Waco, TX Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Waco, TX, 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 standard
- Excessive, continuous noise disturbing an ordinary person
- First step
- ACO can issue a remedial order
- Neighbor complaint
- 600-foot radius, 3% of households must sign
- Hearing deadline
- Board must hear it within 10 days
- Owner appeal window
- 5 days to file notice with city secretary
- Noncompliance
- Separate offense, filed in municipal court
Summary
A dog that barks, whines, howls, or makes noise excessively and continuously enough to disturb a person of ordinary sensibilities is a nuisance animal under Section 5-96. An Animal Care Officer can order the owner to fix the problem, and neighbors within 600 feet can petition the Animal Welfare Board directly if the ACO does not act.
(a)As used in this article, a nuisance animal shall be defined as any animal other than a bee or bee colony kept pursuant to section 5-97 which commits any of the following acts:(1)Molests or chases pedestrians, passersby, or passing vehicles, including bicycles;(2)Makes unprovoked attacks on other animals of any kind;(3)Is repeatedly at large;(4)Damages private or public property;(5)Defecates on property not belonging to or under the control of its owner;(6)Barks, whines, howls, crows, crackles, or makes any noise excessively and continuously, and such noise disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities; or(7)Is unconfined when in heat or in estrus...(c)The keeping of any animal in a manner that endangers the public health, annoys neighbors by the accumulation of animal wastes which cause foul and offensive odors, or poses a hazard to any other animal or human being is considered to be a nuisance under this chapter...(e)Persons residing within 600 feet of a person who harbors an animal, including a bee colony, which they believe to be a nuisance may initiate an action before the board as provided for in section 5-33.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-96(a)(6) lists excessive, continuous barking, whining, howling, crowing, or crackling that disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities as one of seven acts that make an animal a nuisance, alongside molesting pedestrians, unprovoked attacks on other animals, repeated at-large incidents, property damage, and off-property defecation. Subsection (c) broadens this further to cover keeping any animal in a way that endangers public health or annoys neighbors through accumulated waste odors. Under subsection (d), once an ACO determines an animal is a nuisance, the officer can issue an order requiring the owner to meet remedial requirements, served by personal delivery or certified mail; the owner can appeal that order to the Animal Welfare Board by filing notice with the city secretary within five days under Section 5-34(a).
Subsection (e) gives neighbors their own path: anyone living within 600 feet of the animal's owner can bring a nuisance complaint before the board by filing a petition signed by residents of three percent of households in that 600-foot area, per Section 5-34(b). The board must hold a hearing within ten days of the complaint under Section 5-35(a), and if it finds against the owner it can impose remedial requirements from Section 5-36, ranging from relocating the confinement area to limiting how many animals the owner may keep. Ignoring the board's order is a separate offense that can be filed in municipal court under Section 5-39.
Violations & Fines
A finding against the owner lets the board impose remedial requirements under Section 5-36, and failing to comply is its own violation: Section 5-39 allows the case to go back to the board for reconsideration or be filed directly as a complaint in municipal court, and the city can also pursue a civil action to enforce compliance with a barking-dog order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a nuisance barking dog in Waco?
How do I file a complaint about a neighbor's barking dog in Waco?
Can Waco make me get rid of my dog for barking too much?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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