West Valley City, UT Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in West Valley City, 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
- § 24-22-108(5), Animals
- Standard
- Frequent or habitual noisemaking, not one bark
- Nighttime test
- Audible at property line, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Anytime test
- Audible from 50 feet
- Enforcement
- Health Department and West Valley City Police
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, per-day violation
Summary
A dog, cat or other animal that barks, howls or otherwise makes noise frequently or habitually enough to disturb neighbors violates Municipal Code § 24-22-108(5), which bars owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any animal that causes a "noise disturbance" by frequent or habitual noisemaking. The rule applies whenever the noise is plainly audible at the property line overnight or from 50 feet at any hour.
The following acts are declared to be in violation of these rules and regulations if they occur between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. and are plainly audible at the property boundary of the source; or if they occur at any time so as to be plainly audible at 50 feet from the source of the noise disturbance. A permit may be obtained pursuant to Section 24-22-112 to allow relief from the noise restrictions in this Chapter. ... (5) Animals. Owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any animal or animals that cause a noise disturbance by frequent or habitual noisemaking. ... (16) Noise Disturbance. Any sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person(s) with normal sensitivities or that injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of another person(s).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-30, passed June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
and is plainly audible at the property boundary of the source, or if it happens at any hour and is plainly audible 50 feet away. Section 24-22-101(16) defines the underlying "Noise Disturbance" standard as any sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person with normal sensitivities or that injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of another person, so an occasional bark at a passerby does not by itself trigger the ordinance; the animal has to be a frequent or habitual noisemaker.
The general prohibition in Section 24-22-107 reinforces the point, separately making it unlawful to produce, continue or cause to be produced or continued any noise disturbance anywhere in the City. Enforcement is shared between the Salt Lake Valley Health Department and the West Valley City Police Department under Section 24-22-114, and either agency can act on a neighbor's complaint without a decibel meter reading, since the standard for animal noise is the plainly-audible/noise-disturbance test rather than a numeric limit like those set for stationary mechanical sources in Section 24-22-109.
A pet owner facing a citation has no waiver process specific to barking; Section 24-22-112's temporary-event waivers apply to planned activities, not ongoing animal noise.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an animal that habitually disturbs the neighborhood with noise is a class B misdemeanor under Section 24-22-119, and each day the disturbance continues is chargeable as a separate offense. A pattern of unresolved barking complaints can also be pursued as a nuisance under Section 24-22-121, letting the City or an affected neighbor seek a restraining order or injunction from a court in addition to any misdemeanor citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal for my neighbor's dog to bark occasionally?
How loud or frequent does barking have to be to violate the ordinance?
Who do I call about a barking dog in West Valley City?
What penalty does an owner face for a barking-dog citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Valley City
Compare West Valley City 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.