Under the ADA (28 C.F.R. § 36.302) and 5 M.R.S. § 4592(8), a task-trained psychiatric service dog may accompany you in stores, restaurants, and other public places. Under DOT rules (14 C.F.R. Part 382), airlines must accept trained psychiatric service dogs in the cabin at no charge. The same task-trained dog is protected in housing under the federal Fair Housing Act: no pet deposits, no pet rent, no breed restrictions.
Under 17 M.R.S. § 1314-A, presenting an untrained pet as a service animal is a civil violation punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 for each occurrence, which is why our clinicians issue letters only after a real evaluation. If a business wrongly denies your task-trained service dog, file a complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission or with the U.S. Department of Justice at ada.gov.