Over 100,000 people have trusted USA Service Dogs over many years with their service dog or emotional support animal registrations and we enjoy a 98% satisfaction rating across 10,000 reviews. As a result, our ID cards and identifying vests, leashes, and tags are easily recognized, helping you to quickly eliminate hassle and questioning when bringing your service dog or emotional support animal with you in public.
Additionally, our ID cards come with free plastic holders, so they won't fade and can easily last the lifetime of your service dog. They're also double sided, containing your service dog / ESA ID on the front, and the relevant federal laws regarding service dogs or emotional support animals on the back, allowing you to quickly show the rules to anyone who asks.
Furthermore, should you ever have an issue verifying your registration, you can rest assured that our friendly support staff is available to help you by phone or email no matter the time of day or night - 24/7/365 service. You don't get a 98% customer satisfaction rating unless you're relentless about resolving any issues that may arise for all your customers!
And, if you're in a rush, you're in good hands, because all our orders ship next mail day (including Saturdays), and we have rush shipping options available on all orders. Standard shipping is always free!
No, we do not need to see documentation of your disability to process your registration. We ask you to acknowledge that you have a disability that qualifies you for a service dog or emotional support animal under the interpretation of the ADA, ACAA, and FHA. Please do not take advantage of this powerful service as it may be a violation of local, state, and federal law to represent a pet as a service dog.
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), FHA (Fair Housing Act), and ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act) do not require registration in order for your dog to be legally considered a service dog or emotional support animal. (See below for what makes a dog a service dog). Many other services out there claim to be ADA, FHA, or ACAA compliant, but federal agencies have not reviewed and do not officially support any of these services. However, many business owners are unaware of current laws related to service dogs and emotional support animals, and many people find it more convenient, especially in the time of COVID-19, to have identifying tags, ID cards, and vests on their service dogs so they can avoid hassle and questioning when bringing their dogs with them in public.
The law treats these 3 registration types differently:
Service dogs must be trained to perform a specific task, however the law allows for owners to train their own dogs. Disabilities requiring service dogs typically include (partial list): mobility problems, blindness, paralysis, epilepsy panic attacks, deafness, speech problems, and PTSD.
Emotional support dogs are not required to be trained to perform a specific task. They are simply there for companionship, affection, and to provide comfort to their owner. Common conditions requiring emotional support dogs include (partial list): anxiety disorders, panic attacks, stress, social phobia, PTSD, and chronic depression.
Therapy dogs are not trained in any specific task and usually serve to give companionship to patients in a hospital, nursing home, or other palliative care environment. Therapy dogs are not afforded the same protections under the ADA as service dogs and emotional support dogs so you may not be able to bring them with you to all public places.
We process all orders within 1 business day and offer express shipping options. Electronic registrations with printable ID cards are sent within 5 minutes of registering.
We ship USPS to all 50 states. We use first class mail, priority mail, and priority mail express which is the USPS's fastest shipping service with guaranteed next business day delivery.
In general, airlines must accommodate legitimate service dogs as per the ADA, but each airline's policies may vary when it comes to the necessary forms and documentation that is required prior to boarding. As of January 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation has enacted a new rule which no longer requires airlines to consider emotional support animals in the same category as service dogs, allowing them to charge regular pet fees. We have information pertaining to the most popular air carriers in the US, click below
View Airline PoliciesThe first step in such an unfortunate situation is to stay calm and know your rights. Under the ADA, you are allowed to have your service animal or emotional support animal accompany you to public establishments even if the establishment has posted a NO PETS ALLOWED sign. You should explain to the owner or manager that the ADA entitles you as a person with a disability to bring your dog with you to public establishments. Usually, it is just a matter of ignorance on the part of the manager and the situation is quickly resolved. If not, the next step may be to contact the police since they can explain to the manager what laws are protecting you and your service animal or emotional support animal. (Please note however that some states may have enacted legislation that may restrict some of your rights as a person with a disability to bring your service animal to public establishments - check with your local state laws). If you are trying to effect change for a certain establishment, it may be necessary to contact a lawyer who can lobby on your behalf, however usually drafting a letter to the owner is enough to convince them to change their policies.
Emotional Support Animals are not specifically mentioned by the ADA and so businesses (besides housing services) have more discretion about whether to allow the ESA onto its premises. In general, kindly asking the business owner to allow entry with your ESA, along with presenting the proper paperwork, including a therapist letter, will be enough to allay any concerns the business owner may have, so long as your ESA is well-behaved and poses no risk to the business or other customers.
At USA Service Dogs, your registration is good for the life of your service dog, emotional support animal, or therapy dog.
Your IDs cards usually arrive by email within 5 minutes of successfully placing your order, but could take up to a few hours during high traffic times. If you have placed an order but still have not received your ID cards, please contact us at orders@usaservicedogs.org
Yes! If you don't have a printer available, it's possible to simply open the electronic ID card you receive after placing your order and display it to whoever is asking for it. Usually, that is sufficient proof that your dog is registered, although not in every case.
It's hard to say, and it really depends on the establishment. Even though it would be against the law for a business to deny your service dog entry without the presentation of any certificate or ID, many are ignorant of the law and may still attempt to do so. If you are concerned that a specific establishment may not accept electronic registration IDs, we strongly encourage you to purchase physical PVC ID cards which should put to rest any claim that your dog is not registered with USA Service Dogs.
Please see the links below:
The ADA does not specifically govern emotional support animals. ESAs are covered by the ACAA and FHA, which are the federal laws that grant people with emotional support animals the right to bring their ESAs with them in the cabin of the airplane or in their apartment buildings regardless of any pet policy or pet fees that they would otherwise be subject to. As of January 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation no longer requires airlines to make special accommodations for emotional support animals. For housing and other businesses, the law only requires an ESA letter signed by a licensed physician or therapist who has evaluated your need for an emotional support animal in order for your pet to legally be considered your emotional support animal.
Please also remember that registration is not required by the ADA. There is no official government database of service dog registrations and each service maintains its own independent database. Many people do however find that having ID cards, certificates, vests, tags, etc. make their lives much easier by helping to avoid hassle with many places of business where people wish to bring their service dogs and emotional support animals. Much like an employer who is not required to identify employees with badges or uniforms, many do anyway as it allows instant recognition of their employees. Similarly, many people choose to equip their service dogs or emotional support animals with identification tags, cards, leashes, and vests, so others can quickly know that they are not just a pet but an essential component of the handler's life. This is especially true for those with severe social anxiety and other invisible disabilities that may not be immediately apparent to others.
Service dogs are required to be trained in certain tasks to assist the owner as well as obedience, manners, and public skills. Under the law, you are allowed to train your own dog to be a service dog. No training certification is required to register your service dog at USAServiceDogs.org and receive a service dog registration kit however we ask that you be honest about your dog's abilities.
We do not require medical documentation or a doctor's note to process your registration. We ask that you use this service responsibly. Individuals with physical or mental disabilities that impairs their ability to complete basic life activities are entitled to a service dog who can assist them in life's basic tasks. Under the American with Disabilities Act, individuals with service dogs do not have to disclose the nature of their disability to anyone in order to be allowed to have the service dog accompany him or her wherever they go. No one is allowed to ask for medical documentation, special ID cards, or proof of training of the animal of any kind.
No, you do not need a doctor's note or medical documentation to bring a service dog with you to any facility.
Businesses are not allowed to charge you extra fees to allow you to bring your service dog into their business, including airlines. If a business tries charging you extra for having a service dog, please direct them to the text of the Americans with Disabilities Act, available here.
Allergies or other problems such as fear of dogs are not valid reasons for businesses to deny entry to you and your service dog. However, if your dog misbehaves and is not housebroken, businesses may ask you to leave your service dog outside, but are required to still provide you with service.
In general yes, however if the leash impedes the ability of the service dog to complete a specific task, the leash may be removed.
For privacy reasons and HIPAA compliance concerns, we do not need to see documentation and/or medical regarding your medical condition in order to process your emotional support dog registration. We ask that you use this service responsibly and advise you to carry a medical note with you at all times as businesses and public places have a right to see a note from your doctor about your need for an emotional support dog.
At this time USA Service Dogs is only able to accept service dog and emotional support dog registrations.
Emotional support animals can help with a wide variety of medical conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, arthritis ataxia, neurocognitive disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, various fears and phobias, vision and hearing disabilities, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, autism, and more.
Any animal, and any dog breed can be an emotional support animal. There is no minimum or maximum size specified in laws related to emotional support dogs.
The ADA does not cover emotional support animals, only psychiatric service dogs, which are dogs trained to perform a specific task that helps with its owner's psychiatric condition. If the business or public establishment is not covered under the Fair Housing Act, then that business can force you to leave with your emotional support dog. However, if your dog is well-behaved, and does not pose a nuisance to the business in question, usually there are no problems when ESA paperwork is presented. Businesses covered under the Fair Housing Act such as housing providers (apartments, dorm rooms, etc.) must make reasonable accommodations for your valid emotional support animal.
As of January 2021, a new U.S. Department of Transportation rule no longer requires airlines to consider emotional support animals as medically necessary and can begin charging regular pet carry fees. Service dogs are still exempt, but the documentation has been simplified. Please see individual airline policies by clicking here. We always encourage you to be sure to check with your airline in advance of your flight to be sure there are no surprises upon arriving at the gate.