West Jordan, UT Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in West Jordan, 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
- Governing section
- City Code § 5-3-2(A)
- Barking exemption
- Excluded from the animal-noise exemption
- Nighttime confinement
- 10:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M., where possible
- Nuisance threshold
- Disturbs 3 or more persons (§5-3-1)
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor
Summary
West Jordan's nuisance code exempts natural animal noises like mooing or crowing, but explicitly excludes dog barking from that exemption. City Code section 5-3-2A requires owners claiming any animal-noise exemption to confine noisy animals, including dogs, in an enclosed structure between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. to prevent nighttime disturbances.
1. Is merely the result of those naturally occurring noises made by animals, including, but not limited to, mooing, bleating or crowing during daytime hours; provided that the foregoing exemption does not apply to the barking of dogs; and ... 3. Owners of animals claiming this exemption are required to maintain and control such animals in a responsible manner to prevent undue noise disturbances during nighttime hours. All animals making noise, including, but not limited to, dogs should, where possible, be confined in an enclosed structure between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. and seven o'clock (7:00) A.M.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-38: Code current through: Ord. 26-33, passed 6-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-3-1 makes any condition that 'annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of three (3) or more persons' a nuisance and a Class B misdemeanor. ' That single sentence means barking dogs are not automatically shielded the way other livestock and farm-animal noise is; a barking complaint can be pursued as a nuisance under section 5-3-1 without the owner being able to invoke the daytime-noise exemption. ' Because the barking exclusion in A1 removes dogs from the exemption altogether, a barking dog that disturbs three or more neighbors, day or night, is a nuisance the City can act on.
Violations & Fines
A dog whose barking annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of three or more persons is a nuisance under section 5-3-1, since section 5-3-2A specifically withholds the daytime animal-noise exemption from barking dogs. The owner, agent or occupant tolerating the disturbance is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, prosecutable criminally or through Title 16 administrative abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a barking dog treated the same as other animal noise in West Jordan?
Does West Jordan require dogs to be confined at night?
How many neighbors have to complain before barking is a nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Jordan
Compare West Jordan 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.