Navigating Air Travel with Your Service Animal: A Comprehensive Guide to the DOT Form

Flying with a service animal ensures accessibility and independence for individuals with disabilities. Understanding and correctly completing the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form is crucial for a smooth and stress-free travel experience. This guide provides an in-depth walkthrough of the DOT form, ensuring you and your service animal are prepared for air travel.

In 2021, the DOT implemented revised regulations regarding animals on flights, primarily impacting emotional support animals. While emotional support animals are no longer permitted in aircraft cabins, service animals, including psychiatric service dogs, continue to be welcomed. To fly with your service animal, completion of the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form is mandatory.

By submitting this form to the airline prior to your flight, you affirm your service animal’s training and health, enabling you to board with your dog in the cabin without additional charges. Your service animal will also be exempt from typical pet size and weight restrictions, and can comfortably remain on the floor or your lap if size permits.

While the DOT form might initially seem complex, this article breaks down each section, offering clear instructions and valuable tips to simplify the process. Whether you are traveling with a service dog or a psychiatric service dog, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to confidently complete and utilize the DOT form.

Demystifying the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form: A Section-by-Section Guide

The DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form is structured to gather essential information about both the service animal and its handler. Let’s explore each section in detail to ensure accurate completion.

1. Basic Handler and Animal Information

The initial section of the form collects fundamental details about you and your service animal. It’s important to accurately fill out this section, paying attention to the distinction between “handler” and “user,” although in most cases, these will be the same individual.

Handler/User Distinction: The form differentiates between a “handler,” the person physically managing the service animal during the flight, and a “user,” the individual with a disability who the service animal assists. In typical scenarios, the handler and user are the same person. However, situations may arise where they are different, such as when a facilitator is transporting a service animal to its owner at a different location.
Service Animal Description: You’ll need to provide a written description of your service animal, including its name and weight. Accurate weight information is helpful for airline personnel and for ensuring the animal’s comfort and safety during the flight.
Photo and Identification: It’s important to note that the DOT form does not require a photograph of your service animal, and there’s no need for any specific identification card for your service dog during air travel.

2. Animal Health Confirmation

This section focuses on confirming your service animal’s health status, ensuring the safety and well-being of all passengers and animals on board.

Rabies Vaccination: You must attest that your service animal has been properly vaccinated against rabies and provide the date of the most recent vaccination. Ensure the vaccination is current and valid for the duration of your travel.
Absence of Diseases and Parasites: You must confirm that your service animal is free from fleas, ticks, and any diseases that could pose a risk to public health or other animals. This is a critical aspect of responsible service animal handling and air travel.
Veterinarian Information: The form requires you to provide the name and phone number of your service animal’s veterinarian. While the veterinarian’s signature isn’t required on the form, providing this information allows the airline to verify health details if needed.

3. Disability Status Verification

Eligibility to use the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form hinges on having a qualifying disability. Understanding the DOT’s definition of disability is essential for accurate form completion.

DOT Definition of Disability: The DOT adheres to a specific definition of “disability,” encompassing both physical and mental/emotional conditions that substantially limit one or more major life activities.
Types of Disabilities:
- Physical Disabilities: These include conditions such as visual or hearing impairments, mobility limitations, and other physical health conditions that necessitate the assistance of a service animal.
- Psychiatric Disabilities: This category includes mental health conditions like severe depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and phobias. It’s worth noting that a licensed mental health professional can assess whether an individual meets the criteria for a mental health disability under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and may provide a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) letter.
Truthfulness and Accuracy: It is paramount to be honest and accurate in this section. The DOT form is a federal document, and any intentional misrepresentation can lead to penalties and legal repercussions.

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4. Service Animal Training Confirmation

A core requirement for service animal designation is specific training to perform tasks directly related to the handler’s disability. The DOT form addresses this by requiring confirmation of training.

Trainer Information: The form asks for the name of the service animal’s trainer. Importantly, you can list yourself as the trainer even if you personally trained your service animal. This clarifies a common point of confusion, as many service dog owners undertake the training process themselves. If you trained your dog, simply provide your name and contact number as the trainer.
Self-Training is Acceptable: DOT regulations explicitly acknowledge that service animals do not need to be trained by a professional third-party trainer or organization. The DOT deliberately rejected mandates for service animal certification by external entities, recognizing that many individuals are capable of effectively training their service animals independently.
No Certification Requirement: Contrary to a common misconception, there’s no mandatory certification for service dogs to be officially recognized. The responsibility for ensuring the service animal is adequately trained rests solely with the handler.
Examples of Service Dog Tasks:
- Physical Disability Assistance: Service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities perform a wide array of tasks, including guiding those with visual or hearing impairments, assisting with mobility by pulling wheelchairs, and providing critical alerts for medical conditions like diabetic blood sugar fluctuations.
- Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks: Psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform tasks that mitigate symptoms of mental health disabilities. These tasks can include providing comfort during anxiety or panic episodes through actions like pawing, applying pressure, or licking; reminding handlers to take medication; interrupting and grounding during psychotic episodes or dissociative events; and creating a buffer in crowded or triggering environments.

DOT Form – Service Animal Health Behavior Training Form

5. Behavior Attestation

Beyond task-specific training, service animals must also be trained to behave appropriately in public settings. This section of the DOT form requires you to attest to your service animal’s public behavior training.

Public Behavior Standards: Service animals are expected to be under the handler’s control at all times while in public areas. They should not exhibit disruptive or aggressive behaviors such as biting, excessive barking, jumping on people, or lunging.
Elimination Protocol: Service animals are not permitted to relieve themselves on the aircraft or in gate areas, with an exception for flights exceeding 8 hours (discussed later).
No History of Aggression: You must confirm that, to the best of your knowledge, your service animal has not displayed aggressive behavior or caused serious injury to another person or animal.

DOT Form – Service Animal Health Behavior Training Form

6. Acknowledgement of Assurances

The concluding section of the DOT form involves acknowledging several key stipulations and responsibilities associated with traveling with a service animal.

Leashing and Tethering: You must acknowledge that your service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or otherwise tethered at all times while in the airport and during the flight. This ensures the safety and control of the animal in a busy public environment.
Liability for Damages: You acknowledge that if your service animal causes any damage to the aircraft or other property, the airline retains the right to charge you for the cost of repairs.
Federal Document Attestation: Finally, you must acknowledge that you are signing an official DOT document. This underscores the legal significance of the form and reinforces the understanding that knowingly making false statements can result in fines and other legal consequences. Accuracy and truthfulness in completing the form are therefore crucial.

Example of a Completed DOT Form

To illustrate the completed form, refer to the example below. This example shows a form filled out by an individual who self-trained their service dog. This provides a visual reference and helps clarify how each section should be completed.

Completed DOT Form example – For Illustrative Purposes Only

Additional Form for Flights Exceeding 8 Hours: The Service Animal Relief Attestation Form

For flights scheduled to last longer than 8 hours, an additional form is required: the Department of Transportation’s Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (Relief Form). This form addresses how service animals will manage their needs during extended flights.

Relief Form Options: The Relief Form presents two options:
1. You can attest that your service animal will not need to relieve itself during the entire flight.
2. Alternatively, you can confirm that your service animal can relieve itself during the flight in a manner that will not create a health or sanitation problem on board.
Describing Relief Procedures: If you select the second option, you must provide a detailed description of how your service animal will relieve itself hygienically. Examples include the use of dog diapers or other containment methods to prevent any sanitation issues.
Damage Liability Acknowledgment: Similar to the main DOT form, the Relief Form also includes an acknowledgment that you may be held financially responsible by the airline for any damages caused by your service animal.

DOT Form – Service Animal Relief Form – Download — ESA Doctors

Download the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form here

Submitting Your DOT Forms to the Airline

Once you have accurately completed all necessary DOT forms, the next step is to submit them to your airline. Most airlines offer convenient methods for electronic submission.

Submission Methods: Many airlines provide an option to indicate during the booking process that you will be traveling with a service animal. Following booking, you can typically submit the DOT form either through an online portal or via email to a designated airline address.
Submission Timeframe: It’s recommended to submit the form at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure. This allows the airline sufficient time to process the information and make necessary arrangements.
Last-Minute Bookings: If you book a flight within 48 hours of departure, you can usually submit the form in person at the gate during check-in. However, submitting in advance is always preferable to avoid any potential delays or complications.
Airline-Specific Guidelines: For detailed, airline-specific instructions on traveling with service animals, it’s advisable to consult the individual airline’s website or contact their customer service department directly.

Recent Challenges and Advocacy

While the DOT form aims to streamline air travel for service animal handlers, recent reports indicate rising complaints and challenges. Service dog owners have encountered inconsistent form rejections from airlines, raising concerns about accessibility.

Increased Complaints: News sources and advocacy groups have reported a surge in complaints from service animal owners, particularly those with visual impairments, regarding difficulties encountered when attempting to fly with their service dogs under the new DOT regulations. Some reports suggest the new requirements are making air travel prohibitively difficult for some service dog users.
Advocacy for Change: Organizations advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities, especially those representing the blind community, are actively calling for revisions or the complete removal of the DOT form, citing its burdensome nature and questionable effectiveness.
DOT Statistics: Data from the DOT appears to corroborate these complaints, showing a significant increase (more than double) in service-animal-related complaints filed by handlers since the implementation of the new form requirements.
Criticism of Form Rationale: Experts, such as the executive director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, have voiced criticism regarding the form’s underlying rationale, arguing that it does not effectively distinguish between legitimate service animals and fraudulent claims.
Third-Party Processing Issues: Some airlines, including JetBlue, Allegiant Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, have outsourced the processing of DOT forms to external third-party organizations. Travelers have reported instances of form rejections by these third-party processors due to alleged errors, adding another layer of complexity and frustration.
Persistence and Preparedness: Despite these challenges, it’s crucial for service dog owners to remain persistent and informed. The right to travel with a service animal is legally protected, and advocacy efforts are underway to address the current issues and improve the process.
Form Accuracy is Key: To mitigate potential problems, meticulous completion and double-checking of the DOT form are essential. Handlers have particularly noted difficulties with the section requiring a description of the specific tasks the service animal is trained to perform. Providing clear and accurate descriptions in this section is advisable. However, remember that you are not obligated to disclose sensitive details about your medical condition or personal medical history.

Conclusion: Ensuring Smooth Air Travel with Your Service Animal

Submitting the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form is a vital step in preparing for air travel with your service animal. Once submitted and approved by the airline, you should be ready to travel without any additional fees or documentation requirements related to your service animal.

Airlines are generally permitted to request the DOT form only once for a roundtrip journey, not for each leg of the trip. Some airlines may retain your DOT form on file for future travel, while others may require submission each time you book a flight. It’s prudent to clarify the specific airline’s policy when submitting your form.

At the airport and during the flight, airline staff are limited in the types of inquiries they can make to verify your service animal. Permissible verification actions include:

Verbal Inquiry: Airline staff may ask if your animal is a service animal required due to a disability and inquire about the specific tasks the animal is trained to perform. However, they cannot demand specific details about your disability or request a demonstration of the service animal’s tasks.
Behavioral Observation: Airline personnel can observe the service animal’s behavior to assess if it is well-behaved and not disruptive or aggressive.
Visual Indicators: They may note physical indicators like harnesses or vests, although these are not mandatory and do not solely determine service animal status.

Remember, as a service animal handler, you have a right to privacy regarding the specifics of your disability. Airline staff should not intrude on this privacy by demanding task demonstrations or detailed medical information.

It is always a good practice to carry a copy of your completed DOT form with you throughout your journey for easy reference and in case any questions arise. By understanding the DOT form requirements, completing it accurately, and knowing your rights, you can confidently navigate air travel with your service animal, ensuring both accessibility and a positive travel experience.

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ESA Doctors2024-11-21T17:38:23+00:00Flying, Traveling with Pets|

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About the Author: The ESA Doctors writing team consists of experienced professionals in disability and housing law, mental health, animal training, and pet health. Every article is rigorously fact-checked and reviewed by multiple team members. Many of our writers are also emotional support animal owners, bringing real-world experience to their insights.

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