Updated August 31, 2026
How We Vet Our Clinicians
One rule decides whether your letter works: the clinician has to be licensed where you live. Here is how we check, and how you can check too.
Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Andrew Patel, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Last reviewed August 31, 2026.
Why In-State Licensure Is the Whole Ballgame
The most common reason a letter gets rejected is that the clinician who signed it is licensed somewhere else. Property managers look up license numbers. It takes them ninety seconds.
Telehealth crosses state lines easily; licensure does not. Every clinician we match you with holds an active license in your state, and their license number appears on your letter so it can be verified.
Our Four Verification Steps
- Primary source license verification against the issuing state board at onboarding, and re-checked periodically. Not a self-reported number on a form.
- Disciplinary history review through state board records.
- Malpractice coverage confirmed at onboarding and maintained.
- Clinical independence. Clinicians are paid for evaluations, not for approvals. Nobody's compensation goes up when they say yes.
The part that matters most
A clinician who has never denied anyone is not evaluating anyone. Our clinicians decline requests, and that is the reason a letter from one of them is worth something to a landlord who reads it carefully.
What Goes on Your Letter
The clinician's name, credential, license type, license number and issuing state, on their letterhead, dated. That combination is what a leasing office needs to verify the document in a couple of minutes. A letter missing the license number gets rejected more often than any other single defect.
How to Verify a License Yourself
Every state publishes a free license lookup. Search for your state's board — psychology, social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, medical, or nursing, depending on the credential — and enter the number from your letter. You should see an active license with a matching name.
If a service will not tell you who signed your letter or what their license number is, that tells you what you need to know.
When You Should Skip Us Entirely
If you already see a therapist or psychiatrist, ask them first. A letter from a clinician who has treated you for a year is stronger than anything an evaluation service can produce, and it costs nothing. We exist for people who do not have that relationship, whose provider declines on policy grounds, or who need someone licensed in a state they recently moved to.
Pricing
ESA Letter Cost: One Price, Paid Once
No subscription, no renewal auto-charge, no registry fee. You pay for a clinical evaluation and, if the clinician approves you, a signed letter.
ESA Letter
- Signed by a clinician licensed in your state
- Covers up to 2 emotional support animals
- Formatted for landlords, property managers and HOAs
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
ESA Letter · 3+ Animals
- Every animal named on one letter
- Signed by a clinician licensed in your state
- Useful when a building caps the number of pets
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
PSD Letter
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Useful for housing, employers and school disability offices
- Covers up to 2 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
PSD Letter · Up to 3 Dogs
- Every dog named on one letter
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Covers up to 3 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
About the PSD letter: it is documentation from a licensed clinician, not a certificate or an ID. Under the ADA, public access comes from your dog being individually trained to do work or tasks for your disability. Businesses are allowed to ask only two questions and are not allowed to require paperwork. Nobody can sell you access rights — anyone who says otherwise is selling a novelty.
You are charged only after a clinician approves you. We may place a temporary authorization hold on your card beforehand to confirm it is valid; a hold is not a charge and is released if you are not approved.
100% refund if your landlord denies your ESA. If your housing provider refuses the accommodation after you submit a letter we issued, we refund what you paid in full. Full terms, including what a claim needs, on our refund policy page.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the clinician is real?
Take the license number from your letter and check it against your state board’s public lookup. That is the same check a property manager will run.
Do clinicians keep records?
Yes, as their licensure requires. Landlords do not receive them, and your letter does not include your diagnosis. More on how health information is handled.
Can a clinician from another state write my letter?
They should not, and if they do, expect it to be rejected. Licensure is state by state.
Sources
- HIPAA for individuals — your health information privacy rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity — the office that enforces the Fair Housing Act U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice
- Federal Trade Commission — consumer protection and advertising rules Federal Trade Commission
- State consumer protection offices USA.gov
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604 — discrimination in the sale or rental of housing Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives
Start With a Clinician Licensed Where You Live
The screening questionnaire takes about five minutes and matches you on state licensure.