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Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels

Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels

Service dogs’ access rights to hotels are part of the public access rights bestowed on service dogs and their handlers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means they cannot be treated as pets and can generally go wherever their handlers can at no additional cost. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop certain hotels and staff from infringing on these rights. The following information is a thorough overview of the main points to know about service dogs and hotels.

Can hotels charge for a service dog?

No. Under the ADA, the hotel cannot charge an extra fee for the service animal as they would a client with a pet. This also means you and your dog will be allowed in public areas of the hotel, as well as to a room and floors not normally designated for people traveling with pets.

What to expect from hotels and service dogs

Verification questions: When traveling with a service animal, according to the ADA, the hotel staff only has the right to ask you two questions:

  1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
  2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

If the task is apparent (seeing-eye dog, wheelchair-related), the staff has no right to inquire about the service dog or your disability. When dealing with ignorant hotel staff members, presenting your service dog certification and identification card can help alleviate tension. Remember, the staff members are only employees and might not be properly trained in dealing with service animals in the hotel. Keep in mind, however, that under the ADA hotel staff cannot insist on seeing documents as a condition of entry.

What can hotel staff ask about your service dog - Infographic

In addition, the hotel staff still has to act according to the rules of conduct the general public should adhere to concerning a service dog. These include:

  • No petting the dog
  • No speaking to, teasing, or distracting the dog
  • No feeding the dog or interfering with its work

The staff is also not required to help you perform any tasks related to the service dog, such as taking it out to relieve itself, feeding it, handling it, etc.

Service dog card registration

Following the rules of the hotel

Under the ADA, persons with disabilities have several rights. However, you will still be expected to follow the rules of the hotel as they are set forth for all their visiting clients.

Your service dog must be under your control at all times, whether this is by means of a leash, hand gestures, or voice control. Your dog cannot become unruly. In addition, if your service dog were to damage anything in the hotel room, you are still liable for the cost of those damages.

Staying at an Airbnb with your service dog

With Airbnb as a popular hotel alternative among travelers, the application of the ADA is crucial. Airbnb hosts in the United States must allow service animals if they rent out the entire home or apartment to an Airbnb guest. Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy requires hosts to allow all service animals into their homes. Please research your specific destination before booking an Airbnb that you plan on staying at with your service dog.

Service dog visiting an Airbnb with its handler
Airbnb hosts must apply to the ADA and allow service animals into their rentals.

The history of service dogs under the ADA

The ADA was established in 1990 and was put into place to prevent establishments from discriminating against people with physical or mental disabilities, extending the protections to any companion that may accompany them for support. Over time, “companions” began referring less to humans and more to members of the animal kingdom. Many people used this policy to treat exotic pets, such as reptiles, ferrets, pigs, and parrots, as “service animals.”

To stop people from taking advantage of the intended scope of the ADA, amendments have been made to these rules. These changes state that only dogs are considered as service animals. 

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Distinguish your Service Dog from a Pet

Many hotels have policies against pets, but service dogs are not pets. An ID can help distinguish your service dog from a pet, ensuring you get access to your room and other hotel facilities without hassle.

Under the ADA, hotels can’t require documentation for service dogs, but having an ID card can simplify interactions with hotel staff who may not be familiar with service dog laws.

Remember, while ID cards, certificates and other documents can be helpful, they do not convey any rights under the ADA.

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About the Author: The writing team at Service Dog Certifications is made up of folks who really know their stuff when it comes to disability laws and assistance animals. Many of our writers and editors have service dogs themselves and share insights from their own experiences. All of us have a passion for disability rights and animals.

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  1. gianna artrip says: June 12, 2021

    I have two dogs that registered and the woodspring suits extended stay in lakeworth is kick me out of the hotel one anxiety and the is for seizures and woodspring suits extended stay 10th Ave n lakeworth fl

    Reply
  2. Gianna artrip says: June 9, 2021

    I have two service dog one for seizures and another is anxiety one register emotional support the other is service dog well the woodspring suits and extended stay in 10 Avenue north is discrimination about my disability telling me leave due barking when it supposed to be pet friendly

    Reply
  3. Kristin says: May 14, 2021

    These websites should be ashamed of themselves! There is no such thing as a service dog certification, certification certificate or card! The service dog would have gone through a process to be a service dog (ex: trained for jobs related to the diagnosed conditions). The only paper a true service dog would have is a prescription from a provider that connects what tasks the dogs does connected to the disability/diagnosis! By law people are not supposed to even ask for that, however I understand the frustrations everyone is expressing with all the Fake service dogs people are shamefully using and not understanding there is a difference between emotional support animal versus service animal.

    Reply
    • Miss Laura says: May 29, 2021

      Sorry but you are mistaken! I was diagnosed 3 years ago as being in the Terminal Stage of my Illness. So I had to get a SDRA Certified Service Dog.
      My Service Dog is trained for 3 of the 10 Actual SDRA Disabilities requiring a Service Dog;
      1) Guide Dog
      2) Mobility Assistance Dog
      3) Seizure alert Dog
      YES people only get a “Service” Dog by Medical Doctors submitting papers of Authorization (request) Which yes people need to know nothing remotely similar as an “Emotional Support” Dogs completely different!
      BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW… With my Service Dog did come…
      1) Actual Legal CERTIFICATE
      2) And an ID CARD with
      A: his picture
      B: his Disability Catagory(s) that he’s trained in to assist my disability(s)
      C: his Identification ID# which allows Law Enforcement to obtain all my Personal Information in case I am unresponsive.
      *So this article was nothing to be stripped of being an informative read for those who are unaware!

      Reply
      • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

        Also, thank you to Miss Laura for clarifying for the first commenter. My service dog also has certification and an I.D. card with her pretty picture on it. She’s great, we’re informed…. And I keep tabs open on ALL of my device listing ALL ADA rules about service dogs, so they are available to me at ALL times, with the obligatory screenshots and e-mails to back it up, for the uniformed. An ADA service dog card is available… It helps when…ACAB.

        Reply
      • Angeline says: June 13, 2021

        I’m sorry but what is the mistaken information? She’s correct in that there’s no governing entity that regulates this. Anyone can get any dog “certified” by simply paying money. It’s a big scam made available by most people not being educated on e matter. You will/can NOT be treated differently based on having an animal or it being certified. Sorry. I understand it must be frustrating to actually need a service animal and be worried about your rights because some people are feigning needing one. You should get in contact with Congress and try to get this changed. Good luck!

        Reply
    • Steve Washer says: June 5, 2021

      You are a good person for defending a man like me that has a real service dog

      Reply
      • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

        Also, a dog serving for, say, PTSD can be both or either/or a service dog, or an emotional support animal. Maybe a multifunctional animal confuses people… But if a person can habe more than one job, so can a dog.

        Reply
    • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

      Actually, service dogs can be trained by their owners, to perform the necessary tasks their owner needs. Your example is wrong, and ignorance at best, which makes your entire diatribe… A “Mutt” point.

      Reply
  4. Bonnie says: May 3, 2021

    I’m a hotel operator and I am tired of people falsely saying that they have a service animal. It’s like every pet owner knows, we can not ask personal questions or as for paperwork. As soon as you ask, what service does the animal provide, the automatic answer is, for “epilepsy”. I’ve had people check in with Pit Bulls, Chihuahuas, German Sheppard. Are all breeds trained to be service animals? Oh wait never mind the fact that I can’t ask for paperwork, I can’t even ask for the breed.

    How can I get past all the phony service animals?

    Reply
    • Mariah K DeKnight says: June 9, 2021

      I’m currently staying at a hotel that’s costing me $150 bucks a night…. Their dog waste station is a strip of gravel 2 feet long and 6 inches wide, littered with broken glass and rusted metal everywhere within a 6 foot radius. Please,complain about the disabled person s service animal a little more. Yes, a Chihuahua, a Pit Bull, and a German shepherd can ALL be service animals. Sounds like you’re a dog hating, ignorant jerk

      Reply
  5. Vicky says: April 30, 2021

    I think the hotel should ask the certificate of the service dog, otherwise how can we know it is service dog,some people don’t look like have any disableabity. People can take advantage of the law bring a pet to the hotel,but tell the hotel staff it is service dog.that were happened many times.

    Reply
    • Troy says: July 3, 2021

      What does a person with a disability look like? What does PTSD look like?

      Reply
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