- Public places
- ADA Titles II and III (28 CFR 35.136, 36.302)
- Housing
- Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)) and Section 504
- Flights
- Air Carrier Access Act rules (14 CFR Part 382)
- Work
- ADA Title I reasonable accommodation (EEOC)
Why several laws can apply
A psychiatric service dog (PSD) is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a psychiatric disability. The Department of Justice's ADA rules list "helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors" as an example of that kind of work.
The ADA is only one of the laws that matter, though. Where you live, where you fly and where you work are each governed by a different statute, with a different agency, a different definition and a different set of questions you can be asked. Knowing which law applies to a situation is the first step to handling it calmly.
Service dog laws at a glance
Here is the short version of how the federal framework is divided. Each guide in this section goes deeper and links to the regulation or agency page it relies on.
- Stores, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and government buildings: the Americans with Disabilities Act. Staff may ask only two questions and cannot require documents.
- Rentals, condos and most other housing: the Fair Housing Act. A housing provider can ask for reliable information about a disability-related need when it is not obvious.
- Flights: the Department of Transportation's Air Carrier Access Act rules. Airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form.
- Jobs: ADA Title I, for employers with 15 or more employees. A service dog at work is requested as a reasonable accommodation.
- College housing: the Fair Housing Act together with Section 504 and the ADA.
- State law: many states have their own service animal statutes, including penalties for misrepresenting a pet as a service animal.
What a PSD letter does
A PSD letter from a licensed clinician is a housing and travel-planning document. It describes a disability-related need for the dog. It does not grant public access, because the ADA already gives public access to a trained service dog and businesses may not demand paperwork.
In housing, a letter can help answer a landlord's request for reliable information when your disability is not obvious. For flights, airlines may require the DOT form, which is a separate document you fill out yourself; a letter can accompany it but does not replace it.
There is no official federal registry, certificate, ID card or vest for service dogs. ADA.gov says certification documents sold online do not convey any rights under the ADA.
HUD housing guidance change
In 2026 HUD confirmed it had withdrawn its 2020 assistance-animal notice (FHEO-2020-01) and issued new enforcement guidance. HUD now treats requests for animals individually trained to perform disability-related tasks as presumptively reasonable, while requests for untrained emotional support animals are reviewed case by case. A trained psychiatric service dog fits the first description.
The Fair Housing Act itself did not change, and state laws may be broader. Our Fair Housing Act guide explains what this shift means for you.
How to use these law guides
Start with the setting you are dealing with right now, such as a new lease, an upcoming flight or a job. Each guide includes a short answer, a "what this means for you" section and links to the primary sources. Laws and agency positions change, so check the linked source or speak with a lawyer or your state's civil rights agency for advice about your own situation. Nothing here is legal advice.
