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Built for Service Dog Handlers.
Shaped by the Service Dog Community.

With the input from over 100 Service Dog handlers in America, the United States Service Dog Registry (USSDR) represents the most democratic realization of an assistance animal registry and training and behavior standards agreement to-date. The results are a Registry with completely free and voluntary online self-registration hosted by an independent, non-governmental, privacy-conscious and secure service.

We are a small group trying to make a big difference. We were designed with input from experienced trainers and Service Dog owners who believe there should be an opportunity for those who wish to voluntarily and knowingly comply with not only the ADA law, but also an additional and specific set of community-defined training and behavior standards. These training and behavior standards go above and beyond the ADA and the basic foundations of a Public Access Test.

A Higher Standard for Service Dogs and their Handlers

Our purpose is to allow someone the opportunity to voluntarily hold themselves and their animal accountable to a higher standard by publicly signing a specific set of training and behavior standards that goes above and beyond the law. Simply registering with us does not qualify an animal or an individual as a Service Dog Team or provide any special rights, legal or otherwise. If someone found not to comply with our training or behavior standards we can remove or suspend their registration rendering any materials they have invalid.

When someone registers with us, displays a USSDR patch, shares their registration number or registration card, they should be prepared that we will be notified if they do not present themselves or their dog properly or they or their dog behave in an unbecoming manner, misquote the law or the purpose of our service.

At our heart, we hope to help reduce abuse of the ADA by requiring our Registrants to understand that intentionally misrepresenting an animal as Service Animal for any reason is not only unethical, it is also in violation of federal and local laws.

We do not certify or authorize anyone to use a Service Animal — nor is certification required by law. The privilege to use a Service or Assistance Animal is granted, under the law, by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and local governments. If you are unsure if you qualify, please consult a local Service Dog trainer or organization. For more information, please review our five key points below.

Our Services and Mission

We were designed with input from experienced trainers and Service Dog owners who felt that people who use Service Dogs should, at the very least, have a free and open method to voluntarily agree to a specific set of standards.

Training and Behavior Standards Agreement

While Service Dog owners are allowed to verbally state their animal is a Service Animal for public access, many individuals find that having a way to say they have accepted further training and behavior standards, while not required by law, can help minimize discrimination and reduce access issues while keeping disability information private. This is especially important for disabled individuals who use a Service or Assistance Dog to help with invisible disabilities such as deafness, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other conditions that may not be immediately apparent to others.

Our Responsibility and Rules of Conduct

Our purpose is to create a powerful tool for all Assistance Dog handlers regardless of certification levels, training methods or other affiliations. At the core of that is our deep commitment to do the right thing in all aspects of our business including how we treat the environment, our customers and the Service Dog community as a whole. Our intention is to create a friendly and open Registry.

Participant's Responsibility and Rules of Conduct

We expect and hope that you will use this Registry as intended and in a responsible and respectful manner. Registration is conducted under the honor system and any individual found to violate these rules will be expelled from the Registry. All animals must qualify under the United States Department of Justice's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please visit http://www.ada.gov for more information if you need clarification. The Registry is not intended to be a certification process and we do not judge the proficiency of our registrants in any way, and nor would that be necessary under the law. Of course, we can not be responsible or liable for the actions of dog owners or their dogs either online or offline.

Our Focus

Our focus is twofold. (1) To provide method for Registrants to formally state that they understand what is involved with training and using a Service or Assistance Animal; how important their behavior, and that of their Service or Assistance Dog, is to the general public and other Service and Assistance Animal teams; the legal definition of a Service or Assistance Animal; the Minimum Training Standards for a Service or Assistance Animal; what is involved with a Public Access Test and to accept our Terms and Conditions. (2) To provide a form of self-identification that is ONLY available behind the firewall of a strict training and behavior standards agreement.

What does Registration mean?

Most members of the public, and even some Service Dog handlers, do not fully understand the many complexities of Service Dog ownership across the country. Many believe that there is or should be "documentation" or "certification" for Service Dogs even though both things have been specifically called out under federal law as being not only unnecessary, but improper to require. Others come up with their own ideas of what makes up a proper Service Dog team, setting rules that exist outside of the law. We were designed as an attempt to develop a solution — without putting undue burden on rural, limited income or otherwise disabled individuals — to the following concerns:

1. There should be a free option for Service Dog teams to voluntarily accept a specific set of community-defined training and behavior standards that go above the law and beyond the basic foundations of a Public Access Test.

Federal law states: "When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff (or members of the public) may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task."

In other words, it is not required that Service and Assistance Dog teams show or have identification in the form of a vest, special harness, training certificate or registration and nor is it required that animals are officially trained, certified or registered with any state, federal or independent organization.

Why? In a nutshell, the ADA is a civil rights law designed level the playing field for disabled people so that they can move about their communities similar to able-bodied people — it is not a method for testing or policing the disabled community — of which Service Dog teams are only a small part.

While it is not our purpose or mission to debate the law, some members of the Service Dog community felt that there should be an option for those who wish to voluntarily and knowingly comply with not only the law, but also publicly sign an agreement detailing an additional set of training and behavior standards. Quite simply, we are an extra step that goes above and beyond the law. We do not advertise. We do not ask anyone to register and sign our training and behavior standards agreement. Those who choose to register with us are voluntarily holding themselves up to the standards we describe.

2. Readily available Service Dog vests, harnesses, patches that can be found with generic wording like "Service Dog" or "Do Not Pet" leave little accountability.

Most individuals who are partnered with a Service Dogs use vests, harnesses or patches that display generic wording like "Service Dog" or "Do not pet." Others may choose to use use generic IDs that are not linked to any organization. While this is traditional, it leaves little accountability and these items are sometimes purchased by those who use them to abuse the law — even though absolutely NO gear or IDs are required in the first place. Like with any product, it is not the fault of the item itself or those who make it. The sole responsibility lies with the person who seeks it out and uses it improperly.

3. There should be method, based on evidence, to recall a team for inappropriate behavior.

We, nor a Service Dog training organization, nor a private trainer, nor any federal or local law nor God himself can prevent an individual from doing the wrong thing. We are designed as a method for trainers to recall graduates or address concerns with those who either willfully abuse the law, have improperly trained or poorly trained dogs or who themselves behave in a manner unbecoming of a Service Dog team. Anytime someone claims they have registered with us (online or in the real world), displays a USSDR patch, shares their ID number or displays ID, they should be prepared that we will be notified — especially if they do not present themselves or their animal properly, they or their animal behaves in an unbecoming manner, misquote the law or the purpose of our service. Simply registering with us does not qualify an animal or an individual as a Service Dog Team or provide any special rights,  legal or otherwise. If someone found not to comply with our training or behavior standards we can remove or suspend their registration rendering any materials they have, regardless if they have been ordered from us or made at home, invalid.

Registering a dog does not make a dog a Service Dog — it allows someone to hold themselves to a community defined standard.

The USSDR hopes to help encourage adherence to the law by requiring their Registrants to understand that intentionally misrepresenting an animal as Service or Assistance Animal for any reason is not only unethical, it is also illegal and may be punishable by fines or imprisonment. All of our Registrants are required pass through our Educational Gateway and read and accept the following:

  1. What is involved with training and using a Service or Assistance Animal
  2. How important their behavior, and that of their Service or Assistance Dog, is to the general public and other Service and Assistance Animal teams
  3. The definition of a Service or Assistance Animal
  4. The Minimum Training Standards for a Service or Assistance Animal
  5. What is involved with a Public Access Test
  6. Our Terms and Conditions

It's about personal responsibility and accountability.

We believe that each individuals are responsible for their own actions. Registering with us is a formal way of stating that one understands what is involved with training and using a Service or Assistance Animal; how important their behavior, and that of their Service or Assistance Dog,  is to the general public and other Service and Assistance Animal teams; the legal definition of a Service or Assistance Animal; the Minimum Training Standards for a Service or Assistance Animal and what is involved with a Public Access Test.

When you register with us you are publicly signing our training and behavior standards agreement. Both you and your dog will be held to this standard, so please consider this fully before registering.

Based on the input we've received from experienced trainers and Service Dog Handlers with conditions ranging from blindness, deafness, autism, psychiatric disabilities, mobility issues and more, this Registry has been designed around six key points:

  1. A Registry Must Be Free
    In order to keep the registry open to all, free registration is imperative. Registration is conducted under the honor system and any individual found to violate our Terms and Conditions (which includes misrepresentation of a Service or Assistance Animal) will be expelled from our registry.
  2. A Registry Must Be Voluntary
    No one is required to participate in the registry, and we realize registries aren't for everyone. We welcome all Service and Assistance Dogs and handlers regardless of disability, certification levels, training methods or other affiliations. Please note that Service and Assistance Dogs in training are not recognized by all states. It is your responsibility to learn about and abide by the laws in your state.
  3. A Registry Must Be Secure and Private
    The information individuals provide must be kept secure and private at all times. We do not share any personal information with any government agency or any private entity.
  4. A Registry Must Not Be a Certification Process
    There are many different types of Service and Assistance Dogs, and each one fulfills a very specific and personal need for its owner. While there are guidelines (qualifying animals must be individually trained to to provide assistance to an individual with a disability) there are not universal standards. Additionally, under the law it would be illegal for us to create and impose standards. The United States Service Dog Registry is not a certification process and Registrant data is based solely on the assertions of the dog owner. Registrants accept full responsibility for the accuracy of their information, their own conduct and the conduct of their animals. Please read our Terms and Conditions. We provide no benefits or protection for our Registrants, legal or otherwise. Protection and benefits are granted by the ADA and local governments.
  5. A Registry Must Be Independent and Non-Governmental
    The USSDR is not affiliated with any government agency, Assistance or Service Dog organization.
  6. A Registry Should Serve as a Method to Recall Untrained or Improperly Trained Teams.
    Anytime someone claims they have registered with us (online or in the real world), displays a USSDR patch, shares their ID number or displays ID, they should be prepared that we will be notified — especially if they do not present themselves or their animal properly, they or their animal behaves in an unbecoming manner, misquote the law or the purpose of our service. Simply registering with us does not qualify an animal or an individual as a Service Dog Team or provide any special rights,  legal or otherwise. If someone found not to comply with our training or behavior standards we can remove or suspend their registration rendering any materials they have, regardless if they have been ordered from us or made at home, invalid.

Help us improve!

The Registry and Training Standards and Behavior Agreement is constantly evolving based on input from Service Dog teams from across the country. In other words we're a grassroots, crowd-sourced organization. If you have ideas about how we can make our Service more meaningful without alienating disabled individuals in rural areas, who have difficulty using a computer due to typing or visual impairments, who use screen readers and are unable to upload documents or who have limited funds for training and/or certification, please let us know.

Will you sell or give out my private information?

No. Please see our privacy policy.

What is a Service Dog?

The United States Department of Justice defines a Service Animal through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal specifically trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a Service Animal regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. Please visit the Delta Society for more information on Service Dogs.

Access to Public Places for Service and Assistance Dogs under the ADA

What are Service Animals? What is a Service Dog? "We Welcome Service Animals"

Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. Guide dogs, used by some individuals who are blind, are the most well known type of Service Dog. Other specific terms for specialized service dogs include Signal Dogs for the deaf or hearing impaired, Mobility Assistance Dogs, Seizure Response Dogs, and Psychiatric Service Dogs. The terms “Service Dog,” “Service Animal” and “Assistance Dog” all mean the same.

Service Dogs can benefit people with disabilities associated with many diagnoses, including:

  • Arthritis
  • Ataxia (poor balance)
  • Autism
  • Blindness or Impaired Vision
  • Deafness or Impaired Hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Cardio/Pulmonary Disease
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Physical mobility Issues
  • Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.)
  • Psychiatric Disabilities
  • Seizure Disorders (Epilepsy)
  • Severe Allergy Alert
  • Spina Bifida
  • Spinal Cord/Head Trauma
  • Stroke

Please note that Therapy Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Forensic Dogs, Police K-9's, Military Working Dogs and other types of working dogs are NOT Service Dogs and under no circumstances may be registered with the US Service Dog Registry.

Registrant data is based on assertions by the dog owners. The USSDR can not confirm or certify information provided by the registrants. Service Dog certification is not required by the ADA law. Use of this website, your 10 Digit ID Code, any items from our Archival Documentation Package, cards you make up for yourself are subject to our full Terms and Conditions. Please note that misrepresenting any animal as a Service or Assistance Animal (in any way, either by simply verbally claiming an animal is a service animal, wearing a Service Animal vest or cape, using a special harness, leash, tags or by any other means—including using this Registry) is a crime and may be punishable by law. See our Terms and Conditions for details.


Terms and Conditions

Expand/Collapse Terms and Conditions

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Not affiliated with any government agency. Registrant data is based on assertions by dog owner. Registration is not required by the ADA.