Leon County, FL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Sec. 12-56(8) makes it a per se violation to permit 'unreasonably loud and raucous noise emitted by an animal or bird for which a person is responsible,' defining responsibility as owning, controlling or otherwise caring for the animal. Sounds from animals housed at 'animal shelters, kennels, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, or pet kennels licensed under and in compliance with any applicable licensing and permitting provisions' are expressly exempt. Because the standard is 'unreasonably loud and raucous' rather than a decibel or time limit, Sec. 12-55's general factors, proximity to sleeping areas, the zoning of the area, time of day, duration, and whether the barking is recurrent, intermittent or constant, determine whether a specific complaint qualifies.

The article applies only 'outside the municipal limits of the City of Tallahassee' under Sec. 12-53, so a barking complaint inside the city goes to Tallahassee's own code instead of the county sheriff. The Leon County Sheriff's Office holds primary enforcement responsibility under Sec. 12-58 and is directed to seek voluntary compliance through warning, notice or education before a citation issues. A violation is a civil infraction under Sec. 00, with each day the barking continues chargeable as a separate offense; the enumeration in Sec.

12-56 is not exclusive, so a dog whose barking meets the general unreasonable-noise standard in Sec. 12-55(a) can also be cited even where no specific subsection covers the exact circumstance.