If you searched for Allegiant's emotional support animal policy: your ESA can fly, but as a pet. Allegiant's current pages do not mention ESAs at all, and its service animal rules cover trained dogs only, so plan on the pet policy: $50 per carrier per flight. A trained service dog flies in the cabin with the DOT form, completed at least 48 hours before departure through the Open Doors portal, for up to two dogs. Ignore Allegiant's old 2019 PDF with a pit bull ban; it is out of date.
Service dogs on Allegiant: what Allegiant requires
- Definition: "A service animal is a dog, regardless of breed or type".
- Number: "Passengers are limited to two (2) fully trained service animals".
- Health: "Allegiant requires all service animals to have a current and verifiable rabies vaccination." No minimum age is stated on its current pages.
- Who travels with it: "A service animal will only be accepted when traveling with the passenger the dog has been trained to assist."
- Control: the dog must be "securely harnessed, leashed, or always tethered to the passenger".
- Behavior: refusal grounds include "Growling, snarling, biting, attempting to bite or acting in an aggressive manner", "Running around or jumping on other passengers", "Relieving itself in the airport terminal or in the aircraft cabin" and "Barking excessively (other than alerting passenger as trained)", as well as foul odor, uncleanliness or illness.
No registry or ID card replaces the DOT form on Allegiant, ours included.
Allegiant's old 2019 service animal PDF: ignore it
Search engines still surface an Allegiant PDF dated October 2019 that says "pit bull and pit bull-type breeds are prohibited on Allegiant flights", allows up to three animals including cats and miniature horses, and asks for an Allegiant veterinary form. That document predates the 2021 DOT rule and is superseded by Allegiant's current pages and contract, which accept any breed and use only the DOT form. If someone at the airport shows you the old PDF, the current contract (effective July 21, 2026) is the one that applies, and the DOT rule bars breed-based refusals of service dogs.
Submitting the DOT form to Allegiant
"Allegiant requires the U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Transportation Form to be completed at least 48-hours prior to scheduled departure." The main route is the Service Animal Forms Portal run by Open Doors Organization, which Allegiant describes as "a non-profit disability advocacy group". The form can also be emailed or mailed to Allegiant's Disabilities Team in Las Vegas, but the P.O. Box number on its special needs page and the one in its contract do not match, so the portal is the safer choice.
Booking late? Allegiant asks you to "begin the online process as soon as possible rather than bringing your completed form to the airport", and to be "within the gate area at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure". Allegiant does not say how long an approval lasts. For the form itself, see how to fill out the DOT service animal form.
Psychiatric service dogs on Allegiant
Allegiant's pages set no separate rule for psychiatric service dogs, and the DOT rule says they are "subject to the same regulations as other service animals." So a fully trained psychiatric service dog uses the same portal and the same 48-hour deadline, with no mental health letter. It must be trained to perform a task; comfort alone is not one. See psychiatric service dogs.
Emotional support animals on Allegiant: flying as a pet
There is no Allegiant ESA form. Its current pages do not mention emotional support animals, its service animal definition covers trained dogs only, and the DOT rule lets airlines treat ESAs as pets. Allegiant's pet rules:
- Fee: $50 per carrier for each one-way flight segment (Allegiant words it several ways across its fee page, pet page and contract, but the figure is $50).
- Which pets: dogs and cats only, at least 8 weeks old. One carrier per paid traveler, with up to two pets in it.
- Carrier: soft-sided up to 18 x 12 x 11 inches, hard-sided up to 17 x 11 x 10.5 inches.
- Routes: "within the contiguous 48 United States" only, so no pets to Hawaii.
- Check-in: at the counter or gate at least 1 hour before departure. "A health certificate is not required".
- Hold: "Allegiant does not transport animals in the cargo bin", so a dog too big for a carrier cannot fly as a pet.
That is the lowest cabin pet fee we found. Compare every airline in can emotional support animals fly?
Service dogs in training on Allegiant
Allegiant is one of the few airlines with an opening: "Allegiant welcomes service animals in-training, on-duty law enforcement/search and rescue dogs on a case-by-case basis. However, we require notification at least 72 hours in advance of scheduled departure for verification ... Allegiant reserves the right to deny the request without cause." Ask early and have a backup plan. On the ground, access for dogs in training depends on state law; see service dogs in training.
Seating, size and large dogs on Allegiant
"All animals must remain on the floor, under the seat or in the lap of the disabled passenger (if the animal visually appears to be less than approximately 30 lbs.)." Staff check that the dog "fits within the purchased foot space. If not, an additional seat may be required to be purchased", and if no extra seat is available the dog "may be denied boarding". No dog may sit in a seat or use a tray table. If you have a large dog, buy the second seat when you book rather than hoping for a spare one at the gate.
Flights outside the 48 states, and Sun Country
Allegiant says destinations outside the contiguous 48 states "may have specific restrictions", and meeting them is the passenger's responsibility; Hawaii's entry rules, for example, apply to every dog. Allegiant's pet page also mentions an "Allegiant + Sun Country integration", so the two airlines' animal rules may change or converge. Check again before you fly.
Contacting Allegiant, and when we last checked
Allegiant's special needs page links the portal and its Disabilities Team; it is in our sources. allegiantair.com blocks simple requests, so we read its pages on 2026-09-25 through a fetch tool and matched them word for word against Internet Archive captures from July and August 2026 (the pets page was read on 2026-09-25 only). The contract of carriage is effective July 21, 2026. Compare Frontier, or if you used to fly Spirit, see what replaced Spirit's policy.
Common questions
Is there an Allegiant emotional support animal form?
No. Allegiant's current pages do not mention ESAs. An ESA flies as a cabin pet for $50 per carrier per flight.
Where is the Allegiant service dog form PDF?
Allegiant uses the DOT form, completed through the Open Doors portal at least 48 hours before departure. The old 2019 Allegiant PDF is out of date.
Does Allegiant ban pit bull service dogs?
No. Its current pages accept a service dog regardless of breed or type. The pit bull ban appears only in a superseded 2019 PDF.
Does Allegiant accept service dogs in training?
Case by case, with at least 72 hours' notice, and Allegiant may say no without giving a reason.
Can my service dog sit on my lap on Allegiant?
Only if it looks to be under about 30 pounds. Otherwise it stays on the floor or under the seat, and a large dog may need a second seat.
Sources
- Allegiant, passengers with special needs (service animals)
- Allegiant, Contract of Carriage (effective 2026-07-21)
- Allegiant, traveling with pets
- DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (PDF)
- 14 CFR 382.72, no refusal based on breed
- 14 CFR 382.75, documentation airlines may require
- DOT final rule, 85 FR 79742 (2020-12-10)
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 25, 2026.