Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Your Rights as a Service Dog Handler:
-
Under the ADA, state and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is allowed to go.
-
The ADA does not require service dogs to wear any special vests or identification tags.
Exceptions:
-
Religious organizations including schools and places of worship.
-
Private clubs depending on their exclusiveness and operations.
Businesses are allowed to ask you two questions about your service animal:
-
"Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?"
-
"What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?"
Businesses cannot ask about the person’s disability, medical documentation, special identification or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform tasks.
​
Useful Public Access Links:
​
*For state specific access guidelines for service dogs and service dogs in training check your state government access pages.
​
Your Responsibility as a Handler
As a service dog handler you must have control of the dog at all times. Under the ADA, the dog must be leashed or tethered to the handler at all times, unless the person's disability prevents use of this equipment or if use of this equipment interferes with the dog's ability to perform the necessary tasks.
​