Winter Park, FL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Sec. 18-17 puts the burden on the person who keeps or harbors the animal. It is unlawful to keep or harbor within the city any animal or fowl which barks, howls, screams, cries, crows or makes other noises by day or night which disturb the peace and quiet of any person or family. The word fowl matters: a crowing rooster falls under the same sentence as a barking dog. The trigger is disturbance to one person or one family, not a measured decibel level, and the section prints no separate quiet hours.

The section carries two conduct prongs as well. Habitually destroying or desecrating the property of any person is unlawful, and so is habitually chasing cars or other vehicles. Both use the word habitually.

A second rule sits in the noise division. Sec. 62-97(a)(5) declares the keeping of any animal or bird which by causing frequent or long continued noise creates a noise disturbance in a residential area to be a noise disturbance. Sec. 62-92 defines that term to include a sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities or is loud or raucous, and Sec. 62-96(b) lists the factors weighed, among them the duration of the noise, whether it is recurrent, intermittent or constant, and its proximity to sleeping facilities. Sec. 62-95 adds that an owner or lessee who is present and allows a noise disturbance to exist commits a violation.

Backyard chickens are the local edge case. Sec. 18-16 prohibits keeping farm animals, including geese, turkeys and chickens, within the city limits, but allows chickens under the conditions of Sec. 18-18. Sec. 18-17 still applies to any fowl kept there, so a crowing rooster or a noisy flock is covered by its language.