SEAAirport Guide

Service animals at Seattle airport

SEA has animal relief areas outside security and after it. How screening works with a leashed animal, plus where to ask for help.

A golden retriever in a plain service vest stands beside a row of gate seats on the concourse floor at Seattle-Tacoma airport.
Concourse, SEA

SEA has relief areas for your dog both outside security and after it. Keep your service dog leashed through screening. It doesn’t go through the X-ray. For the flight, your airline and DOT set the rules.

Relief areas by where you are

Spot Side of security Where the Port puts it
Door 33 Before Outside door 33 by Alaska Airlines, ticketing level (Departures Drive)
Door 26 Before Outside door 26 by Alaska Airlines, baggage claim level (Arrivals Drive)
South end Before Near door 00/02 on the baggage claim level, past Carousel 1
Parking garage Before First level, outside, near the blue elevators and the cruise lobby’s exit to transportation
A Concourse After Near A10
C Concourse After At the restrooms near C3
D Concourse After At the restrooms near D1
N Concourse After At the N SEA Underground train station
S Concourse After At the S SEA Underground train station
International Arrivals Facility After Mezzanine level, in the U.S. Customs area near the restrooms, for internationally arriving passengers only

Departing with a dog, you’ll find door 33 on your level. Alaska checks in on Level 5 near Door 29, with self check-in and bag drops on Level 4 by Skybridges 5 and 6. See our Alaska Airlines guide for the check-in route. Door 26 and the south end serve arrivals. Our baggage claim guide lists SEA’s published carousels by airline. Check the claim display for your flight’s belt before choosing a relief area.

A, B, C and D are joined on foot, so from a B gate walk to the A or C unit. N and S aren’t joined to them and need the train. Take the SEA Underground Green Line from C or D Station to N Station for the N Concourse unit. For the S Concourse unit, the Blue Line runs from A or B Station to S Station.

Every unit has pet waste bags and a trash bin, so clean up after your animal. Call the Port at (206) 787-5229 if a unit needs janitorial work. The Port asks handlers to use elevators, not escalators, to prevent injury.

Screening with a service animal

  • Keep the animal leashed through screening.
  • Lead it through yourself. Animals shouldn’t go through an X-ray.
  • Carriers, vests and other service animal gear are screened too.
  • Animals can’t enter a screening lane while TSA K9 teams are working it.
  • For screening help, call TSA Cares at (855) 787-2227 at least 72 hours before you fly, or ask an officer for a Passenger Support Specialist.

Airline rules are the airline’s

Airlines may treat emotional support animals as pets. Ask yours whether it requires forms 48 hours before travel and how many service animals of which types it allows.

The Port’s own tip is to book a seat where a larger service dog can fit in front of you without blocking the aisle.

If you fly Alaska

Alaska says trained service animals travel free. Its pet travel fees run from $100 to $200 each way, per kennel or carrier, depending on the travel type and route.

  • Alaska says to make reservations as early as possible and to request services while booking online. You can also add them to a booked ticket from the Trips page.
  • Alaska’s accessible services line is 1-800-503-0101, and you can dial 711 for relay services.
  • Alaska says to arrive at least 2 hours before departure and to tell staff about any special requirements at check-in, in the boarding area and on the aircraft.

Help beyond the relief areas

You need Where How
A free wheelchair before security From the Link station, baggage claim, the garage or the rental car shuttle drop-off to your airline’s ticket counter. The airport map marks assistance points by Doors 7, 9, 17, 23 and 27, and at Skybridge 5. Call Prospect Airport Services at (206) 246-1550 on arrival
A wheelchair after security Your airline arranges help from the ticket counter to the gate, between gates and to baggage claim Book with your airline before you travel
Directions, Sunflower lanyards, Braille and other visual or auditory tools, on-demand ASL interpretation Information desks on the ticketing level between Checkpoints 4 and 5, on the baggage claim level near Checkpoint 1, and on the A Concourse between Gates A5 and A6 (after security) Ask a Pathfinder or volunteer at the desk. SEA Pups therapy dog teams also walk the airport.
A room SEA Underground A Station near the elevators, and Level 3 above Gate C3 near the lookout, 4 a.m. to midnight Call (206) 787-5229 and press 1 for the key code
Questions about access The Port’s ADA coordinator at 206-787-3132, or SEA Customer Care at (206) 787-5388, daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Phone or email

Landing from abroad with a dog

Our pet relief areas page lists what a dog needs to enter the United States.

  • It looks healthy on arrival.
  • It’s at least 6 months old.
  • It has a microchip a universal scanner can read, implanted before the rabies vaccine.
  • You hold a receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form.
  • You hold a U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate or a USDA-endorsed export health certificate.

Confirm the import rules for your dog with the CDC and your airline. A pet that flew in the aircraft’s cargo hold is collected outside the International Arrivals Facility exit.

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