Washington County, UT Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Washington County, 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
- Prohibited noise
- Loud, continued or frequent barking/howling
- Also covers
- Noxious or offensive odors
- Repeat violations
- Each day is separate offense
- Exempt
- Veterinary hospitals, medical laboratories
- Penalty
- Infraction, §5-3B-11
Summary
It's unlawful in unincorporated Washington County to own, keep or harbor a dog whose loud, continued or frequent barking, howling or yelping, or whose offensive odors, disturb or endanger the health and welfare of a neighborhood under § 5-3B-8. Each day the disturbance continues counts as a separate offense, though veterinary hospitals and medical laboratories are exempt.
No person, persons, firm or corporation shall own, keep or harbor any dog which, by loud, continued or frequent barking, howling, yelping or by noxious or offensive odors, shall annoy, disturb or endanger the health and welfare of any person or neighborhood. Each day a violation is permitted to exist or continue shall constitute a separate offense. This section shall not apply to veterinary hospitals or medical laboratories.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
' The section treats each day the nuisance continues as a separate, chargeable offense, so a dog that barks excessively for a week can generate a week's worth of violations rather than a single citation. Veterinary hospitals and medical laboratories are expressly carved out of the rule, recognizing that animals housed there may bark or produce odors as part of ordinary treatment or research. The provision sits in Article B (Dogs) of Chapter 3, Animal Control, alongside the running-at-large, rabies and vicious-dog rules, and shares that article's enforcement structure: complaints are handled by the county sheriff's office, its deputies, or the poundmaster and staff who administer the dog pound under Article D.
Because the section does not set a decibel level, duration, or time-of-day trigger, enforcement turns on whether the barking or odor is shown to actually annoy, disturb or endanger a neighbor, which in practice is established through a neighbor's complaint and the responding officer's observation.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 5-3B-8 is an infraction under the article's general penalty, § 5-3B-11, unless the county pursues it as a repeated-day violation, in which case each additional day of disturbance is chargeable as its own separate offense rather than one continuing citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many barking complaints does it take before it's a violation?
Can I be cited every day my neighbor's dog keeps barking?
Are kennels or vet clinics exempt from the barking rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.