Register an assistance animal

Step 1.Check you are eligible

You will need to have a letter from your doctor confirming that you have a disability. Disability covers a wide range of physical and psychological conditions and includes:

• total or partial loss of the bodily or mental functions
• total or partial loss of a part of the body
• the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness
• the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness
• the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person’s body
• a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently, OR
• a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or that results in disturbed behaviour.

Step 2.Check your animal is eligible

An assistance animal in NSW is a dog or other companion animal that is either:

• accredited under a law of a State or Territory that provides for the accreditation of animals trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of that disability, OR
• accredited by an animal training organisation prescribed by the Commonwealth, OR
• trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of that disability, and, to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for an animal in a public place.

A person with a disability has the right to train their own assistance animal so long as he or she can provide proof that that training means the animal meets the definition of an assistance animal.

Step 3.Contact us

You will need to fill in some forms and we will need to see some documents such as your doctor's letter.

You can provide us with the completed forms and documents via email or in-person at our Customer Service Centre.

Contact us using the details on this page and we will provide you with instructions about the documents we will need to see.

For more information visit the Office of Local Government's webpage on Assistance animals