Compare Shawnee County to another location·View the Kansas noise ordinances overview
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