Assistance Dogs In Public
S.C. Code 43-33-20 and S.C. Code 47-3-980 — no extra charge for the dog, and a civil fine for passing off a pet
A person who is blind, visually impaired or otherwise physically disabled is entitled to full and equal accommodations on public transportation and in hotels, places of public accommodation, amusement or resort, and other places to which the general public is invited, subject only to the conditions the law sets alike for everybody.
No extra charge for the dog. Every handicapped person has the right to be accompanied in those places by an assistance dog specially trained for the purpose, without paying an extra charge for it. The person is liable for any damage the dog does to the premises. A trainer of an assistance or guide dog has the same access while training one.
Continuing, after notice and with reckless disregard, to interfere with a guide dog or service animal by obstructing, intimidating or endangering it or its user is a misdemeanor tried in magistrate's court. So is recklessly letting a dog that is not fenced, leashed or otherwise contained do the same.
Passing off a pet. Knowingly misrepresenting an animal as a service animal or one in training, to get a right or privilege given to a disabled person, carries a fine of up to $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third or later one. It is not a criminal offense, and no custodial arrest may be made for it except on a warrant for failing to appear or to pay.
Questions asked to enforce the misrepresentation rule are limited to those the federal Department of Justice allows under 28 C.F.R. Section 36.302. Federal disability law sets its own access rules alongside these. A particular refusal is a question for a licensed South Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- S.C. Code 43-33-20 — Right of use of public facilities and accommodations of blind and other special need persons
- S.C. Code 47-3-930 — Interference with use of a guide dog or service animal; misdemeanor
- S.C. Code 47-3-980 — Intentional misrepresentation of animal as service animal; penalties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Carolina attorney.