Can A Business Ask For A Service Animal Certificate

Welcome to Service Dog Certifications

Going out in public with your assistance animal, Service Dog, Psychiatric Service Dog, or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) can be hard. You want strangers and venues to understand that your animal companion is not just a pet and set proper boundaries. Our Service Dog accessories and services are for owners of assistance animals who want to make clear that their companion is providing invaluable services or support for them. The service dog certification and registration process help protect your privacy by eliminating the need to answer questions about your disability to strangers. We also offer psychiatric service dog and emotional support animal certification, registration, and accessories. If your order is time sensitive, we have expedited digital and physical delivery options available.

Service Dog IDs, vests, tags, certifications and registrations are not required for Service Dogs or other types of assistance animals and do not confer rights, but are useful accessories and tools that can help take the stress out of being in public. ServiceDogCertifications.org's mission is to empower those in need of mental, emotional, and/or physical support from animals. Register your animal in our Service Dog Registry and get your service dog, emotional support dog, or therapy animal identification to help eliminate doubt and affirm your rights.

Where Can My Service Dog Go?

A Service Dog has public access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Most places that serve the public must allow Service Dogs to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go. Below is a list of places a Service Dog is allowed, even if normal pets are banned:

Restaurants, bars, food courts
Hotels, airplanes, buses, public transportation, ride shares
Offices, Universities and Colleges, on-campus housing
Apartments, condos, co-ops
Senior living and retirement communities

Who qualifies for a Service Dog?

A person can qualify for a Service Dog Certification if they have a disability that requires the assistance of a Service Dog. The disability can be physical (such as blindness, mobility impairment, seizures, diabetes, etc.) or a mental or emotional disability that requires a Psychiatric Service Dog. A Service Dog must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. People who suffer from mental or emotional disabilities can also have an Emotional Support Animal, which do not need special training and have more limited rights than Service Dogs.

What can a business, landlord, hotel, airline, etc. ask me about my service dog?

If it is not obvious what service a Service Dog provides, only two questions are allowed to be asked: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. The ADA prevents people from asking about the person's disability or asking that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Is it required to register/certify my Service Dog or obtain IDs/vests?

No, you are not required to register your Service Dog. These items are helpful tools used by Service Dog owners to signal and confirm to the public that your companion is a working Service Dog. Items such as vest and ID cards can help protect against intrusive strangers and set proper boundaries. Although registration is not a requirement, it can be helpful to register and obtain a Service Dog ID card to identify your animal as a Service Dog and not a pet.

How to register your service dog and get your service dog registration number

Enter your name as the Service Dog Handler
Enter the name of your Service Dog
Provide your email address and upload an image of your Service Dog
Choose a paper certificate

To register your service dog and include your assistance animal in the Service Dog Certifications registration database, complete the following steps:

To register your Service Dog, you may begin here.

How to register your emotional support animal and get your ESA registration number

To register your ESA and include your assistance animal in the Service Dog Certifications ESA registration database, complete the following steps: