An Act Regarding Service Dogs
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0547
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: CAMPBELL, SAVIELLO, DOORE, LAJOIE, MAKER, NADEAU, STANLEY, TUELL
Amends: 7 MRSA §3922, 7 MRSA §3923-B

Legislative Document 
No. 547 
H.P. 371 
House of Representatives, February 26, 2015 
An Act Regarding Service Dogs 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Orrington.  (BY REQUEST) 
Cosponsored by Senator SAVIELLO of Franklin and 
Representatives: DOORE of Augusta, LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, NADEAU of 
Winslow, STANLEY of Medway, TUELL of East Machias. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §3922, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 664, §11, is further 
amended to read: 
4.  Service dogs.  If a service dog has not been previously registered or licensed by 
the municipal clerk to whom the application is being made, the clerk may not register the 
dog nor issue to its owner or keeper a license and tag that identifies the dog as a service 
dog unless the applicant presents written evidence to the municipal clerk that the dog 
meets the definition of "service dog."  For the purpose of this subsection "written 
evidence" means a service dog certification form approved by the department in 
consultation with the Maine Human Rights Commission.  The service dog certification 
form must include a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or 
nurse practitioner indicating that the owner or keeper or a member of the owner's or 
keeper's household requires the service dog and a certification or other document 
indicating that the service dog has completed training from an established service animal 
training organization or has been evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have 
a sound temperament suitable for a service dog. 
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §3923-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read: 
1-A.  Service dog registration tag.  In accordance with subsection 1, the department 
shall ensure that, with regard to the registration and licensing of a service dog, the service 
dog's registration tag clearly indicates that the dog is a service animal pursuant to Title 5, 
section 4553, subsection 9-E.  The department shall devise a method of ensuring that a 
service dog's registration tag is clearly visible to the public. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that an individual registering a service dog present to the municipal 
clerk a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner 
indicating that the individual or a member of the individual's household requires the 
service dog and a certification or other document indicating that the service dog has 
completed training from an established service animal training organization or has been 
evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have a sound temperament suitable 
for a service dog.  It also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry to ensure that the registration tag of a service dog clearly indicates that the dog is 
a service animal and to devise a method of ensuring that a service dog's registration tag is 
visible to the public.