Assistance Animal Pass
You can apply for an Assistance Animal Pass if you need your animal to help manage your disability while you use public transport.
An assistance animal is trained, like a Guide Dog, to help you ease or manage the effects of a disability or condition.
Not all animals are assistance animals, even if they assist you in some way. Companion, therapy and facility animals are not considered assistance animals. House training and general obedience aren’t enough to qualify your animal for an Assistance Animal Pass.
For information about travelling with your pet, see Animals on public transport.
Which animals are eligible?
Animals covered by the Assistance Animal Pass (usually dogs) include:
- Mobility support animals that help people with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs or have difficulty moving around
- Medical alert animals that help people before and during a medical emergency
- Psychiatric service animals that help people with mental illness.
To receive a pass, you’ll need to provide evidence that your assistance animal is formally trained to help you manage your disability, and meets similar standards of hygiene and obedience as a Guide Dog. Guide Dogs and hearing dogs (working or in-training) can already travel free and don’t need an Assistance Animal Pass.
Assistance animals with a pass can travel free on public transport in Victoria. The handler must have a valid ticket.
Public Access Test
Other Australian states require assistance animals to pass a Public Access Test. This assesses an animal’s ability to work and behave as an assistance animal in public places, including on public transport.
Assistance animals need to be:
- non-aggressive
- obedient to their handler's commands
- quiet (no barking)
- experienced in real life situations
- calm in confined and crowded spaces
- calm in noisy and stressful situations.
This isn't an exhaustive list. You can find out more about the test at the links below:
- Queensland’s Public Access Test
- Western Australia’s Public Access Test
- South Australia’s Public Access Test
In Victoria your animal doesn’t need to complete a Public Access Test, but we strongly recommended that your trainer use the requirements as a guide to minimum standards of behavior and hygiene.
Interstate visitors
All Victorian public transport operators accept Assistance Animal Passes from other states. You don’t need to apply for a Victorian Assistance Animal Pass.
How to apply
Download the Assistance Animal Pass application form below:
There's information about how to apply on the form. If you would like the application form posted to you or help completing the form, call 1800 800 007 or visit a PTV Hub.