Dog Barking Laws in Florida

Barking dogs constitute a nuisance for neighbors. In Florida, as with many areas of the United States, dog owners can be fined or sued if their dogs bark excessively. Florida has several laws pertaining to barking dogs.

  1. Multiple-Household Law

    • According to the multiple-household law, in order for a barking dog to be considered a nuisance, several neighbors must sue jointly. A judge can then rule the barking a nuisance and order the owner to keep her dog under control. According to barkingdogs.net, multiple-household laws are rarely enforced in Florida because it is difficult to find enough people willing to sue.

    Consecutive Disruption Law

    • In Mount Dora, Florida, the law says dogs may not bark for more than five minutes at a time. City officials may consider it excessive If a dog barks longer than five minutes, and neighbors are entitled to call police. Mount Dora law also says that a dog may not bark for more than three 5-minute periods in a 24-hour span, according to a 2007 ordinance. These laws are called consecutive disruption laws because they address problems related to dogs barking consecutively for relatively long periods of time.

    Penalties for Excessive Barking

    • In Florida, dog owners can be fined for disturbing the peace if their dogs bark excessively. The owner can also be ordered to keep his dog inside during certain hours to stop it from disturbing others. In 2004, a Coral Gables man was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and keep his dog inside after dark because the barking disturbed his neighbor. Excessive barking differs from consecutive disruption because the dog may not bark continuously; a news story about the 2004 lawsuit says the dog would bark a few times, stop, and then start again.