York County, VA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in York County, VA, 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
- County Code § 16-19.2(l)
- Trigger
- plainly audible 30+ minutes
- Distance threshold
- 100 feet from source
- First-offense fine
- up to $250.00
- Repeat fine (12 mo.)
- up to $500.00
- Enforcing agency
- York County Sheriff's Office
Summary
In York County, Virginia, County Code § 16-19.2(l) makes it unlawful to keep any animal whose barking or other noise is plainly audible across a residential property line, through a shared dwelling partition, or 100 feet from its source, once the noise continues for thirty minutes or longer. The York County Sheriff's Office enforces this animal-noise rule under the countywide noise ordinance.
(l)Animals. The keeping of any animal which shall be the source of any noise or sound which is plainly audible across a residential property line or through the partitions common to two dwelling units, or at a distance of one hundred feet (100') or more from its source and on property other than that from which the sound originates and which continues for a period of thirty (30) minutes or longer.
Full Breakdown
York County's noise ordinance, added by Ord. No. 10-8(R-1) on January 18, 2011 and amended by Ord. No. 13-14 on November 19, 2013, lists a noisy animal as one of thirteen specific prohibitions in Sec. 16-19.2. Subsection (l), captioned 'Animals,' bars keeping any animal that becomes the source of noise or sound plainly audible across a residential real property line, through partitions shared by two dwelling units, or at a distance of one hundred feet or more from the source, provided the sound persists for thirty minutes or longer.
'Plainly audible' is defined in Sec. 16-19.1 as any sound a person can detect with unaided hearing, so a deputy does not need a decibel meter to cite this provision, unlike the numeric limits in Sec. 16-19.3. The rule sits within the noise article, Secs. 16-19 through 16-19.6, which the Board of Supervisors adopted after declaring in Sec. 16-19 that excessive noise is a serious hazard to public health, welfare, peace, safety, and the quality of life. Enforcement of the noise ordinance and animal complaints in York County runs through the Sheriff's Office, which also administers Animal Control.
A homeowner whose neighbor's dog barks continuously for half an hour and can be heard across the property line, or inside a closed-up dwelling on the other side of a shared wall, has a citable violation regardless of the owner's intent. Chapter 4's animal provisions cross-reference this section rather than duplicating it, confirming Sec. 16-19.2(l) as the governing animal-noise rule countywide.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Sec. 16-19.2(l) is a misdemeanor punishable under Sec. 16-19.6 by a fine of up to $250.00; a second violation within twelve months carries a fine of up to $500.00. Each day the barking or noise continues after notice is a separate offense, so a chronic barking complaint can generate multiple citations from the York County Sheriff's Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does York County have a specific barking dog ordinance?
How long must a dog bark before it violates the ordinance?
What happens if my neighbor reports my dog for barking in York County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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