Air Carrier Act Simplified

14 CFR Part 382 — Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in air transportation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) administers and enforces the ACAA through its regulations in 14 CFR Part 382.

The law applies to covered air transportation and provides protections for individuals with disabilities when traveling by air. These protections are not limited to U.S. citizens.

Service Animals and Air Travel

Current DOT regulations distinguish between service animals and emotional support animals.

For purposes of air transportation, a service animal is generally a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability.

This includes certain psychiatric service dogs when the dog has been individually trained to perform disability-related work or tasks.

An emotional support animal that provides comfort or emotional support but has not been individually trained to perform disability-related work or tasks is not considered a service animal under the current DOT ACAA rules.

Documentation for Service Dogs

Airlines may require passengers traveling with service dogs to complete applicable U.S. Department of Transportation forms concerning the dog’s health, vaccination status, training, and behavior.

A doctor’s letter, service-dog registration, certification, identification card, vest, or other document does not by itself make a dog a service animal under the ACAA.

The dog must meet the applicable federal definition, including the requirement that the dog be individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the person’s disability.

Emotional Support Animals

Because emotional support animals are not classified as service animals under the current DOT rules, passengers traveling with an ESA should check the airline’s current pet policy.

An airline may allow an emotional support dog to travel in the cabin as a pet under its own policies, but federal ACAA service-animal protections do not automatically require the airline to transport an ESA as a service animal.

Airlines may have requirements concerning pet carriers, size, weight, fees, routes, and other conditions.

Important

Air travel rules are different from housing rules.

An animal may qualify as an assistance animal under the Fair Housing Act without qualifying as a service animal under the ACAA. Likewise, an ESA letter does not automatically qualify an animal as a service animal for air travel.

Travelers should check the current requirements of their airline and the U.S. Department of Transportation before traveling.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Air Carrier Access Act and 14 CFR Part 382.

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