Wilmington, DE Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Wilmington, DE, 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
- Wilmington City Code § 11-60(c)(5)
- Continuous trigger
- continuously or incessantly for a period of ten minutes
- Intermittent trigger
- intermittently for one-half hour or more
- Animals covered
- any animal or bird
- Enforcing agency
- Wilmington Police Department
- First-offense fine
- $250 to $1,000
Summary
Wilmington makes it unlawful to own, possess, harbor or control an animal or bird that barks, bays, cries or squawks continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for a half hour or more, when the noise causes a noise disturbance within a receiving property. City Code § 11-60(c)(5) reaches birds and other animals as well as dogs, and the Wilmington police department enforces it.
Animals and birds. Owning, possessing, harboring or controlling any animal or bird which barks, bays, cries or squawks or makes any other noise continuously or incessantly for a period of ten minutes or makes such noise intermittently for one-half hour or more thereby causing a noise disturbance within a receiving property; provided, however, that at the time the animal or bird is making such noise no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11-60(c)(5) appears in Wilmington's noise article under the heading "Animals and birds." The rule is aimed at the person, not the animal. It covers anyone "owning, possessing, harboring or controlling" the animal, so responsibility is not limited to the legal owner. A person who harbors or controls the animal is covered on the same terms.
The provision is not limited to dogs either. It names "any animal or bird," and it lists barking, baying, crying and squawking before adding "any other noise." A squawking bird is treated the same way as a barking dog.
The subsection sets separate time tests. The first is noise made "continuously or incessantly for a period of ten minutes." The second is noise made "intermittently for one-half hour or more." The continuous test is the shorter one: ten minutes of unbroken noise is enough. The intermittent test is written for an animal that stops and starts, and it takes a half hour or more of that on-and-off pattern to qualify. Either test is sufficient by itself.
Meeting a time test is not the whole offense. The noise must also be "causing a noise disturbance within a receiving property." The question is the effect at the property where the sound is received, not how loud it seems at the home where the animal is kept.
The subsection carries its own condition. It applies only when, at the time the animal or bird is making the noise, "no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property." An animal sounding off at a trespasser falls outside the rule, and so does an animal that someone teased or provoked. The police department enforces the noise article.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor under § 11-59. The fine is $250 to $1,000 for a first offense, $500 to $2,500 for a second offense, and $1,000 to $5,000 for third and later offenses. Each day of violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a dog bark before it's a violation in Wilmington?
Is there a defense if the dog was provoked?
Does Wilmington's rule apply only to dogs?
Can I be cited if the dog isn't mine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wilmington
Compare Wilmington to another location·View the Delaware noise ordinances overview
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