Under the ADA (28 C.F.R. § 36.302) and Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214, 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 Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-222, presenting an untrained pet as a service animal is a misdemeanor once you have received a written warning, punishable by a $50 fine for a first offense, $75 to $200 for a second offense, and $100 to $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense, plus possible community service, 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 Montana Human Rights Bureau or with the U.S. Department of Justice at ada.gov.