State laws Georgia
From Service Dog Training
State laws in Georgia.
Contents |
Public access
"30-4-2. (a) Blind persons, persons with visual disabilities, persons with physical disabilities, and deaf persons are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges on all common carriers, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, streetcars, boats, or any other public conveyances or modes of transportation and at hotels, lodging places, places of public accommodation, amusement, or resort, and other places to which the general public is invited, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons. (b)(1) Every totally or partially blind person shall have the right to be accompanied by a guide dog, and every physically disabled person and every deaf person shall have the right to be accompanied by a service dog, especially trained for the purpose, in any of the places listed in subsection (a) of this Code section without being required to pay an extra charge for the guide or service dog; provided, however, that he or she shall be liable for any damage done to the premises or facilities by such dog. In addition, if such totally or partially blind person, physically disabled person, or deaf person is a student at a private or public school in this state, such person shall have the right to be accompanied by a guide dog or service dog subject to liability for damage as provided in the preceding sentence. The guide dog or service dog must be identified as having been trained by a school for seeing eye, hearing, service, or guide dogs. (2) Every person engaged in the training of a guide dog or service dog for the purpose of accompanying a person as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall have the same right to be accompanied by such dog being trained as the totally or partially blind person, deaf person, or physically disabled person has under paragraph (1) of this subsection, so long as such trainer is identified as an agent or employee of a school for seeing eye, hearing, service, or guide dogs. (c) Every totally or partially blind person operating a vending stand shall have the right to be accompanied by a trained guide dog on the entire premises of his or her vending operation. "
These laws protect the rights of persons with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animal in all public accommodations. However, the law states that the dog must "must be identified as having been trained by a school for seeing eye, hearing, service, or guide dogs." Since this statement provides less protection for the disabled handler, the ADA regulations supersede in this case. It should be noted that this law specifically permits service dogs to accompany students in public schools.
Service animals in housing
"30-4-3. (a) Blind persons, visually disabled persons, physically disabled persons, and deaf persons shall be entitled to rent, lease, or purchase, as other members of the general public, all housing accommodations offered for rent, lease, or other compensation in this state, subject to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons. (b) Every totally or partially blind person, every physically disabled person, and every deaf person who has a guide dog or service dog or who obtains a guide dog or service dog and every person engaged in the training of a guide dog or service dog shall be entitled to full and equal access to all housing accommodations provided for in this Code section, and he or she shall not be required to pay extra compensation for such guide dog or service dog. However, he or she shall be liable for any damage done to the premises by such guide dog or service dog. (c) Nothing in this Code section shall require any person renting, leasing, or otherwise providing real property for compensation to modify his or her property in any way or provide a higher degree of care for a blind, visually disabled, physically disabled, or deaf person than for a person who is not so disabled. "
Service animals on public transportation
"16-12-120. (a) A person who commits or attempts to commit any of the following acts in a public transit bus, a rapid rail car, or a rapid rail station or intermodal bus station shall be guilty of a misdemeanor: ...6) Carries or possesses any explosives, acids, other dangerous articles, or live animals, except for the following: (A) A guide dog or service dog as described in Code Section 30-4-2, provided that such guide dog or service dog is accompanied by a physically disabled person, blind person, person with visual disabilities, deaf person, or a person who is responsible for training a guide dog or service dog;"
Penalties
"30-4-4. Any person, firm, corporation, or the agent of any person, firm, or corporation who denies or interferes with admittance to or enjoyment of the facilities enumerated in this chapter or otherwise interferes with the rights of a totally or partially blind person, physically disabled person, or deaf person or person engaged in the training of a guide dog or service dog shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $2,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment."
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 9/26/2009
