Guide Dog and Service Dog Certification

Guide and service dogs assist individuals with disabilities by helping them avoid hazards or perform tasks. Guide dogs specifically support people with visual impairments, while service dogs assist those with other disabilities, such as hearing impairments and epilepsy. These highly trained dogs can help a person navigate through public areas, alert them to sounds, open doors and do other tasks to support their handlers.  

In British Columbia, the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act (the Act) and its regulation governs how guide and service dogs and their handlers are certified. Certification increases public safety, raises training standards, and improves public access and tenancy protections for certified dog and handler teams.

There are two ways to be certified:

1. Receive a trained dog from an accredited school, or
2. Apply as a team not trained by an accredited school and pass a public safety assessment with your dog.

Training and testing are designed to ensure only dogs who behave safely in a variety of environments are certified.

See Guide Dog & Service Dog Team Certification and Trainer & Retired Dog Certification for more information.

In B.C. certification under the Act is voluntary. People with disabilities who rely on a guide or service dog who choose not the certify under the Act may be protected from discrimination under the BC Human Rights Code.

The Act’s Protection for Teams from ADI/IGDF Accredited Schools

All guide and service dog teams with valid identification cards issued by training schools accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) and Assistance Dogs International (ADI), regardless of the issuing province or country, are considered certified under the Act.

These teams no longer need to apply for a certificate to receive protection under the Act. However, they may still choose to apply for a certificate under the Act.

Visitors to British Columbia

Certification under the Act is voluntary. People with disabilities who rely on a guide or service dog, including visitors from outside of the province, may be protected from discrimination under the BC Human Rights Code.

In order to have the access and tenancy protections offered under the Act, visitors must apply for certification. You can find more information at Guide Dog & Service Dog Team Certification.

Other Support Animals

Therapy animals and emotional support animals, including dogs, are not eligible for certification under the Act.