Service Dog Registration: How to Get a Service Dog · Kinship

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Can I Register My Dog as a Service Dog?

by Jackie Brown and Savannah Admire
December 20, 2024
A brunette woman sitting in a wheelchair wearing a pink sweatshirt, black leggings, and brown Ugg boots petting an all white Shepherd mixed breed dog on a leash at the park outside

In This Article:

What are Service Dogs? Service Dog Requirements How to Register Your Dog as a Service Dog? Service Dog Registration Scams Service Dog Laws to Be Aware Of

If you are thinking about getting a service dog, or wondering how to get your dog registered as a service dog, you might not know where to begin. Read on to learn all about service dogs and service dog requirements, and find out how to make a dog a service dog.

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A brunette woman sitting in a wheelchair wearing a pink sweatshirt, black leggings, and brown Ugg boots petting an all white Shepherd mixed breed dog on a leash at the park outside

How to Register Your Dog as a Service Dog

The short answer: No animal registration is required, but service dogs still need to be properly trained.


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What are service dogs?

Service dogs are dogs that are specially trained to perform specific tasks to assist a person with a disability. Although most people are familiar with transitional service dog breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs, service dogs can be any breed or mix of any size. Although the list of what services dogs can do is almost endless, some common examples of tasks service dogs might perform include: 

  • Alert a person to an impending seizure or blood sugar drop

  • Guide a blind person to navigate public spaces safely

  • Identify if food contains a life-threatening allergen

  • Stabilize a person who has trouble with balance

  • Alert a deaf person to fire alarms, doorbells, and other sounds

  • Retrieve items, turn on and off lights, or open and close doors for someone in a wheelchair

  • Redirect and calm someone with anxiety or PTSD

  • Alert to a autistic child eloping (running off)

  • Remind a person to take medication

Types of service dogs

There are many different types of service dogs. Some are trained to perform very unique tasks for disabled individuals. Some of the types of service dogs you might see include:

  • Guide dogs (Seeing Eye Dogs)

  • Hearing assistance dogs

  • Mobility assistance dogs

  • Medical alert dogs (for diabetes, seizures, and more)

  • Psychiatric service dogs (to assist with PTSD, anxiety, and other disorders)

  • Autism assistance dogs

ESA vs service dog

Many people think emotional support animals (ESA) are the same as service dogs, but the two are very different. Where service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks to help their handler manage a disability, emotional support animals require no specific training. Just their presence alone provides comfort and support to someone who might suffer from various mental or emotional conditions, such as anxiety, phobias, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other conditions.  

Any pet, whether dog, cat, rabbit, or bird, can be an emotional support animal, but according to the law, only dogs can be service animals (and rarely, miniature horses). Legally, emotional support animals do not have the same public access rights as service dogs (though they are included in the Fair Housing Act, or FHA).

Service dog requirements

Service dog requirements are fairly simple. In order to be recognized as a service dog, a dog must meet the following criteria:

  • The dog must be trained to perform at least one specific task that directly helps with their handler’s disability. Many service dogs perform multiple tasks.

  • The dog must be well trained in general, and well behaved in public. They need to be comfortable with crowds and loud sounds, and completely focused on their handler.

  • They cannot be aggressive

  • Service dogs should be healthy and well groomed. 

How to register your dog as a service dog

Contrary to popular belief, service dogs are not required to be registered. In the United States, there is no registry or official organization that recognizes service dogs. A dog qualifies as a service dog if their handler has a disability that limits their activities, and if the dog is trained to perform tasks that mitigate that disability. Service dogs should also be nonaggressive and well-behaved in public. 

Service dogs must receive extensive training, not only to perform tasks that help with their handler’s disability, but also to be calm and well-behaved in public, as well as focused on their handler and their job. Service dogs can be trained by anyone, including their own handler. Some service dogs are raised and trained by organizations that specialize in this. Other service dogs are trained by private trainers. 

If you have a disability and you would like a service dog, you have two options. One is to train your pet dog to be a service dog, either yourself or in cooperation with a knowledgeable trainer. The other way to acquire a service dog is to apply to an organization that raises and trains service dogs for your specific disability. In some cases, service dogs are provided free of charge. Other times, service dogs require a significant fee to cover the cost of raising and training the dog. 

Service dog registration scams

Google “how to register my dog as a service dog” and you’ll find countless online service dog “registries” and certification services. In the United States, all service dog registries are just scams. Service dogs are not required to be registered or certified, so any documentation you purchase through these types of services is unnecessary. 

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10 Places Where Your ESA Is — and Is Not — Allowed

Not every public place allows ESAs — but there are ways to advocate for yourself and your needs when your pup or other ESA is not on the guest list.

Service dog laws to be aware of

Everyone has seen dogs in public wearing service dog vests. Many times, these are legitimate service dogs, but some people try to pass their pets off as service dogs so their dogs can accompany them to places where dogs are not allowed. Misrepresenting a pet dog as a service dog is not only dishonest — in some states and local municipalities, it’s a crime. Depending on where you live, faking your dog as a service dog is punishable by fines, community service, or even jail time.  

Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone with a disability who has a service dog cannot be denied access to public spaces with their dog. Service dogs are allowed to be in places pet dogs are prohibited, including:

  • Restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes

  • Hotels and motels

  • Retail stores and malls

  • Hospitals, doctor’s offices, and dentists

  • Libraries, movies theatres, and museums

  • Public transportation (buses, trains, subways, and taxis)

  • Rideshare services (Lyft and Uber)

  • Schools and universities

  • On airplanes (in the cabin)

  • Workplaces

The FHA also ensures that service dogs are legally permitted to live with their disabled handler in any housing, even if that housing doesn’t generally allow pets. Although emotional support animals are not allowed the same public access as service dogs, ESAs are covered under the FHA, which means they are allowed to live with their owners in housing that has a “no pets” policy. Proof of an ESA usually requires a letter from a licensed mental health professional.

References

Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown lives in sunny Orange County, CA, where she works as a freelance writer and editor. When she’s not on deadline, you can find her paddling her outrigger canoe in the Pacific Ocean or hiking in the foothills with her miniature poodle and two young boys.

Savannah Admire

Savannah Admire is a writer, poet, and pet mom to three dogs and a cat. She currently lives in Western Maryland. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, taking photos, or volunteering as a content creator for her local community theatre. Her debut poetry book, Mother Viper, is due out August 12, 2025, and you can follow her on Instagram at @savannahcooperpoet.

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