Last modified: 4 June 2025

Assistance Animal Policy (Australia / New Zealand)

State and federal law prohibit transportation providers from denying service to riders because of their assistance animals, and from otherwise discriminating against riders with assistance animals. For this reason, and because it’s the right thing to do, Uber’s policy also prohibits drivers who use the Uber Driver App from denying service to a rider because of the rider’s assistance animal (including riders who are approved trainers of assistance animals, as required by applicable law).

There are no exceptions to this policy due to allergies, religious objections, or a generalised fear of animals. As explained in Uber’s Community Guidelines and Non-Discrimination Policy, drivers who engage in discriminatory conduct in violation of Uber’s policy will lose their ability to use the Uber Driver App.

What is an Assistance Animal?

An assistance animal is an animal that is trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.

Assistance animals help a wide range of people with disabilities, and are not limited to assisting those who are visually impaired. You might not be able to see the disability the person has and you may not recognise an assistance animal just by looking at it. Assistance animals come in all shapes and sizes, and they are not required to have any kind of identifying collars or vests or display any kind of proof it is an assistance animal.

If you are unsure whether a rider’s animal is an assistance animal, you may ask them politely. If they answer yes, you can ask the rider for evidence that the animal is an assistance animal.

Consequences for Refusal to Transport a Rider with an Assistance Animal

If Uber receives a complaint that a driver has refused to transport a rider with an assistance animal because of the assistance animal, following a review of the complaint(s), the driver can be permanently prevented from using the Uber Driver App. Uber shall make this determination in its sole discretion following a review of the incident.

Drivers may also be subject to fines under applicable legislation if they refuse to accept a rider with an assistance animal. The maximum fine applicable will depend upon the state, territory or country the driver is located.

Reporting an Assistance Animal Complaint

If a rider has an issue related to their assistance animal—including issues regarding ride cancellations, harassment, improper cleaning fees or unlawful additional fees—the rider can report the issue to Uber via the Uber App.

Once a rider submits an assistance animal complaint, Uber’s specialised support team will review the complaint and deal with it appropriately.

A rider will be refunded any trip cancellation charges or other charges on the Uber App imposed because a driver has denied a rider service because of an assistance animal. Riders will be refunded any improper cleaning fees or unlawful additional fees charged for shedding by their assistance animals.