Service Dog Laws Minnesota – Huge Guide, FAQ + More [2023]

Welcome to Service Dog Laws Minnesota

Welcome to our service dog laws in Minnesota guide and FAQ page, updated for 2023.

Service dog laws in Minnesota require that a specially trained service dog (sometimes called an assistance dog, in housing situations and in Europe) be allowed to accompany a person with a disability to all public accommodations and public carriers, with a few exceptions. There are multiple laws that govern the use of these special animals.

In this detailed guide, we’ll go through some of the most common questions about service dogs in the state of Minnesota. This includes where they are allowed in public, housing information, what businesses need to know, plus much more. Also, check out our Emotional Support Animal MN Guide to Housing & Employment to learn more about ESAs.

In brief, service animals may go with their (legally disabled) handler wherever the public can go. There are a few exceptions, like sterile hospital environments and religious organizations.

Service dogs of any breed may go to malls, restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, community centers, schools, buses, taxis, hotels, Airbnb, amusement parks, doctor’s offices, hospitals, trains, and National Parks, just as a few examples.

Various Laws & Definitions

Part of the reason why service dogs can be so confusing is that there are multiple laws around them. Fake service dogs can confuse people, too. Here is a summary of the different laws relevant to Minnesota and their main purpose in general.

In summary:

• The ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – is a federal law. It governs the use of service animals when public access rights are concerned. This law is also referred to for housing situations and employment situations with service animals.

• The FHA – Fair Housing Act – is another federal law that governs the use of service animals – or what is known in this context as “assistance animal” when housing situations are concerned.

• The ACAA – Air Carrier Access Act – is what is used when service animals will be taken to the skies with their handler. Fully trained service animals are allowed in the cabin of airplanes with their handler as long as they meet the ACAA requirements, and fill out any required paperwork or documents prior to their flight.

• State-specific service animal laws. Even though we have the federal ADA laws, each individual state may or may not have additional or “state-specific” service dog laws for their own area. Check with individual states for anything that may be different from the ADA laws.
  • A common example is that under the ADA, service dogs in training are not allowed public access rights. However, certain states extend the same rights to service dogs in training, as fully trained animals have

• Minnesota State Laws

• Section 504 – is similar to the ADA, and protects the rights of students with disabilities in educational settings.

• IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – is yet another law that in place for students with disabilities in the United States.

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the employment division of the ADA.

Various Definitions

Since there are different service animal definitions depending on context (public access rights, air travel, housing) we’ll go through the different ones right now. As you’ll see, they are similar, but the differences are important to understand.

The ADA Service Animal Definition for Public Access Rights

The federal ADA law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in:

• Employment
• State and local government
• Public accommodations
• Commercial facilities
• Transportation
• Telecommunications
• United States Congress

Under the ADA Americans with Disabilities Act federal laws, “Service animal means any dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for purposes of this definition.”

The work or tasks that the dog does must be directly related to a specific person’s disability. In addition, the work or tasks must help to mitigate at least some of the effects of that disability.

It’s important to note that while dogs are the only animal defined here, there is a separate ADA provision for the use of a miniature horse as a service animal.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) Definition of Assistance Animal

Under the FHA, “An assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or that provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified effects of a person’s disability. An assistance animal is not a pet.”

The Air Carrier Access Act Definition of Service Animal

Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), “A service animal means 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.  Animal species other than dogs, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals.“

Read more: American Airlines Service Dog Info – The Easy Guide

How Do I Make My Dog a Service Dog in Minnesota?

To make your dog a service dog in Minnesota, you must have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal. Begin your service dog training journey, and when your dog is fully trained to act properly in public, and perform specific tasks that mitigate the effect(s) of your disability, then your dog is a service dog, with public access rights.

*Note that Minnesota specifically gives rights to service dogs in training. Under the ADA, service dogs in training are not covered, but certain states may cover them. Be sure to check with each state before assuming.

Buying one of those pieces of paper off the internet from illegitimate “service dog registration” websites does not turn a dog into a service dog! A service dog by definition is a dog that has been individually trained to do work or tasks for someone living with a disability.

Service dogs don’t need to be certified, registered, or professionally trained, but they do need to be trained (perhaps by you). People who use service dogs have the right to train the dog themselves.

So, if your dog is fully trained to perform specific work or tasks for your particular disability, then your dog is indeed a service dog. Check out our blog Which Service Dog Registry is Legitimate? to learn more about registrations, certifications, and why they are not required.

What Are Emotional Support Animals?

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are often dogs but may be another type of animal, that provide comfort and companionship by their mere presence.

ESAs are not considered service dogs under the ADA definition, simply because they are not trained to do work or tasks for a specific person’s disability.

Emotional support animals are often not (task) trained at all, I mean above and beyond possibly the basic dog training. Nevertheless, these animals help a lot of people to better manage to live with different conditions and disabilities.

The main thing to know about emotional support animals is that they do not have public access rights, as service dogs do. Nor do they have rights under the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act) for air travel.

However, under the Fair Housing Act, emotional support animals are included in their definition of assistance animals. This basically means that people who have emotional support animals can make a request for a reasonable accommodation to their housing provider.

This is commonly in the form of waiving a pet deposit, or making an exception to a “no pets” policy, or perhaps a policy that may restrict a certain size, weight, or type of animal.

Read more: Service Dog vs Emotional Support Dog

Minnesota Emotional Support Animal Laws

In Minnesota, emotional support animals are governed by various laws. Here are some facts about MN emotional support animal laws in different contexts.

• Emotional support animals (ESAs) are not automatically exempt from a housing provider’s no-pet policies 

• Someone with a disability can request a “reasonable accommodation” for an ESA in a housing situation, and housing providers need to be accommodating unless they can show that allowing an ESA would be an undue burden on its operations

• ESA’s do not need to be specially trained in order to qualify for reasonable accommodation for a housing situation

• Animals other than dogs may also function as emotional support, therapy, or assistance animals in housing situations under the Fair Housing Act (I think that is why ESAs are called “ assistance animals,” not “service dogs” under this Act)

• Payment may be required for any specific damage done to the premises by an ESA

• It is illegal to charge someone with a disability an extra fee to keep a guide or service dog or an emotional support, therapy, or assistance animal (ESA)

• Emotional support animals are no longer included in the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act) definition of service animal, therefore…

• ESAs may not travel in the cabin of a plane with their human under the ACAA; although, individual airlines may vary. ESAs may still travel through the air as a pet

• Emotional support animals are not covered by the ADA for public access rights, so they can be denied access to public places, although individual businesses may vary

• ESAs can still visit “pet-friendly” public accommodations with their handler

• ESAs can be requested as a reasonable accommodation in an employment situation under the Americans with Disabilities Act

• Emotional support animals do not need to be registered for any reason. No legitimate ESA registration system exists. Websites selling ESA papers online are not recognized by the Department of Justice nor the ADA, and purchasing one of those pieces of paper from the internet does not give someone any special rights. What is needed for housing and/or employment is a letter from a doctor or other medical professional merely stating the animal is required

Can a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Animal in Minnesota?

The short answer is: No. Not unless there’s a really good reason. Housing providers, under the Fair Housing Act, may not refuse to make a reasonable accommodation to their pet or animal policies when these are necessary for equal access opportunities, for people with disabilities.

Under the Fair Housing Act, people with a disability can request to keep an assistance animal (service dog, emotional support dog, emotional support animal) as a reasonable accommodation to a housing provider’s pet or animal restrictions.

Housing providers may not refuse to make reasonable accommodations in their rules, policies, practices, or services when the accommodations requested are necessary to allow a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a suite or dwelling.

The Fair Housing Act requires a housing provider to allow a reasonable accommodation involving an assistance animal in situations that meet all the following conditions:

• A reasonable accommodation request was made to the housing provider

• The request was supported by reliable disability-related information

• The housing provider has not demonstrated that:
  • Granting the request would impose an undue financial and/or administrative burden on them
  • The request would fundamentally alter the essential nature of the operations
  • The specific animal would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others
  • The request would not result in significant physical damage to the property of others

Service Animals in Training

Under the ADA laws, service animals in training are not covered. In other words, service dogs are not allowed to go into public places until they are fully trained.

However, individual states may vary in their laws.

Minnesota statute 256C.02 states that, in Minnesota, service animals in training have the same rights as service animals and are allowed in places of public accommodation. This is a Minnesota state law, it is not in the ADA.

Minnesota Law

Where Are Service Dogs Allowed, Anyway?

The ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a federal wide-ranging civil rights law. It prohibits discrimination based on disability.

Under the ADA, the following “covered entities” that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the business or facility where the public is normally invited or allowed to go.

• Businesses
• State governments
• Local governments
• Nonprofit organizations

Where Does The ADA Apply?

• Places of public accommodation which include…
• Places of lodging
• Places serving food or drink
• Places of entertainment
• Places of public gathering
• Sales or rental establishments
• Service establishments
• Stations used for specified public transportation
• Places of public display or collection
• Places of recreation
• Places of education
• Social service center establishments
• Places of exercise or recreation
• Public services, programs, and activities, which include: schools, and state and local government offices
• Public transportation
• Private transportation, like Greyhound bus service
• The workplace
• Airport terminals

How Do I Get a Service Dog for Anxiety in MN?

Well, the first thing to ask yourself is, “Do I need a service dog, or do I need an emotional support dog?” This can get tricky. If the dog would comfort you just by being there, then it’s an emotional support dog. If the dog is task-trained to do something after a specific event (like a panic attack), such as bring you medication and a water bottle, then that would be considered a service dog.

Since emotional support dogs don’t need to be trained, you may be able to go about finding one at your local animal shelter or perhaps local listings. If it’s a service dog you need, it’s not so simple to figure out how to get the perfect dog, or even where to start. Check out our Service Dog Training FAQ page to learn a bit more.

But basically, there are a few options for how to get a service dog like an anxiety service dog in MN.

• Get a dog or use a dog you already have and train the dog yourself
• Get some help training your dog from a dog trainer in your area
• You may be able to get a service dog through an organization. These organizations are simply amazing, but there are often long waitlists
• These days, you may be able to find a dog trainer that you can meet over Zoom (or online somewhere)

Many people are choosing to train their dogs themselves. But of course, this isn’t an easy thing to do. Some people are of course not able to do this.

Info For Businesses

It’s obviously important for businesses and other “covered entities” to be aware of service dog laws in Minnesota as well as federal laws. If not, they could be accused of discrimination.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits the following:

• Asking about a disability
• Requiring medical documentation
• Requiring a special identification card or training documentation for the dog (or mini horse)
• Ask that the animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task
• Charge an extra fee because of the animal
• Segregate the customer with a disability from other customers

Permitted Questions to Ask

If the reason for the service dog is obvious, then businesses and other covered entities may not inquire about the use of the animal.

When it’s not obvious – and many disabilities are invisible – businesses may only ask two questions to someone using a service dog. That’s it.

The questions are:

(1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?

(2) What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Employment

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against disabled people in employment situations. In addition, it requires reasonable accommodation at the employee’s request.

Allowing someone with a disability to bring their service animal into the workplace environment is a form of reasonable accommodation.

As with any accommodation request, the employer must consider allowing the use of a service animal at work unless doing so poses an undue hardship, or could disrupt the workplace environment.

Note that an employee may also request that an employer allow a companion animal or emotional support animal in the workplace as an accommodation. Reasonable requests in this situation are not restricted to dogs only. Read more on our blog: Federal ADA Workplace Accommodation Guide

Psychiatric Service Dogs

Psychiatric service dogs are a type of service dog that perform work or tasks related to psychiatric disabilities.

A few examples of these types of disabilities include:

• Eating disorders
• PTSD
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression

Here are a few examples of some psychiatric service dog tasks:

• Providing reminders to take medication at a certain time
• Service dogs can lay across their handler and apply pressure (Deep Pressure Therapy) during a panic attack, for example
• Provide tactile stimulation or grounding
• Interrupting dissociative episodes or other repetitive or problematic behaviors
• Alerting the handler to rage or other types of strong emotions
• Interrupting self-harming behaviors
• Retrieve an item, such as a water bottle and medication for a panic attack
• Wake someone up from a nightmare
• Interrupting flashbacks
• Searching the house or home to ensure it’s clear and safe before the handler enters
• Providing a “reality check” to help with hallucinations
• Stabilizing a routine for someone
• Read more on our blog: Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks – 17 Examples

The difference between psychiatric service dogs and emotional support dogs is simple: Psychiatric service dogs are trained to do at least one task for a specific person’s disability, and the task is related to the disability.

Emotional support animals are not task-trained like this and provide comfort and other benefits by their presence alone. Emotional support animals are not service dogs, but they do have some rights when it comes to housing and employment situations.

Work or Tasks

The work or tasks done by the animal must be directly related to the person’s disability. The training must be specific to the person using the animal. A service animal is not a pet.

The disability could be:

• Physical
• Sensory
• Psychiatric
• Intellectual
• Or another mental disability

The tasks or work done by the animal may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Helping to guide someone who is visually impaired or blind

• Alerting a person who is deaf or hard of hearing

• Pulling a wheelchair

• Helping someone with mobility or balance

• Alerting others and protecting someone having a seizure

• Retrieving objects

• Bringing attention to the presence of allergens

• Providing physical support and help with balance and stability to someone with a mobility disability

• Helping someone with a psychiatric or neurological disability by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors and/or patterns

• Reminding someone living with a mental illness to take their prescribed medications

• Calming someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack

• Doing other specific work or performing other special tasks

• SSigDOG are Sensory Signal Dogs or Social Signal Dogs. These are a service dog that has been trained to assist someone with autism. The service dog typically alerts their human handler to distracting repetitive movements which are common with people living with autism. This allows the person to stop the movement.

• Psychiatric Service Dogs are a type of service dog that has been trained to perform “work” or “tasks” that help people with psychiatric disabilities to detect the onset of certain, specific episodes and lessen their effects.

• Seizure Response Dogs are a type of service dogs that are trained to help somebody who has a seizure disorder. How the dog serves the person will depend on individual needs. The seizure response service dog might do a variety of tasks, such as stand guard over their human during a seizure to keep the person safe, or the dog might go and get help.

• A few dogs have learned to predict a seizure and warn the person in advance to sit down or move to a safe place, but it seems like this can’t reliably be trained in just any dog.

Read more: The Giant List of Service Dog Tasks (K9 Total Focus)

Documentation

• There is no formal service animal certification process or paperwork that is recognized by Minnesota State or the federal government
• Having said that, air carriers (airlines), employers, and housing providers such as landlords may require certain and specific documentation
• Documentation may not be required for public access as a condition of entry (prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act).

The following items are not required for an animal to qualify as a service dog no matter which service dog laws in Minnesota we are talking about:

• Service dog vest
• Service dog markings of any kind
• Documentation

Vests, service dog markings, and service dog documentation can not be used as a reliable indication of whether an animal is legally a service dog.

A therapy dog/animal, emotional support animal, or another animal wearing a vest or having a special marking, does not make these types of dogs a service animals.

Miniature Horses

Technically speaking, only dogs are service animals under the federal ADA definition for public access rights. Other species of animal, whether that be wild animals or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of the ADA.

Service animals may or may not be other types of animals in terms of housing and employment situations. But for now, let’s talk about public access rights.

Even though dogs are the only service animal defined by the ADA, there is a separate provision in the ADA that does cover miniature horses.

What this means is that a miniature horse that has been trained to do work or tasks for a specific disability shall have the same rights as service dogs wherever possible.

Businesses and other covered entities need to provide access to miniature horses whenever possible. Reasonable modifications need to be made in policies, practices, or procedures to permit the use of a miniature horse by a person with a disability.

There are additional assessment factors for miniature horses

To determine whether to allow a miniature horse into a specific facility, the business will need to consider the following:

• The type, size, and weight of the miniature horse and whether the facility can accommodate these features safely
• Whether the handler has sufficient control of the miniature horse
• Whether the miniature horse is housebroken
• Whether the miniature horse’s presence in a specific facility compromises legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation

Therapy Dogs

Let’s just briefly discuss what therapy dogs are and aren’t, since many people aren’t sure and it can be confusing as there are so many amazing types of dogs in the world! Lucky humans we are indeed.

A therapy dog is not a service dog, and that’s because therapy dogs aren’t trained to do “work or tasks” for an individual’s disability. Plain and simple.

A therapy dog is usually someone’s pet that enjoys meeting a large number of different people in different settings.

The people who are fortunate enough to spend time with a therapy dog receive great benefits, such as reduced anxiety and added joy.

They often visit places such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings where the stress in people may likely be high.

Service Animal Fees

Fees, extra charges, or pet deposits may not be charged for service animals. This is true whether we are talking about the ADA, ACAA, FHA, or Minnesota State service dog laws.

A service animal is not considered a pet. Someone using a service animal must not be turned away or denied access because of a “no pets” rule or policy.

In the case where a public entity usually charges people for damage caused by an animal or pet, a person with a disability may also be charged for damage caused by their service animal.

Control of Service Animals

• Service animals must be under control at all times & should not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others
• Service animals must comply with state and local animal control laws

Service animals should be kept at a person’s side quietly unless they are performing a specific task.

Service animals must be leashed, harnessed, or tethered unless this may interfere with the service animals’ work. Or, if a disability prevents using them. In those cases, service animals still need to be controlled through voice, hand signals, or another effective way.

Transportation

As we’ve already talked about, service animals perform various work or tasks to help someone with a disability to live safely and independently. U.S. Department of Transportation Americans with Disabilities Act regulations define a service animal as “any guide dog, signal dog, or another animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to:

• Guiding individuals with impaired vision
• Alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds
• Providing minimal protection or rescue work
• Pulling a wheelchair
• Fetching dropped items

When riding transit, customers with disabilities who use service animals are responsible for maintaining control over their animals (and caring for them) at all times.

Riders are also responsible for knowing the best way to board and position their service animal on the vehicle, especially if the service animal may be required to provide assistance (“tasking”) during the transit trip.

Service animals may not block aisles or exits.

According to ADA regulations, every transportation employee or operator who serves people with disabilities needs to be trained so that they know how to provide non-discriminatory service in an appropriate and respectful way.

When serving passengers who are blind, operators should:

• Identify themselves
• Speak directly to the customer instead of through a companion
• Use specifics such as “there are five boarding steps and a 10-inch drop to the curb” when giving directions

Transit agencies should be aware of the following rules under ADA:

• Operators must allow all service animals on board
• Operators may not ask for proof of service animal, certification or of the customer’s disability
• Operators may not require a person traveling with a service animal to sit in a particular seat on the vehicle or charge a cleaning fee for customers who bring service animals onto the vehicle unless the animal causes damage

Related Articles:

• Federal ADA Service Dog Laws – General Guide & FAQ
• Federal ADA Workplace Accommodation Guide
• Emotional Support Animal MN Housing & Employment Guide