Amtrak and Greyhound service animal rules, plus city buses and trains

The federal rule for trains and buses

Ground transportation has its own ADA regulations from the Department of Transportation. The key line is 49 CFR 37.167(d): "The entity shall permit service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in vehicles and facilities." It applies to public and private operators. Amtrak is covered as intercity rail under ADA Title II (42 U.S.C. 12162).

The ground-transport definition in 49 CFR 37.3 is broader than the one stores and restaurants use. It covers "any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability", so it is not limited to dogs. It still requires individual training. The Federal Transit Administration's guidance says training "can be by an organization or by an individual, including the individual with a disability", and that transit agencies "cannot have a policy requiring riders to provide documentation for their service animal before boarding a bus or train or entering a facility, but personnel may ask riders two questions".

Amtrak service animal rules

From Amtrak's service animals page:

• "Service animals are trained to do work or perform tasks directly related to a person's disability and are permitted in all areas where passengers are allowed."
• The dog must be "under the control of its handler at all times and housebroken", trained to wait to relieve itself at appropriate station stops, not on board.
• "A service animal must sit under the passenger's seat or at his or her feet." Litter boxes and pee pads are not permitted, and conductors can advise you on relief stops.
• "Amtrak personnel may ask what active task(s) the service animal performs."
• "passengers shall not misrepresent untrained animals as service animals, including pets, comfort or emotional support animals, animals in training, etc."

Service animals ride at no charge. On long-distance routes, plan relief breaks around the stops where the train pauses long enough to step off, and ask the conductor before you leave the car.

Emotional support dogs on Amtrak: the pet program

Amtrak says plainly: "An emotional support animal is not a service animal under DOT regulations and is subject to the same requirements as a pet." Its pet program allows:

• a "20-pound limit (combined weight of pet and carrier)";
• trips "up to 7 hours on most routes";
• one pet per customer, dogs and cats only;
• a fee that varies by route.

If your emotional support dog is bigger than that, it cannot ride Amtrak. Calling it a service animal is exactly what Amtrak's policy prohibits, and misrepresenting a pet as a service animal is a crime in at least 36 states. See fake service dog laws.

Can a service dog in training ride Amtrak?

Not as a service animal. Amtrak lists "animals in training" among the animals passengers may not present as service animals, and there is no federal right for dogs in training on ground transport. A small dog in training could travel under the pet program if it meets the size, route and fee rules. Some states protect trainers on public conveyances (Nevada bars fees for a "service animal in training", NRS 706.366), but Amtrak's written policy is the one it applies on its trains. More in service dogs in training.

Greyhound service animal policy

Greyhound's rule is short: "We don't let animals on board (not even Greyhound puppies). The only exception is legitimate service animals riding together with a disabled person." Its disability page includes a "psychiatric service dog" in its definition, with tasks like "detecting the onset of a psychiatric episode".

That means:

• A trained service dog, including a psychiatric service dog, rides with you. See psychiatric service dogs.
• An emotional support animal does not ride Greyhound.
• Pets do not ride Greyhound.

FlixBus: the one bus line that takes ESAs

FlixBus and Greyhound have the same owner but different rules. FlixBus US says: "Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) including therapy, PTSD, comfort animals are also allowed to travel with FlixBus." Pets are not allowed. If you travel with an ESA and the route is served by both, check which brand operates your trip before you buy the ticket.

City buses, subways and light rail

Local transit follows the same federal rule for service animals, and each system sets its own policy for pets and ESAs. The FTA says the ADA regulations "do not prohibit a transit agency from choosing to accommodate pets and comfort animals, which would be a local decision." Three examples:

• RTC Southern Nevada (Las Vegas): "service animals are welcome and ride free of charge". "All other animals must be in a cage with a secured covered top", and on paratransit an animal whose only function is emotional support "would be considered a pet and must be in an appropriate pet carrier".
• LA Metro: "Service animals are welcome on board Metro buses and trains. While they do not require certification ... Pets and emotional support animals must be in enclosed carriers."
• MTA New York: "Identification is not required for a service animal to travel on MTA service."

Tips for trains and buses

• Practice small spaces. Under a seat or at your feet on a moving train is a skill. Build it before a long trip.
• Plan relief stops from the timetable, not on the fly.
• Keep the task answer ready. Staff on trains may ask what the dog does. A short, specific answer ends the conversation.
• Signal space in crowds. A Do Not Pet leash or vest can cut down on strangers reaching for your dog in a packed station. It is a request for space, not a pass.

Common questions

Sources

1. Amtrak, service animals
2. Amtrak, traveling with pets
3. Greyhound, your rights and rules on board
4. Greyhound, customers with disabilities
5. FlixBus US, traveling with a service dog
6. 49 CFR 37.3, definitions
7. FTA Circular C 4710.1, section 2.6
8. LA Metro accessibility guide

General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 25, 2026.