Emotional Support Animals: How to Get Your ESA Letter

If your dog, cat, bird, or other pet qualifies as an emotional support animal (ESA), they are legally allowed to live with you anywhere — even if your rental property doesn’t have a pets allowed policy. Let’s go over how pets can qualify as emotional support animals, what type of legal protections are afforded to ESAs, and what you need to do in order to get an emotional support animal letter. 

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What is an ESA letter?

An ESA letter is an official letter written by a licensed mental health professional. The letter verifies both that the patient is diagnosed with a qualifying mental health condition and that the animal provides emotional support that helps to alleviate symptoms caused by the mental health condition. The ESA letter is submitted to your landlord to prove that you qualify for housing accommodations for your emotional support animal. 

Who can get an ESA?

People who suffer from a variety of mental health conditions can qualify for an emotional support animal if their condition significantly impacts their daily life and if the pet helps them feel better or suffer fewer symptoms from their condition. Some common mental health conditions that might qualify a person for an emotional support animal include: 

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Bipolar disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Eating disorders

• Autism

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Who can write an ESA letter?

Any licensed mental health professional who has evaluated and/or diagnosed you with a qualifying mental health condition can write an ESA letter. This includes:

• Psychologists 

• Psychiatrists

• Licensed clinical social workers

• Licensed marriage and ramily therapists

• Licensed professional counselors (LPCs)

It’s important to know that emotional support animals are not the same as service dogs. Service dogs are trained to perform tasks that help people with disabilities. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which means they are allowed to accompany their handler anywhere in public — even if pets are not allowed. 

Emotional support animals are not trained to do specific tasks, and are not given these same access rights. Getting an ESA letter doesn’t mean your emotional support animal will be allowed to be with you on planes and buses, in restaurants and grocery stores, and in other public places. However, ESAs are protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Getting an ESA letter means your emotional support animal will be permitted to live with you in housing that doesn’t allow pets. Additionally, any fees for pet rent or other pet fees are to be waived for emotional support animals according to the FHA.

Where can you get an ESA letter?

If you’re wondering where to get an ESA letter, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s a fairly painless process. If you are currently being treated by a mental health professional, simply ask them to write the letter for you. If you aren’t currently seeing a provider, you have several options to get an ESA letter online or in person. 

If you have not yet been diagnosed with a qualifying mental health condition, this will be part of your process to obtain an ESA letter for your pet. Either way, you’ll want to connect with a mental health care provider, either in person or online as they must evaluate your need for an emotional support animal before they can legally write an ESA letter.

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How to get a letter for an ESA

If you’re starting from scratch, here are the steps you’ll need to take in order to get a letter for an ESA:

1. Find a licensed mental health care provider.

2. Receive a diagnosis of a qualifying mental health condition.

3. Be evaluated for your need for an emotional support animal.

4. Obtain a ESA letter from your provider on official letterhead.

5. Submit your ESA letter to your landlord.

FAQs

What are common ESA scams to look out for?

Look out for common ESA scam online that offer ESA letters for a fee without a proper evaluation of you, the patient, by a licensed mental health care provider. In essence, these are fraudulent documents that might not be legally recognized. Always seek an ESA letter from a licensed mental health care provider (psychologist, psychiatrist, or other licensed therapist). They should personally evaluate your need for an emotional support animal before writing your ESA letter. 

How do I get my emotional support animals registered or certified?

Emotional support animals do not need to be registered or certified in any way. To prove the need for an emotional support animal, the owner must obtain an ESA letter from a licensed mental health care provider. Any online service offering ESA registration or certification should be viewed as a scam. Additionally, services offering ESA letters without a mental health assessment are fraudulent and might not hold up legally.

Does an ESA letter expire?

Yes, an ESA letter generally expires after one year. If your landlord requests a new ESA letter after one year’s time, you can reach out to your licensed mental health care provider and ask for reassessment and a new ESA letter, which will be good for another year.

How long does it take to get an ESA letter?

It takes one to thirty days to get an ESA letter, depending on what state you live in and how quickly you can be diagnosed or evaluated for your mental health condition and need for an emotional support animal. Some states require waiting periods for people requesting ESA letters. 

Are ESA letters hard to get?

No, ESA letters are not hard to get provided a licensed mental health professional diagnoses you with a qualifying mental health condition and evaluates your need for an emotional support animal. You can seek an evaluation and diagnosis in person or online. 

References

• Kirnan, Jean P., et al. “Emotional Support Animals Supporting College Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being: A Qualitative Analysis Exploring Practices, Policies, and Perceptions.” Journal of American College Health, 11 July 2022, pp. 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2095871.