10 DIGIT ID CODE

TENNESSEE SERVICE DOG LAWS

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ACCOMMODATION LAW

No proprietor, employee or other people in charge of any place of public accommodation, amusement or recreation shall decline to permit a blind, physically disabled or deaf or hard of hearing person to enter the place or to make use of the accommodations for the reason of being led or accompanied by a dog guide. A dog guide shall be under the control of its handler. A place of public accommodation shall not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a dog guide. A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor. T. C. A. § 62-7-112

Every totally or partially blind person who has a guide dog, or who obtains a guide dog, shall be entitled to full and equal access to all housing accommodations included within subsection (a) or any accommodations provided for in §§ 71-4-201, 71-4-202, and this section, such person shall not be required to pay extra compensation for guide dog, but shall be liable for any damages done to the premises by the animal. T. C. A. § 66-7-104

In this state, any legally blind person whose loss of sight necessitates a guide dog for mobility purposes, which have been obtained from a recognized school of training for such purposes, may not be denied the right to lease an apartment or other types of dwellings as a consequence of having a guide dog. The guide dog is essential to the mobility of its master; there is no deposit required to be paid, with due respect to the dog, by the legally blind person to the owner, manager, landlord or agent of any such attendance. Any of them who refuses to lease living space to any legally blind person because of a guide dog, or violates a provision of this section, commits a Class C misdemeanor. T. C. A. § 66-7-106

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HARASSMENT OF/INTERFERENCE WITH SERVICE DOGS

A person who purposely or negligently injures the guide dog of another and, thereby, permanently deprives the owner of the use of the guide dog's services commit theft of that animal and shall be punished under  § 39-14-105. In determining the value of the guide dog, the court shall consider the value of the guide dog as both the cost of the dog as well as the cost of any specialized training the guide dog received. T. C. A. § 39-14-208

A person commits an aggravated cruelty to animals when, an aggravated cruelty with no justifiable purpose, the person intentionally kills or intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal. Aggravated cruelty to animals is a Class E felony.

It is an considered an unlawful act if it resulted to the death or permanent disability of a person's guide dog, then the value of the guide dog shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, both the cost of the guide dog as well as the cost of any specialized training the guide dog received. T. C. A. § 39-14-212

A person's guide dog is killed or sustains injuries that result in death or permanent disability caused by the unlawful and intentional, or either negligent act of another or the animal of another, then the trier of fact may find the individual causing the death or the owner of the animal causing the death liable for economic damages, which shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, both the cost of the guide dog as well as the cost of any specialized training the guide dog received. T. C. A. § 44-17-404

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DRIVING LAW

Any such pedestrian guided by a guide dog or dog on a blaze orange leash shall undertake to cross any public street or thoroughfare in this state; the driver of each and every vehicle must bring such vehicle to a complete stop and before proceeding shall take all precautions necessary to avoid injuring the pedestrian. A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor. T. C. A. § 55-8-180