State laws Arkansas
From Service Dog Training
State laws in Arkansas.
Note: The links to these laws seem to change on a regular basis. If you need to find the exact text of the laws, check out http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us.
Contents |
Rights to be accompanied by a service animal; Penalties for injuring a service animal
"(a) Every visually handicapped, hearing impaired, or other physically disabled person shall have the right to be accompanied by a service animal especially trained to do work or to perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability in or upon any and all public ways, public places, and other public accommodations and housing accommodations prescribed in § 20-14-303 and shall not be required to pay any extra fee or charge for the service animal.
(b) However, any visually handicapped, hearing impaired, or other physically disabled person accompanied by a service animal in any public way, public place, public accommodation, or housing accommodation shall be liable for any damage caused to the premises or facilities by the animal.
(c) As used in this section, “search and rescue dog” means any dog:
- (1) In training for or trained for the purpose of search and rescue;
- (2) Owned by an independent handler or a member of a search and rescue team; and
- (3) Used in conjunction with local law enforcement or emergency services organizations for the purpose of locating missing persons or evidence of arson.
(d) Any person who without just cause purposely kills or injures any service animal described in this section or any search and rescue dog is guilty of a Class D felony.
(e) Any person who kills or injures any service animal described in this section or any search and rescue dog shall make restitution to the owner of the animal."
Public access
"(a) A blind, physically handicapped, deaf or hard-of-hearing person and his or her guide, signal, or service dog or a dog trainer in the act of training a guide, signal, or service dog shall not be denied admittance to or refused access to the following because of the dog:
- (1) Any street or highway;
- (2) Any sidewalk or walkway;
- (3) Any common carrier, airplane, motor vehicle, railroad train, bus, streetcar, boat, or any other public conveyance or mode of transportation;
- (4) Any hotel, motel, or other place of lodging;
- (5) Any public building maintained by any unit or subdivision of government;
- (6) Any building to which the general public is invited;
- (7) Any educational facility or college dormitory;
- (8) Any restaurant or other place where food is offered for sale to the public; or
- (9) Any other place of public accommodation, amusement, convenience, or resort to which the general public or any classification of persons from the general public is regularly, normally, or customarily invited within the State of Arkansas.
(b) The blind, physically handicapped, deaf or hard-of-hearing person, or dog trainer in the act of training a guide, signal, or service dog shall not be required to pay any additional charges for his or her guide, signal, or service dog but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises by the dog."
White Cane Law
"The driver of a vehicle approaching a visually handicapped or hearing impaired person who is carrying a cane which is predominately white or metallic in color with or without a red tip or using a guide or hearing ear dog or the driver of a vehicle approaching an otherwise handicapped person shall take all reasonable precautions to avoid injury to the visually handicapped, hearing impaired, or other physically handicapped pedestrian."
Summary
These laws protect the public access rights of guide and service dog users and prohibit discrimination based on the presence of the dog. The law and definitions are in line with the provisions of the ADA.
State laws may be superseded by the ADA. For the text of the ADA, click here. For general information about service dogs, click here. If you are looking for information on service dogs in places of business, check out our Information for businesses.
All opinions and summaries on this page are my own and should not be construed as legal advice. If you are in need of advice on the state or federal laws applicable to service dogs you should contact a lawyer. Last revised 10/6/2009
