Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Service animals are working animals, not pets. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Generally, title II and title III entities must permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.This publication provides guidance on the term “service animal” and the service animal provisions in the Department’s regulations.

These requirements, or rules, contain updated requirements, including the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards).

The Department of Justice published revised final regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for title II (State and local government services) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) on September 15, 2010, in the Federal Register.

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