Service Animal Laws by State 2025

Service Dog In Training Covered

Yes

State	Service Dog In Training Covered↓	Public Accommodation Law	Harassment or Interference	Driving Law	Licensing Law	Dog Fraud Law
Alabama	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Alaska	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Arizona	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Arkansas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
California	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Colorado	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connecticut	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Delaware	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Florida	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Georgia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Idaho	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Illinois	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Indiana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Iowa	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Kansas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Kentucky	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Maine	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maryland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Massachusetts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Michigan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Minnesota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Mississippi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Missouri	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Montana	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Nebraska	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nevada	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
New Hampshire	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
North Carolina	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
North Dakota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Ohio	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oklahoma	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oregon	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Pennsylvania	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rhode Island	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
South Carolina	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
South Dakota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Tennessee	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Texas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Utah	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Vermont	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Virginia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
West Virginia	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Hawaii	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Washington	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wyoming	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

The federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) recognizes service animals as those trained to assist the blind, deaf, and other disabled persons in specific tasks such as walking or retrieving objects. The ADA requires “public accommodations” to permit full access to one type of recognized service animal, dogs. Public accommodation includes a wide range of institutions into which the public is regularly invited, such as transit systems, restaurants, hotels, theaters, medical offices, pharmacies, retail stores, museums, libraries, parks, private schools, and daycare centers. Airlines, houses of worship, and certain private clubs are exempt from ADA requirements.

Under the ADA, public accommodations that do not allow full access to service dogs, without a fee, can be civilly and even criminally prosecuted. A public accommodation is permitted to inquire about what specific task a service animal is trained to perform. Federal law does not require service animals to be labeled (such as by wearing a vest or sign) and does not mandate specific training requirements for service animals.

Certain states have laws that also protect and regulate service animals. All but six states (Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, and West Virginia) have “service animal interference” laws that criminalize killing, assaulting, or recklessly or maliciously interfering with the activities of a service animal. Violators can face a simple misdemeanor for willfully interfering with a service animal in New Hampshire. There is up to a one-year term of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine in California for causing intentional injury to a service animal. In 28 states and the District of Columbia, it is a crime to fraudulently represent that an animal is a service animal, including by fraudulently using an insignia or service-animal vest.

Some states recognize animals other than dogs as service animals. For example, Alaska, Maryland, Montana, and Oregon permit “other animal[s]” to be recognized as service animals, and cats and birds have been so designated. Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming specifically allow “miniature horses” to be service animals with the same right of access as service dogs. About half of all states waive fees and licenses for service animals, though in some cases the owner must prove the animal’s training and status to be eligible for an exemption from licensing fees.

“Emotional support animals” are those that provide comfort to relieve symptoms of distress or disability (but are not trained to perform a specific task) and can include a wide range of animals. Emotional support animals are not recognized as service animals under federal law unless they are trained to assist their owner with a specific task. Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, and Washington explicitly prohibit emotional support animals from the legal protections afforded service animals. Wyoming distinguishes between the two and provides some limited protection for emotional support animals.

Service Animal Laws by State 2025

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