FAQClear answers.
Clear answers.
No legal theater.
What PawProof checks, what it never claims, and how Phase 1 works.
Does the ADA require a service dog certificate or registration?
No. The ADA does not require certification or registration, and covered businesses may not demand documentation as a condition of entry. See the U.S. Department of Justice service animal FAQ.
What does a PawProof certificate mean?
It means the named dog passed the specific PawProof training assessment subjects shown on the record. It is voluntary evidence of an assessment—not government recognition, legal registration, or a grant of public-access rights.
Do I have to use a PawProof course?
No. Training may be owner-led, private, or program-based. During Phase 1, issuance requires an endorsement from a credential-checked PawProof assessor and complete assessment footage.
Who can endorse an assessment?
A trainer with a current, independently verifiable CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA, IAABC, KPA-CTP, or AKC CGC Evaluator credential who has been approved on the platform.
Does PawProof provide training?
No. PawProof is a platform only: it verifies trainer credentials, reviews assessment evidence, and maintains the public record. Training is delivered by independent trainers and training organizations. Individual trainers may join from all 50 U.S. states and D.C. with an approved certification; organizations must additionally provide their registered legal name, their roster of certified trainers and the states where they work, and organizational qualifications (business registration, any state-required facility license, and liability insurance).
What happens if the assessment does not pass?
For the Phase 1 Trainer-Verified Assessment, PawProof provides a written gap summary and refunds the full assessment fee. A non-passing decision is not a legal determination about the handler or dog.
When is the ID card issued?
Only after all core subjects—Task Training, Public Access Behavior, and Relief & Sanitation—are active. Subject certificates are tracked separately.
Can I use this for airline travel?
A PawProof record is not an airline travel document. U.S. airlines use the Department of Transportation service animal forms and applicable airline procedures. Do not rely on a PawProof record as a condition of boarding.
Is the Self-Train curriculum available now?
No. It is in development. The page accepts waitlist email addresses only and does not accept payment.
Which countries can order?
Only customers in the 50 U.S. states and District of Columbia. U.S. billing and shipping addresses are required. Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the EU, and other regions are not open.
What information is public?
Dog name, registration number, subjects and status, dates, assessor name and credential type, and the handler's surname initial. Disability details, full handler identity, footage, and veterinary files are not public.