Tennessee Law on Service Dogs in Public Accommodations is Consistent with ADA, State AG Determines

Tennessee law previously required that a disabled person operating a guide dog first present for inspection credentials issued by an accredited school for training dog guides before admittance to a place of public accommodation and that a guide dog wear a harness and be held on a leash. The Tennessee General Assembly has eliminated these requirements, effective July 1, 2013, to make the law more consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act’s directive on how a place of public accommodation must address the use of service animals by an individual with a disability. Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. Cooper, Jr., on July 26, 2013, confirmed that Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-7-112 does not conflict with the ADA. Opinion No. 13-59, “Admission of Service Dogs in Places of Public Accommodation.”