Service Dog ID Cards: What You Should Know
Service dogs are fundamental aides to the lives of people living with disabilities, providing essential help for everyday tasks and activities. In most cases, people need their service dogs with them at all times, but moving around with your furry help can be challenging if you don’t have the necessary certification and credentials.
Service and emotional support animal ID is an essential document to have on you if you want to avoid any hassles or confrontations, whether you’re traveling across borders or just taking a stroll to your local grocery store.
What Is a Service Animal ID Card?
A service animal ID is a card used to identify service dogs or emotional support animals, giving them access to places where they would not normally be allowed, such as restaurants or planes. Though a service animal is not required to be registered or certified with any state or federal organization, handlers prefer to register their dog and get certification papers for general peace of mind.
An official ID badge usually contains details such as the dog’s name, service dog license number and handler’s name. There have been numerous cases of people using fake service dog ID cards to get special access for their pets, so best practice is to include a QR or barcode on the card, with a link to the animal’s official registered profile. The reverse side of a service dog ID card usually includes the printed Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) law regarding service dogs.
Benefits of Having a Service Animal ID Card
Though it is not legally required that you register your service dog, there are numerous advantages to having physical representation of your dog’s status with you.
- You can take your dog anywhere the public has access to, provided they are well behaved. This includes airplanes, where most airlines have a requirement to provide service dog ID, among other documents, before boarding with your dog.
- Service dog identification establishes the fact that your dog is a service animal and should be treated according to ADA guidelines.
- Physical identification can quickly verify your dog’s status, thus avoiding unnecessary confrontation with people and cutting down on hassles you may run into with businesses, housing, and public transportation.
- In the unlikely event that you are separated from your companion, a service dog ID tag contains more information than a simple dog tag, and there is more likely to be a sense of urgency in reuniting you with your companion.
How Much Does a Service Dog ID Card Cost?
With InstantCard, getting a service ID for your dog does not have to be a costly affair. Our pricing for all cards is simple, transparent and affordable. We do not charge a fee for “small batch” printing, so you can order as little as one card without worrying about extra costs.
Starting at $7.80 per card, we assure you of a card made with the highest quality material. This price is inclusive of a variety of free emotional support animal ID card templates to choose from, as well as bar codes and same-day shipping.
We design our printable ADA service dog card templates to include all necessary information. If you are not happy with your card, we have a 100% money-back guarantee.
How to Make a Service Dog ID Card with InstantCard
The process of ordering a service dog ID from InstantCard is simple:
- Fund your account: We use a declining balance system of accounting, where 100 percent of the money placed in your account is used to print cards. This system works like a postage meter, making it possible to order as little as one card without an extra fee for “small batch” printing.
- Choose your free service dog ID card template: With your account set up, you can proceed to choose your printable service dog ID card template. You can choose more than one template at a time as our system supports unlimited templates.
- Fill in the card information: In the service dog ID card template that you choose, enter your dog’s name, its service dog license number, your name, and details you wish to include such as city, state and phone number. Include a head-shot photo of your dog as well.
- Order ID cards to be printed: After confirming the details on the card, choose the number of cards you want and order
- Your service dog ID is shipped to you on the same day: No matter how many cards you order, we’ll get them to you on the same day if you order before 4 pm EST. We ship with your courier of choice, be it UPS, FedEx or USPS.
Having a service dog ID for your dog makes life easier, and at InstantCard we strive to do the same. Contact us if you would like to know more about how we can fulfill ID needs for both you and your service animal.