Ohio § 3717.14 Dogs in outdoor dining areas

Ohio Statutes

§ 3717.14 — Dogs in outdoor dining areas

Ohio § 3717.14

Title 37Health-Safety-Morals

Ch. 3717Retail Food Establishments; Food Service Operations

This text of Ohio § 3717.14 (Dogs in outdoor dining areas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3717.14 (2026).

Text

(A)(1) A retail food establishment or food service operation may allow a person to bring a dog in an outdoor dining area of the establishment or operation in accordance with this section. However, if the dog is a service animal, no establishment or operation shall refuse to allow the dog in the outdoor dining area unless such refusal is authorized under federal and state laws governing service animals.

(2)The director of agriculture and the director of health shall adopt rules allowing dogs in an outdoor dining area of a retail food establishment or food service operation. The rules shall include authorization for the directors to prohibit dogs in an outdoor dining area of an establishment or operation during a public health emergency.

(B)If an establishment or operation allows a perso

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(A)(1) A retail food establishment or food service operation may allow a person to bring a dog in an outdoor dining area of the establishment or operation in accordance with this section. However, if the dog is a service animal, no establishment or operation shall refuse to allow the dog in the outdoor dining area unless such refusal is authorized under federal and state laws governing service animals.

(2) The director of agriculture and the director of health shall adopt rules allowing dogs in an outdoor dining area of a retail food establishment or food service operation. The rules shall include authorization for the directors to prohibit dogs in an outdoor dining area of an establishment or operation during a public health emergency.

(B) If an establishment or operation allows a person to bring a dog in an outdoor dining area of the establishment or operation, the establishment or operation shall do all of the following:

(1) Adopt a policy that requires patrons to control their dog, whether with a leash or otherwise, while the dog is in the outdoor dining area. The establishment or operation shall enforce the policy adopted under division (B)(1) of this section.

(2) Not allow the person to take the dog into the outdoor dining area through any of the establishment's or operation's indoor areas;

(3) Comply with both of the following:

(a) All sanitation standards established in the Ohio uniform food safety code other than those standards that prohibit dogs in an outdoor dining area of an establishment or operation;

(b) Any other standard established under this chapter.

(C) No person shall bring a dog in an outdoor dining area of an establishment or operation if the dog is not properly vaccinated in accordance with all state and local laws.

(D) As used in this section, "service animal" means any dog that is individually trained for the benefit of an individual with a disability to do work or perform tasks that are directly related to the individual's disability.