Summary: This federal regulation states that carriers must permit service animals to accompany passengers with disabilities. A carrier must permit the service animal to accompany the passenger with a disability at any seat in which the passenger sits, unless the animal obstructs an aisle or other area. The Department of Transportation allows identification of a service animal by the presence of harnesses, tags, or "the credible verbal assurances of a qualified individual with a disability using the animal." A carrier is never required to accommodate certain unusual service animals (e.g., snakes, other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders). With respect to all other animals, including unusual or exotic animals (e.g., miniature horses, pigs, monkeys), a carrier must determine whether any factors preclude their traveling in the cabin as service animals (e.g., is the animal too large or heavy to be accommodated in the cabin, would it pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others, would it cause a significant disruption of cabin service, would it be prohibited from entering a foreign country that is the flight's destination, etc.). Foreign carriers, however, are not required to carry service animals other than dogs. If a passenger seeks to travel with an emotional support animal, he or she must provide current documentation on the letterhead of a licensed mental health professional. This documentation must indicate the presence of a DSM IV mental or emotional disability and the need for the animal, among other things.
