Guide and service dogs help people with disabilities avoid hazards or perform tasks. Guide dogs help people with visual impairments while service dogs help people with other kinds of disabilities such as hearing impairments and epilepsy. They can help a person navigate through public areas, alert them to sounds, open doors and do other tasks.

British Columbia’s Guide Dog and Service Dog Act and regulation govern how guide and service dogs and their handlers are certified. Certification increases public safety, raises training standards and improves public access for dog and handler teams.

There are two ways to be certified:

Receive a trained dog from an accredited school Pass a public safety test

Training and testing ensures only dogs who behave well in a variety of environments are certified.

See Guide Dog & Service Dog Team Certification and Dog-in-Training, Trainer & Retired Dog Certification for more information.

Visitors to British Columbia

To enjoy access under the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, we encourage visiting dog and handler teams to get certified. Apply for certification by submitting an Application for a Guide or Service Dog Certificate form to Security Programs.

Other Service Animals

Therapy and emotional support animals, including dogs, are not eligible for certification.