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The process on how to get a service dog in Florida is straightforward. The first requirement is to have a disability, mental or physical, that can benefit from a service dog. The second step is to make sure your service dog is trained. No registration, certification, or other proof that you need a service dog is required.
If you are a California resident and have a dog you must establish a relationship of no less than 30 days with the therapist writing the ESA letter.
The law that requires this is the AB 468 law which was passed on January 1, 2022.
This law doesn’t apply to any other type of ESA.
The Bottom Line:
How do I get a service dog in Florida? — First, you must be diagnosed with a qualifying mental (or physical) disability by a Florida-licensed mental health professional (LMHP), such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist. Then, if you already have a canine companion, you must train it to perform one or more tasks that help alleviate your disorder. Your other option is to purchase or adopt a service dog that has already been trained to aid your mental health condition.
How can I train my service dog? — To train your service dog, you can either take an online course to self-train your dog or hire a qualified specialist to train it to perform your necessary tasks. The former option is less expensive and can increase your bond with your service dog, but the latter option is suitable for anyone less than confident in their training ability.
Do I need to register my service dog in Florida? — There is no legal requirement to register your service dog in the Sunshine State — or nationally, for that matter. A legitimate diagnosis of a mental health disability and proper and complete training of your service dog are all that are necessary.
Pettable Online Psychiatric Service Dog Training — If you want to train your canine companion to be your psychiatric service dog (PSD), Pettable offers an easy and comprehensive online training program led by a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA®).
Dogs have a reputation as the best friends a human could ever ask for — and for many good reasons. Canines are capable of much more than playing fetch — many of them can be easily trained to do a myriad of tasks. For people with certain mental, emotional, or physical disabilities, a service dog can help them greatly as they navigate their everyday lives.
You can adopt or train a service dog anywhere in the United States, but different states have different rules and regulations affecting these animals and their owners — and Florida is the perfect example. Citizens of the Sunshine State can rest assured that adding a service dog to their lives is easy if they understand the laws where they live. Here’s a guide to how to get a service dog in Florida.
How to Get a Service Dog
To get a service dog, you'll need to meet certain requirements, such as having a mental or physical disability that impairs your daily life and being able to show that the dog can perform specific tasks related to your disability. You can opt to get a pre-trained service dog or train your own dog independently or with the help of a professional trainer.
How to Get a Service Dog in Florida
If you’re a Floridian wanting to add a service dog to your life, you have a few standard options to make your dream a reality. If you have a qualifying disability, you can choose to:
Purchase a service dog pre-trained for your disability
For Floridians who want to bring a service dog into their lives, there are a couple of options you can pursue. Your service dog can be of any breed or size, so it’s up to you to decide which service dog training choice best fits your lifestyle. Whether you choose to train your current pet dog or adopt a trained service dog, you can make it happen here in the Sunshine State.
Training a Service Dog in Florida
The first option is to train your own service dog, which is a great choice for anyone who already has a beloved canine companion. For a hands-on experience, you can take a guided online training course, such as the program offered by Pettable. This is a great opportunity for you and your dog to strengthen your bond and lets you train them for your precise needs. Some of these training options include:
Dog Training Elite Orlando— For specialized training, Dog Training Elite can help with numerous issues, including mobility, mental health disorders (including PTSD), and medical emergencies.
The other option is to adopt or purchase a service dog that has already been trained to aid your specific mental health needs, whether it’s fetching your medications, performing deep pressure therapy (DPT), or anything else. This is typically a more expensive option, so it is a solid option for anyone willing to pony up more money to leave the training to the professionals. Some popular options in Florida include:
ASA Service Dogs (Plant City, FL) — This is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing assistance dog placement, training education, and awareness.
Florida Service Dogs (Jacksonville, FL) — This service is founded and operated by U.S. military service veterans.
Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. (Palmetto, FL) — This organization provides service dogs free of cost to qualified individuals in Florida, with offerings for psychiatric and physical service dogs.
Do You Need to Register Your Service Dog in Florida?
Despite what some companies may suggest, there is no registration requirement in Florida. Whether you have a psychiatric service dog, physical service animal, or emotional support animal, you don’t need to register them with any state-specific database. If anything, check your local laws to find out if there is a general pet registration requirement.
What Identification Does My Service Dog Need?
No matter where you bring your service dog in the Sunshine State, you are not required to carry any identification of any kind. This includes ID cards/tags, specialized vests, emblazoned harnesses, or certificates. As long as your service dog has been properly trained to perform necessary tasks related to your disability, you’re good to go.
What is a Service Dog?
Unlike an everyday pet, a service dog is a worker, tasked with helping its owner as only a canine companion can. According to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), a service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The tasks performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability rather than simply providing companionship.
The ADA offers some strong protections for individuals and their service dogs, giving them certain privileges that regular pets don’t have. This includes giving your service dog access to places such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other public places that don’t normally allow animals.
Another powerful protection for those living with disabilities and their service dog is the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a federal law that protects tenants from discrimination in housing. This includes allowing service dogs to live with their owners in a residence that might not otherwise permit pets.
Then there’s the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability. Airlines are required to recognize service dogs and let them accompany their humans on flights within the United States. However, airlines may deny a service dog in cases where it threatens the safety of other passengers.
Service Dog Laws in Florida
Many of Florida’s rules and regulations for service dogs mirror or enhance the federal protections offered by the ADA and FHA, especially regarding “public accommodations,” including bars, restaurants, museums, and other places where pets may not be allowed. This also includes the state’s popular amusement parks, movie theaters, timeshares, and many more settings. However, the state holds the owner liable for any damage caused by the service dog.
Florida law differs from the ADA in one significant way regarding service animals in training. Florida Statute 413.08(8) simply states: “Any trainer of a service animal, while engaged in the training of such an animal, has the same rights and privileges concerning access to public facilities and the same liability for damage as is provided for those persons described in subsection (3) accompanied by service animals.” This protects professional service dog trainers at work teaching the animals, allowing them into the same public accommodations.
Types of Service Dogs
Service dogs typically fall into two categories: psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) and service dogs for physical disabilities.
Psychiatric Service Dogs
A PSD is trained to help its owner manage their specific psychological or emotional disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other similar disabilities. This includes actions like fetching medications and performing deep pressure therapy (DPT), or simply providing the love and emotional support only a canine companion can offer.
Service Dogs for Physical Disabilities
These service dogs are trained for much more than mental challenges; they are typically tailored to assist with specific physical tasks that help the individual with their particular disability. This can include tasks like retrieving items, guiding individuals with impaired vision, and protecting someone with epilepsy before, during, and after a seizure. Some of these dogs can even contact emergency services!
While it might seem like emotional support animals (ESAs) would serve in similar ways to PSDs, there are significant differences between what they offer and where they are allowed. ESAs are not protected by the ADA, FHA, or ACAA, and are not permitted in public accommodations, restricted housing, or on flights. Individual businesses or locations may have their own, more permissive rules, but in general, PSDs and physical service dogs have the only federal protections.
Training a Service Dog
If you already have a pet dog in your life, you can convert it into a service dog with either online service dog training or in-person service dog training. This saves you money compared to the costly price of purchasing a pre-trained service dog, or the long waiting period it usually takes.
Online Service Dog Training
When you use online service dog training, like what is offered by Pettable, you can train your dog from the comfort of your own home, while also setting your own schedule and pace. These usually involve video lessons from trained professionals who take you skill-by-skill through the process. This type of training is great for dogs who struggle to learn around other animals but is less fit for those who have attention issues.
In-Person Service Dog Training
This is pretty straightforward — you bring your dog to an in-person professional for regularly scheduled lessons. This could benefit dogs that learn better with hands-on attention, but it could also be more expensive and time-consuming than online training.
Online Psychiatric Service Dog Training with Pettable
With Pettable’s online psychiatric service dog training program, you can transform your faithful furry friend into an authentic working dog. Our 15-part video series, created and led by a professional trainer, enables you to train your dog for specific tasks related to your mental disorder. Take our online assessment to get started!
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a Service Dog in Florida
Who is Eligible to Get a Service Dog in Florida?
Any individual who struggles with a mental or physical disability can get a service dog in Florida, as long as they are properly trained to fulfill a specific task or service for their owner.
How Do Service Dogs Assist Their Handlers?
For many people with psychological or physical disabilities, a service dog can help with tasks such as retrieving medications, aiding in mobility issues, or providing necessary mental and emotional relief.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Service Dog?
If you want to purchase or adopt a trained service dog, you could find yourself waiting for more than a year. However, it could only take from six months to a year to train your dog with an online or in-person program.
Matt is a Midwestern-based writer and devoted dog dad, living with a sweet mixed-breed pup named Robin. A life-long dog lover, he had the pleasure of growing up with several German Shepherds, a Cocker Spaniel, and a Black Labrador. He is a full-time editor, as well as a musician and poet, who loves basketball, birdwatching and listening to The Cure and Nick Cave.
