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Upper Darby, PA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Barking dog rules in Upper Darby, PA, 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

Rule
No barking that becomes a nuisance
Who files
The complaining neighbor, not the Township
Where filed
Local Magisterial District Judge
Fine on conviction
$300 flat, § 222-23

Summary

Upper Darby Code § 222-19 bars letting a dog bark or howl to the point of becoming a nuisance, but enforcement is unusual: the neighbor bothered by the noise must personally sign a private criminal complaint against the dog's owner before a Magisterial District Judge.

§ 222-19. Dog barking. A. No person shall allow their dog(s) to bark where such dog barking, howling, etc., becomes a nuisance. B. The person(s) complaining of the dog barking must sign a private complaint with the local Magisterial District Judge naming the offending dog owner.

View official code

Full Breakdown

" That means Township animal control or police do not independently cite a barking-dog owner on patrol; a resident who wants the ordinance enforced has to go to the district court themselves, identify the dog owner by name, and pursue the private criminal complaint. This sits alongside the general nuisance-abatement machinery in the Article III "Keeping of Certain Domestic and Wild or Semi-Wild Animals" provisions, where the Director of the Department of Health can independently declare an animal-related nuisance and issue an abatement order under Section 222-34, but Section 222-19 itself does not give the Health Department that role for ordinary dog barking.

Because the barking provision sits inside Article I, a successful private complaint is still processed as a violation of that article, meaning the general Article I penalty section governs the outcome once the Magisterial District Judge accepts and rules on the complaint.

Violations & Fines

Article I is enforced under Section 222-23 through a non-traffic criminal citation before the Magisterial District Judge with jurisdiction over the violation. For barking, that judge only becomes involved after a resident personally files the private complaint required by Section 222-19B naming the dog's owner; a conviction carries the article's flat $300 fine plus any extraordinary Township prosecution expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who enforces Upper Darby's barking dog rule?
Not animal control on its own. Section 222-19 requires the person bothered by the barking to personally sign a private criminal complaint with the local Magisterial District Judge, naming the dog's owner, before the case can proceed.
Is any amount of dog barking illegal in Upper Darby?
No. Section 222-19 only bars barking or howling that rises to the level of a nuisance; the ordinance does not define a decibel level or time limit, leaving that judgment to the private complaint process before the district judge.
What happens if the barking complaint is proven?
Because Section 222-19 sits within Article I of the dog ordinance, a sustained complaint is treated as a violation of that article, exposing the dog owner to the $300 flat fine set by Section 222-23 plus any extraordinary prosecution costs the Township incurs.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Upper Darby

Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsConstruction HoursSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsDecibel LimitsSome RestrictionsVehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsAmplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome Restrictions

All Upper Darby rules

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