6 min read February 16, 2021
Skip to content

Service / Support Animal & Airline Policies

Written By: Ryan Gaughan, BA, CSDT #6202
Clinically Reviewed By: Dr. Patrick Fisher, PhD, LPC, NCC
Published: February 16, 2021 • Last reviewed: April 16, 2026
⚕ This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, medical, or clinical advice.
Quick Answer
To travel with a service or support animal on airlines, you must provide 48-hour advance notice and submit required documentation including mental health professional forms, veterinary health certificates, and animal behavior confirmations. Most airlines restrict travel to dogs and cats only, prohibiting exotic animals like reptiles, rodents, and ferrets. Your animal must fit at your feet or under your seat, remain clean and well-behaved, and you cannot sit in emergency exit rows with support animals.

Requirements to Travel on an Airplane with a  service / Support Animal?

Flying with a service / support animal, especially for the first time, may be a nerve-racking process. Our goal is to help reduce your stress with your service / support animal, you are always entitled to pre-boarding if you meet the check-in requirements at least 48-hours prior to your flight and notify the gate agent of your intention to preboard by arriving to airport 2 hours before your flight.

required to provide 48 hours' notice of their intention to travel with an emotional support or psychiatric service animal.

U.S. Department of Transportation  and Airline Policies (Updated on February 1, 2020)
  major U.S. Airlines Airline Partners Special Instructions Restricted Animals Contact Information
Air Canada

Dogs Only (888) 247-2262
Alaska Airlines SkyWest Airlines
Submit Special Documents at least 48 hours before departure, and keep the completed forms with you for the entire journey

Animal health advisory form (Certified copy of the animal's health certificate from veterinarian).
Mental health form
Animal behavior form
Hedgehogs, Ferrets, Insects, Rodents, Snakes, Spiders, Sugar Gliders, Reptiles, Non-Household Birds, Animals improperly cleaned/foul odor, Unusual/Exotic Animal, Amphibians, Goats, Animals with tusks, horns, hooves (800) 503-0101
Allegiant Air

(702) 505-8888
American Airlines

Envoy
ExpressJet
SkyWest Airlines

Special Form

(800) 237-7976

Sacdesk.sro@aa.com

Atlas Air

(800) 503-01011
Delta Airlines

ExpressJet
SkyWest Airlines

DOWNLOAD FORM  and fill out and  upload it to  my Trips  through the Accessibility Service Request Form Hedgehogs, Ferrets, Insects, Rodents, Snakes, Spiders, Sugar Gliders, Reptiles, Non-household Birds, Animals improperly cleaned/foul odor, Animals with tusk or hooves (404) 209-3434
Frontier Airlines

Download Required forms  here
Upload completed forms  here Only Dogs & cats Permitted (801) 401-9004

Hawaiian Airlines

Flights longer than 8 hours require documentation that the animal will not need to relieve itself on the flight or can relieve itself without creating  a sanitation issue. Peacocks, Ferrets, Rodents, Spiders, Insects, Chickens, Roosters, Reptiles, or Live Fish.

(800) 367-5320

Online Form

Jet Blue

Required 48 Hours Notice by Submitting the following documentation found  hERE.

1. Medical/Mental Health Professional's Form

2. Veterinary Health Form

3. Confirmation of Animal Behavior

You must submit all three forms through  tHIS LINK  at least 48 hours!

Only accept dogs, cats, and miniature horses. The following are prohibited: Animals improperly cleaned and/or with a foul odor, Animals who appear to be in poor health, Animals with tusks, Hedgehogs, Ferrets, Insects, Rodents, Snakes, Spiders, Sugar gliders, Reptiles, Non-household birds (farm poultry, waterfowl, game bird, & birds of prey). (800) 538-2583

Southwest Airlines

Printable Instructions for SouthWest Unusual or Exotic animals including, but not limited to, Rodents, Reptiles, Insects, Hedgehogs, Rabbits, Sugar Gliders, etc. (800) 435-9792

Spirit Airlines

Please download these 3 forms, and submit the completed forms here at least 48 hours before your flight.. Snakes
Other reptiles
Rodents
Ferrets
Sugar gliders
Spiders (801) 401-2222

Submit Documents

United Airlines

ExpressJet
SkyWest Airlines

Special Form

Minimum 48-hour advance notification, If not enough notice is provided, then pet-travel fees may  apply.

(800) 228-2744

uaaeromed@united.com

Virgin America

(877) 359-8474

Online Form

WestJet

Submit three forms be printed, completed, and emailed to SpecialCareDesk@westjet.com no later than 48 hours before departure:

1. Confirmation of animal training. To be signed by the owner/trainer of the animal.

2. Medical/mental health professional.

3. Veterinary health. To be signed by the animal's veterinarian.

Amphibians
Animals improperly cleaned and/or with a foul odor, Animals with tusks, horns, or hooves, Ferrets, Goats, Hedgehogs, Insects, Non-household birds (birds of prey, farm poultry, game birds, waterfowl), Reptiles, Rodents, Snakes, Spiders, or Sugar gliders

(866) 693-7853

SpecialCareDesk@westjet.com

When traveling with an emotional/psychiatric support animal you are not permitted to sit in an emergency exit row. No animals are allowed to occupy seats that are designed for passengers. Please understand that with larger service animals or passengers with multiple service animals, we may need to re-accommodate you if the animal encroaches on other passengers or extends into aisles, which would be a violation of FAA regulations. U.S. Department of Transportation 14 CFR Part 382.

We will issue you a letter that meets all requirements for travel on all major airlines within the United States.   for eligibility to travel with your service / support animal, a letter must not be more than one-year-old and presented on the letterhead from the licensed mental healthcare provider who is treating your mental health-related disability.

Our letters will state contain the following:

That you have a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM V)
That you need the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at your destination
The letter must come from a licensed mental health professional, you must be under his/her professional care with the mental health professional's license number, state or jurisdiction it was issued and must contain the date the license was issued.

All of the above specific criteria must be provided to accept your service / support animal for travel in the passenger cabin. When traveling in the cabin, animal must fit on your lap, at your feet or under your seat. For security reasons, service animals can't block any aisle. Animal must be clean, well behaved and under your control at all times. If the animal is too large, it will need to be checked and travel in a kennel. Advance notice is strongly recommended to ensure all paperwork is in order.

Always contact your airline at least 48 prior to your departure time to allow the airline to make the appropriate accommodation to travel with your service / support animal.

Trustpilot

Frequently Asked Questions

How much advance notice do I need to give airlines when traveling with a service or support animal?
You must provide at least 48 hours' notice to airlines before traveling with an emotional support or psychiatric service animal. This advance notification allows the airline to make appropriate accommodations and process your required documentation.
What types of animals are prohibited on most airlines as service or support animals?
Most airlines prohibit exotic animals including hedgehogs, ferrets, insects, rodents, snakes, spiders, sugar gliders, reptiles, non-household birds, and animals with tusks, horns, or hooves. The majority of airlines only accept dogs and cats, with some also allowing miniature horses.
What documentation do I need to bring for my emotional support animal?
You typically need three forms: a mental health professional' s letter, a veterinary health certificate, and an animal behavior confirmation form. The mental health letter must be from a licensed provider treating your disability and cannot be more than one year old.
Where can my service or support animal sit during the flight?
Your animal must fit on your lap, at your feet, or under your seat in front of you. Animals cannot occupy passenger seats or block aisles due to FAA regulations. You are also not permitted to sit in emergency exit rows when traveling with an emotional support animal.
What happens if my service animal is too large to fit in the cabin?
If your service animal is too large to fit at your feet or under your seat, it will need to be checked and travel in a kennel in the cargo area. Airlines may also need to re-accommodate you if the animal encroaches on other passengers' space or extends into aisles.
Keep Reading

Related Articles

Accredited Member of the TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group