Travel Resources
This page contains links to other web sites with useful information about the rights of service animal handlers when they travel, by air or by public transit. You may wish to visit our International Travel Tips page as well.
New Service Announced by TSA: TSA Cares
A toll-free helpline to provide information and assistance to passengers with disabilities and medical conditions before they travel.
Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to contact TSA Cares or can e-mail TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov. The hours of operation for the TSA Cares helpline are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays. After hours, travelers can find information about traveling with disabilities and medical needs on TSA’s website at:http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedicalneeds/
When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA. TSA recommends that passengers call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel so that TSA Cares has the opportunity to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager located at the airport when necessary.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedicalneeds/tsa_cares.shtm
Air Carrier Access Act Resources
The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the U.S.-DOT has published all of its rules regarding service animals and other accommodations for persons with disabilities.
To view these rules, please visit the Aviation Consumer Protection Home Page. This page contains important information regarding the rules governing air transportation via domestic and foreign carriers.
Under the section marked Part 382, Passengers with Disabilities there are links that will open the entire document of regulations in either MS-Word format or pdf format. (Using a search term of service animal the documents can be skimmed easily for information of interest.)
The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has a range of information for people with disabilities regarding the screening process prior to air travel.
Learn more about going through the screening process with a service animal.
US Public Transportation Resources
The United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration has a page specifically addressing the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Easter Seals Project ACTION has a very informative web site about public transportation and people with disabilities in the United States.
Travel to Hawaii
Though travel to and from Hawaii is domestic travel, there are mandatory requirements for travel with a guide dog that handlers must be aware of prior to their trip.
Read about requirements for allowing guide dogs and service dogs to enter Hawaii without quarantine at the link below.
http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/guide-service-dogs-entering-hawai-i