Beginning from January 11, passengers traveling by air will be required to submit a standardized federal form to their airline, attesting to the health and training of their service animal.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued the final rule in December 2020 that the Department allows airlines to require passengers traveling with service animals to provide carriers with two forms of documentation developed by the Department – a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form.
A service animal is defined as 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, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
The final rule also allows airlines to require passengers with a disability traveling with a service animal to complete and submit to the airline a form, developed by DOT, attesting to the animal’s training and good behavior, and certifying the animal’s good health.
According to the final rule, airlines will be allowed to recognize emotional support animals as pets, rather than service animals, and permits airlines to limit the number of service animals that one passenger can bring onboard an aircraft to two service animals.
Those traveling with service or emotional support animals should contact their airline directly for specific guidelines as it relates to their flights and travel plans.
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, no person is required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. In accordance with this requirement, the Department announces that OMB has assigned control number “2105-0576” to the information collection requirements found in the Traveling by Air with Service Animals final rule.
The expiration date for these forms is December 31, 2023
