A. Any blind, physically handicapped, deaf or hard-of-hearing person who is a passenger on any common carrier, airplane, motor vehicle, railroad train, motorbus, streetcar, boat, or any other public conveyance or mode of transportation operating within this state or any dog trainer from a recognized training center when in the act of training guide, signal, or service dogs shall be entitled to have with him or her a guide, signal, or service dog specially trained or being trained for that purpose, without being required to pay an additional charge therefor, but shall be liable as hereafter set forth in subsection B of this section.

B. A blind, physically handicapped, deaf or hard-of-hearing person and his or her guide, signal, or service dog or a dog trainer from a recognized training center in the act of training guide, signal, or service dogs shall not be denied admittance to or refused access to any of the following because of such dog: Any street, highway, sidewalk, walkway, any common carrier, airplane, motor vehicle, railroad train, motor bus, streetcar, boat, or any other public conveyance or mode of transportation, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging, public building maintained by any unit or subdivision of government, building to which the general public is invited, college dormitory and other educational facility, restaurant or other place where food is offered for sale to the public, or any other place of public accommodation, amusement, convenience, or resort to which the general public or any classification of persons from the general public is regularly, normally, or customarily invited within the State of Oklahoma. Such blind, physically handicapped, deaf or hard-of-hearing person or dog trainer from a recognized training center in the act of training guide, signal, or service dogs shall not be required to pay any additional charges for his or her guide, signal, or service dog, but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises by such dog.

C. A dog used by a deaf or hard-of-hearing person shall be required to wear an orange identifying collar.

D. For the purposes of this section and Section 113.1 of Title 41 of the Oklahoma Statutes:

1. "Physically handicapped person" means any person who has a physical impairment which severely and permanently restricts mobility of two or more extremities, or who is so severely disabled as to be unable to move without the aid of a wheelchair;

2. "Service dog" means any dog individually trained to the physically handicapped person's requirements; and

3. "Signal dog" means any dog trained to alert a deaf or hard-of-hearing person to intruders or sounds.

Added by Laws 1968, c. 9, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 6, 1968. Amended by Laws 1981, c. 41, § 1; Laws 1985, c. 19, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1985; Laws 1988, c. 71, § 1, emerg. eff. March 25, 1988; Laws 1989, c. 154, § 3, operative July 1, 1989; Laws 1992, c. 122, § 1, emerg. eff. April 23, 1992; Laws 1998, c. 246, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 1998.