No, an Uber or Lyft driver may not refuse your service dog. Both companies say allergies, religious objections and fear of dogs are not exceptions, and neither lets you be charged a cleaning fee for a service dog's hair. Emotional support animals are not covered by those policies: on Lyft a pet rides with a Pet ride for an extra fee. Refusals still happen, and the Justice Department sued Uber over them in 2025.
Drivers must accept service dogs
Rideshare companies transport people for a living, so the ADA's transportation rules reach them, and both companies have written the rule into their own policies. The rule protects any dog individually trained to do a task for a person with a disability, including a psychiatric service dog; see ADA service dog laws for the definition.
Uber's "Service Animal and Assistive Device Policy (United States)", last modified 2025-02-03, says: "There are no exceptions to this policy due to allergies, religious objections, or a generalized fear of animals." Drivers who discriminate "may lose their ability to use the Driver App".
Lyft's rider policy says: "Service animals are always welcome in any Lyft ride." Its driver policy tells drivers to accommodate service animals "even if you have an allergy, religious or cultural objections, or a fear of them", warns that a wrongful denial can mean "immediate and permanent deactivation", and says riders "should not be asked to place their service animals in the back or trunk".
Both rules trace back to settlements with the National Federation of the Blind: Uber's 2016 settlement required permanent removal of drivers who knowingly deny service because of a service animal, and Lyft adopted a one-strike removal policy in 2017.
What can an Uber or Lyft driver ask?
Lyft says "there are only two questions that a driver may ask" and that "Drivers may not request that you present documentation". Those are the ADA's two questions: is the dog required because of a disability, and what work or task has it been trained to perform. Uber's policy says "service animals are not required to wear a tag, be registered, or display any kind of proof that it is a service animal. Riders are not required to provide documentation to drivers."
So a vest, ID card or registration is never your ticket into the car, and a driver who asks for one is asking for something the policy says you do not need. More on the two questions in what businesses can ask about a service dog.
No pet fees or cleaning fees for a service dog
Uber: "Riders with service animals are not required to pay cleaning fees for hair or shedding from a rider's service animal". Lyft: "Disclosing your service animal will not result in any additional charges to your ride."
If you see a cleaning fee on a receipt after a ride with your service dog, dispute it in the app and say it was a service animal. Cleaning fees for shedding are one of the things the Justice Department's 2025 lawsuit against Uber specifically complains about.
Can you bring an emotional support animal in an Uber or Lyft?
Not as a service animal. Lyft says: "Animals that have not been trained to perform a specific job or task do not qualify as service animals under the law and Lyft's Service Animal Policy. Your Lyft rider account may be deactivated if Lyft determines that you misrepresented your pet as a service animal." Misrepresenting a pet as a service animal is also a crime in at least 36 states; see fake service dog laws. Non-service animals can ride in a Pet ride "for an additional fee." Uber's service animal policy does not mention ESAs, so treat an ESA as a pet there too and check the pet options in your app.
An ESA vest or letter does not change this. See emotional support animal vs service dog.
What about drivers with allergies or a fear of dogs?
Both companies have answered this in writing: allergies, fear of dogs and religious or cultural objections are not exceptions. The same is true in other places open to the public; the Justice Department says "Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals."
If you want to lower the chance of a refusal at the curb, some riders send a short message through the app after a driver accepts ("I'm traveling with my service dog"). That is a courtesy, not a requirement in either policy.
The Justice Department's 2025 lawsuit against Uber
On 2025-09-11 the U.S. Department of Justice sued Uber in federal court in the Northern District of California (United States v. Uber Technologies, No. 3:25-cv-07731-SK). The complaint seeks "$125 million for individuals who have been subject to discrimination" and alleges that Uber and its drivers refused rides to passengers with service dogs and wheelchair users, and "impose impermissible surcharges by charging cleaning fees for service animal shedding and cancellation fees to riders whom Uber has unlawfully denied service".
On 2026-03-05 the court denied Uber's motion to dismiss. We found no final outcome as of 2026-09-25; the case is ongoing. It is an allegation, not a finding.
Earlier cases point the same way. In Irving v. Uber, an arbitrator in 2021 awarded a rider $324,000 for 14 refusals plus $805,313.45 in fees and costs. In Minnesota, news reports say Lyft paid a rider with a service dog $63,000 in a settlement with the state Department of Human Rights, reported on 2026-03-11, while disputing any violation.
What to do after a rideshare refusal
- Stay safe first. Request another ride.
- Record the details while they are fresh: date, time, pickup address, the driver's name and car from the app, and what was said. Screenshot the trip and any cancellation fee.
- Report it in the app. Both Uber and Lyft have reporting options for service animal refusals, and both policies promise action against drivers who refuse.
- Dispute any fee charged for the canceled ride or for cleaning.
- Go further if you need to: your state civil rights agency, a local taxi or ride regulator, or an ADA complaint to the Department of Justice. In Nevada, NRS 706.366 makes it unlawful for a public conveyance to refuse service because of a service animal or to charge a fee for one, including a service animal in training. See Nevada service dog laws.
Taxis follow similar rules: 49 CFR 37.29 applies the federal transportation rule to taxi service. In New York City, the Taxi and Limousine Commission bars drivers from refusing a passenger with a service animal or charging extra for one.
Common questions
Can an Uber driver refuse my service dog because of allergies?
No. Uber's policy says there are no exceptions for allergies, religious objections or a generalized fear of animals. Lyft's policy says the same.
Can Uber or Lyft charge a cleaning fee for my service dog?
No, not for hair or shedding from a service animal. You can dispute a fee like that in the app.
Do I need to show my service dog's ID to an Uber driver?
No. Uber says riders are not required to provide documentation, and Lyft says drivers may not request documentation.
Can my emotional support dog ride in a Lyft?
As a pet, using a Pet ride for an additional fee. It is not covered by Lyft's service animal policy.
Is the DOJ lawsuit against Uber over?
Not as far as we found. The court denied Uber's motion to dismiss on 2026-03-05, and no outcome had been reported by 2026-09-25.
Can a driver make my service dog ride in the trunk?
No. Lyft's driver policy says riders should not be asked to put service animals in the back or trunk.
Sources
- Uber, Service Animal and Assistive Device Policy (United States)
- Lyft, Service animal policy for riders
- Lyft, Service animal policy for drivers
- DOJ, Justice Department sues Uber
- DOJ, United States v. Uber Technologies case page
- Nevada NRS 706.366
- Irving v. Uber arbitration award
- MPR News, Lyft settlement with Minnesota Department of Human Rights
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 25, 2026.