California legal term
service dog in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “service dog” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “service dog” mean in California criminal law?
“service dog” means any dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, minimal protection work, rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items. (Cal. Penal Code § 365.5)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.