About this application
You can make an application if a dog’s excessive barking is causing a nuisance to you or your family.
You might find yourself in a situation where persistent or disruptive barking is disturbing you, and you haven't been able to resolve it with the owner of the dog.
Who can help
You might find yourself in a situation where persistent or disruptive barking is disturbing you, and you haven't been able to resolve it with the owner of the dog.
- You should attempt to resolve the issue yourself by contacting the person owning the dog or the business where the dog occupies. It may be a neighbour's dog or a security watchdog occupying a local business during night hours.
- Your Local Authority or Dog Warden may be able to provide information or guidance to assist you.
Before your court application
- You must send a formal notice letting the dog owner know that you intend to make an application to the court.
- There is a specific form for this, often referred to as a Section 25 form.
- This notice should be sent at least seven days before you intend to make the application at the court office.
- You can deliver the notice by hand to the dog owner or send it by post or deliver it in person.
- You should keep a detailed log of the barking, including dates, times, and the duration of the noise, as evidence for the court.
- If the barking persists after the notice period of seven days, you can proceed to the District Court office to make the application
How to make your court application
You can download your application form Form No. 40C.01 Notice of Statutory Application or contact your localcourt office and they can send a application form to you by post. The person making the application is the claimant and the person you are making the application against is the respondant.
You will need to include the following information to complete your application:
- District Court number and area. Please see our map, this can be found here.
- A record number which will be inserted by the court office,
- Enter the enactment which is the section of the legislation that is relevant to your application - Section 25 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986,
- Your full name and address,
- the respondent's full name and address,
- the date and time of court which the court office will give you,
- details of what you are asking the judge to do,
- reasons why your making this application,
- list of documents you intend to rely on or use in court, including video evidence if applicable,
- the address of the court office where you filed your application.
Stamp fee
You must pay the appropriate court fee for your application The fee for this application is €80. This civil application fee can be paid at your local court office (or in Dublin, at the Stamping Office in the Áras Uí Dhálaigh building in the Four Courts complex). You can pay these fees by card or cash. The office will check your application, give it a record number, issue it, and return the form to you.
Serving your application
You must then send a copy of your application to the respondent. This is called serving the application. Please see our serving and proof of service page for more information.
The Respondent must be notified at least twenty one days prior to the court date by registered post. Your post office will give you a certificate of postage.
Submitting your application
A copy of the stamped application with the declaration of service attached must be lodged in your local District Court office at least seven days prior to the court date.
The judge may make the following decisions:
The judge can make the following decisions:
- Approve your application
- Apply certain conditions to control the dog
- Refuse your application
- Adjourn your case for more information
- Ask the parties to mediate and reach an agreement
Preparing for Court
You will be asked to give evidence in the Court room and you should be prepared to answer any questions the Judge may ask you.
Going to court can be a stressful experience. See our preparing for Civil Law court pages for more information on how to prepare.
What happens after court
See our After your hearing page for more information on whatt to expect after your court hearing
