§ 7–1002. Equal access to public accommodations and conveyances.

(a) Persons with physical and mental disabilities are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of all common carriers, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, streetcars, boats, or any other public conveyances or modes of transportation in the District of Columbia, hotels, lodging places, places of public accommodation, amusement, or resort, and other places to which the general public is invited in the District of Columbia, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law or in accordance with law applicable alike to all persons.

(b) Persons with physical or mental disabilities shall have the right to be accompanied by a service animal in any of the places, accommodations, or conveyances listed in subsection (a) of this section without being denied access because of the service animal. Such persons shall not be required to pay an extra charge for the service animal but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises or facilities by the service animal.

(c) Every service animal trainer who is training an animal to be a service animal or owner of a service animal in training shall have the same access and liability conferred upon a person with physical or mental disabilities pursuant to subsection (b) of this section when accompanied by the service animal in training.

(d) In making a determination that an individual qualifies under this section, a public accommodation or conveyance may make a reasonable inquiry as to an individual’s need for a service animal but shall limit such inquiry to the following:

(1) Whether the animal is required because of the individual’s disability;

(2) The function or purpose of the animal, including the task or work the animal has been trained to perform;

(3) Whether the animal meets the definition of a service animal provided in § 7-1009(5); and

(4) Whether the animal is housebroken.

(Oct. 21, 1972, 86 Stat. 971, Pub. L. 92-515, § 2; Mar. 5, 1981, D.C. Law 3-144, § 2(a), 27 DCR 4659; Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-305, § 25(b), 53 DCR 6198; May 22, 2010, D.C. Law 18-146, § 2(a), 57 DCR 2549; Apr. 27, 2013, D.C. Law 19-291, § 2(b), 60 DCR 2351; Mar. 16, 2021, D.C. Law 23-208, § 2(a), 68 DCR 000780.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 6-1702.

1973 Ed., § 6-1502.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 7-1004 and § 7-1007.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 16-305, in subsec. (a), substituted “other persons with physical disabilities” for “the otherwise physically disabled”.

D.C. Law 18-146 added subsec. (c).

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-291 substituted “Persons with physical or mental disabilities” for “The blind and other persons with physical disabilities” in (a); rewrote (b); substituted “with physical or mental disabilities” for “who is blind or deaf” in (c); and added (d).