Yuma, AZ Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Yuma, AZ, 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
- Complaint threshold
- 2+ separate households
- First violation
- Written warning only
- Fine after warning
- $50
- Fine, 1 prior finding
- $100
- Fine, 2+ prior findings
- $200
- Offense type
- Civil, not criminal
Summary
Yuma bars owners from letting any mammal, bird or fowl excessively bark, howl or make noise that disturbs the peace. Excessive requires complaints from at least two households. A first violation only draws a written warning; repeat violations escalate to civil fines.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person or legal entity to permit any animal within the person's or entity's care, custody or control to excessively bark, howl, or make other noises by day or night that disturbs the peace and quiet of any person. (B) For purpose of § 130-005, ANIMAL is defined as any mammal, bird, or fowl. (C) For purposes of § 130-005, EXCESSIVELY requires complaints from at least two individuals, residing in separate households, with independent knowledge of the noise. (D) The first violation of § 130-005 shall result in a written warning. The warning shall place the violator on notice of the requirements of § 130-005 and that future violations may result in a civil penalty. (E) It shall be an affirmative defense if the animal was provoked into creating the noise at issue.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 130-005(A) makes it unlawful for a person or legal entity to permit any animal in their care, custody or control to excessively bark, howl or make other noises, by day or night, that disturbs the peace and quiet of any person. ANIMAL is defined in (B) as any mammal, bird or fowl, reaching beyond dogs to noisy roosters or other pets. EXCESSIVELY is defined narrowly in (C): it requires complaints from at least two individuals residing in separate households who have independent knowledge of the noise, so a single neighbor's complaint cannot support a citation on its own.
Subsection (D) requires the first violation to result only in a written warning that puts the owner on notice, with future violations then eligible for a civil penalty. Subsection (E) provides an affirmative defense if the animal was provoked into making the noise. The section was added by Ordinance 1798 in 1978 and most recently amended by Ordinance O2020-009 in June 2020, when the city built in the two-household complaint threshold and the warning-first structure.
Violations & Fines
A first § 130-005 violation is a written warning only, per § 130-999(C). A violation after a warning within the prior 12 months is a civil offense with a $50 fine. If the person already has one prior finding of responsibility within 12 months, the fine rises to $100, and with two or more prior findings within 12 months, it rises to $200.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one neighbor's complaint get a barking dog cited in Yuma?
What happens the first time a Yuma dog owner is reported for barking?
Is a barking dog citation in Yuma a criminal charge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuma
Compare Yuma to another location·View the Arizona noise ordinances overview
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