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Texas Disability Law - Service Dogs

Texas Law

  • Requires public facilities and common transportation carriers to admit a person with a disability accompanied by a service dog for assistance and also to admit a trainer of service dogs accompanied by a dog for training purposes.
  • Requires evacuation, transport and temporary shelter of service animals in a disaster.
  • Provides a criminal penalty for those who deny access to people with disabilities because of an assistance animal. Offenses are punishable by fines of not less than $300 and not more than $1,000.
  • Provides full and equal access to housing accommodations for people with disabilities with assistance animals.
  • Provides that people with disabilities may not be charged extra compensation for assistance animals, however, any damages caused by an assistance animal are the responsibility of the person with a disability using the animal.
  • Provides that assistance animals must be trained by organizations generally recognized as reputable and competent by agencies involved in rehabilitation of people with disabilities.
  • State employees may obtain up to ten days of paid leave to attend a training program to familiarize themselves with an assistance dog.
  • Provides protection if an assistance animal is attacked, injured or killed by an individual or an individual's animal.

Texas Statutes

Contact

Contact local law enforcement agencies to report violations of this law.
For information about training organizations contact:
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
1-800-628-5115  

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