Frontier Airlines Policies for Pets and Service Dogs: What to Know in 2026

Frontier Airlines policies for animals are the carrier's published rules on which pets, service dogs and emotional support animals may fly, how they must be contained, and what they cost. As of October 2026, Frontier allows one small pet per passenger in the cabin on U.S. domestic flights for $149 per pet, each way, does not carry pets in cargo or as checked baggage, accepts only trained dogs as service animals, and flies only service dogs on international routes, according to Frontier Airlines' official pet and fee pages.

This guide pulls every rule from primary sources, including Frontier's own help pages, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). Fees and rules change often, so check the linked official pages before you book.

Frontier Airlines pet policy at a glance

The quickest way to understand Frontier is that it is a cabin-only airline for pets. Frontier Airlines' help center states that pets "travel in the cabin with you" and that "we do not transport pets in the cargo hold."

How much does Frontier charge to fly with a pet?

Frontier Airlines lists a "Pet Charge: $149 per pet, per direction (Non-Refundable)" on its Optional Services page in 2026. A round trip with one pet therefore costs $298 in pet fees alone.

Frontier's Family & Pets page says the one-way charge "may be paid in advance during booking," and if you do not prepay you pay when you check in your pet. The pet carrier does not replace your bag allowance: you may still bring either a personal item (8 x 14 x 18 in.) or a carry-on bag (10 x 16 x 24 in.), and the carry-on carries its own fee.

How to add a pet to a Frontier booking

1. During booking, select Cabin Pet in the Passenger Info section, per Frontier's pet FAQ.
2. If you already booked, open Manage Trip and choose Add Pet in Cabin.
3. Measure your carrier against the size limits below before you fly.
4. Check the health certificate rules of your destination state or territory.
5. Arrive with the pet in its carrier; it must stay inside for the whole trip.

Which pets can fly on Frontier?

Frontier Airlines accepts domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and small household birds on flights within the U.S., according to its 2026 pet FAQ. Dogs and cats must be at least 8 weeks old.

Frontier also publishes a list of animals it never accepts: large birds such as parrots, macaws, cockatoos and birds of prey; rodents including mice, rats and squirrels; beavers; ferrets; reptiles including snakes; amphibians; spiders; and insects. The ferret ban is worth noting because USDA APHIS treats ferrets as pets for government travel purposes. An animal can count as a pet under federal rules and still be refused by an airline.

Pet behavior and cabin rules

• One pet per passenger in the cabin, per Frontier's pet FAQ.
• A passenger traveling with a trained service dog may also bring one pet in the cabin, if both sets of rules are met.
• You may not sit in row one or an exit row when traveling with a pet, per the Family & Pets page.
• Your pet must be "harmless, not disruptive, odorless, and require no attention during flight."
• Frontier asks that you not feed or water your pet on board and recommends no food or water within four hours of departure.
• Frontier states that no oxygen will be given to a pet in an emergency.

Frontier's Family & Pets page notes that most veterinarians advise against sedating pets for travel because tranquilizer effects at altitude are unpredictable. Ask your own veterinarian before giving any medication.

Frontier pet carrier size requirements

Frontier Airlines sets the maximum hard-sided container at 18 in. long x 14 in. wide x 8 in. high and the maximum soft-sided container at 18 in. x 14 in. x 11 in., according to its 2026 pet FAQ. Soft-sided carriers are recommended.

Size is only half the test. The carrier must also be large enough for the pet to stand, turn around and lie down in a natural position, and it must fit under the seat in front of you. Only one adult dog or cat may travel per container. Frontier warns that some seats cannot take a pet container and says it will work with you on a seat assignment that has space.

Frontier service animal policy

Frontier's service animal rules follow the DOT final rule on traveling by air with service animals, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020 and effective January 11, 2021. That rule defines a service animal as a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a qualified person with a disability.

Frontier Airlines' Special Services page (2026) sets these conditions:

• Only dogs are accepted in the cabin as trained service animals, including fully trained psychiatric service dogs.
• A passenger with a disability may bring up to two service animals.
• Service animals in training are not accepted.
• Service animals under 4 months old are not accepted.
• The dog must be harnessed, leashed or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft.

The DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form

Frontier requires the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, which attests to the dog's health, behavior and training. If you book more than 48 hours before departure, Frontier says the form must be submitted no later than 48 hours before travel. If you book within 48 hours, Frontier's service animal documentation portal says to present the form at the departure gate on the day of travel.

The same portal says a typed PDF form gets instant approval or decline, while a handwritten form can take up to 7 days to process. Keep a copy with you, because Frontier staff may ask for it at different points in your trip. The 2020 DOT rule also allows airlines to require an extra relief attestation for flight segments of eight hours or more.

Does Frontier allow emotional support animals?

No. Frontier's Special Services page says that as of February 1, 2021, Frontier no longer accepts emotional support animals onboard as service animals, and the animal may instead travel under the pet policy for a fee. This follows the 2020 DOT rule, which states that carriers "are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets."

The dates differ slightly: the DOT rule took effect on January 11, 2021, while Frontier names February 1, 2021 as its own start date. An emotional support dog or cat therefore has to meet every pet rule, including the carrier size limit and the $149 fee.

Can you fly internationally with a pet on Frontier?

Not with a pet. Frontier Airlines' Family & Pets page states that Frontier "will not accept new pets for International Travel" and will only accept service animals internationally, under specific requirements.

For international travel, Frontier says every service dog must have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, be at least 4 months old, appear healthy on arrival, and have a microchip readable by a universal scanner. Dogs from countries the CDC classes as high-risk for dog rabies need extra documentation. The CDC explains that its requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the 6 months before entering the U.S.

USDA APHIS, which last updated its Pet Travel page on March 20, 2026, describes the CDC as "the primary authority for dog imports." It advises anyone taking a pet out of the country to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as they decide to travel.

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

Frontier's Family & Pets page lists separate entry rules for U.S. territories. For Puerto Rico, each animal, including service animals, needs an official health certificate valid for 30 days, rabies vaccination within six months for pets over four months old, external parasite treatment within 72 hours before entry, and official identification by microchip or metal ID tag. For the U.S. Virgin Islands, Frontier lists a health certificate stating the animal did not come from a rabies-quarantined area and rabies vaccination within six months, except for dogs and cats under 12 weeks old.

Do you need a health certificate for a pet on a Frontier domestic flight?

Frontier does not require one, but your destination might. Frontier Airlines' Family & Pets page says it does "not require a health certificate for pets carried in the cabin traveling within the U.S.," but adds that the state you land in may require one. Frontier says it is the passenger's responsibility to check those rules and to carry any required health documents.

Practical tip: the airline accepting your pet does not mean your destination state will. Check state animal entry rules before you buy the $149 pet add-on.

Other Frontier Airlines policies that affect pet travelers

Pet owners often change plans, so Frontier's change and bag fees matter too. According to Frontier's Optional Services page in 2026:

• For Basic or Standard fares booked on or after September 25, 2026, a change made 59 days or less before departure costs $149 per passenger, per direction; changes 60 or more days out cost $0.
• Cancelling a Basic or Standard fare booked on or after September 25, 2026 costs $149 per passenger, per direction; Economy, Premium and Business bundles show $0.
• The included personal item can be up to 8 x 18 x 14 in., and a carry-on up to 10 x 16 x 24 in. and 35 lb.
• The pet charge itself is non-refundable.

Because the pet fee is non-refundable, confirm your carrier dimensions and destination paperwork before you pay.

Airline pet rules vs. Animal Passport biometric ID

Frontier's pet rules, the DOT service animal form, CDC dog import forms and USDA-endorsed health certificates are official airline and government requirements. Animal Passport is something different. It is a digital animal and livestock passport that identifies animals by muzzle biometrics. A nose print is unique, like a fingerprint.

Using a phone, Animal Passport records an animal's owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. It estimates age from a dental photograph with a confidence score and gives a body condition score from 1 to 5 based on a side-profile photo. In August 2025 it was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not an airline pet ticket, not a DOT form, not a health certificate and not a government-issued travel document. It does not provide veterinary diagnosis or legal advice. For a Frontier flight, use the official documents listed above. USDA APHIS notes that animals such as pigs and chickens are regulated as livestock or poultry, not pets, and Frontier does not accept them in the cabin anyway. You can read more about livestock identification on the Animal Passport blog.

Checklist: flying Frontier with an animal

1. Confirm your route is within the U.S. if you are bringing a pet, not a service dog.
2. Confirm the species is on Frontier's allowed list and the animal is at least 8 weeks old.
3. Measure the carrier: 18 x 14 x 11 in. soft-sided or 18 x 14 x 8 in. hard-sided.
4. Add Cabin Pet at booking or through Manage Trip, and budget $149 each way.
5. For a service dog, submit the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before departure.
6. Check health certificate rules for your destination state, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
7. Avoid row one and exit rows, and keep the pet in its carrier for the whole flight.

By Animal Passport. Last updated October 3, 2026. Rules are summarized from official Frontier Airlines, DOT, CDC and USDA APHIS pages opened on that date.