Updated August 31, 2026
What is an ESA letter?
It is a short document from a licensed mental health professional saying two things: you have a disability, and an animal is part of how you manage it. That is genuinely all it is — and the simplicity is the point.
Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Andrew Patel, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Last reviewed August 31, 2026.
What is in it
A proper letter is usually one page and contains:
- The clinician's letterhead, license type, license number and the state that issued it
- The date it was written
- A statement that you are their patient or client and have been evaluated
- A statement that you have a mental or emotional disability as defined by the Fair Housing Act
- A statement that the animal is part of your treatment and helps with symptoms of that disability
- The animal, identified by name and type
- The clinician's signature and contact information
What is deliberately not in it
Your diagnosis. A housing provider is not entitled to it, and a letter that volunteers it hands over medical information you did not have to disclose. A well-written letter confirms the legally relevant fact and stops there.
Also absent: a registration number, a certificate seal, a photo ID or a barcode. None of those exist in law, and their presence on a document is a signal that it came from a merchandise site rather than a clinician.
What it does
It supports a request for a reasonable accommodation in housing — an exception to a no-pet rule, a breed restriction, a weight limit, or pet fees. The letter is the evidence. The request itself is a separate document you write, and skipping it is one of the most common mistakes people make.
What it does not do
- It does not get you into stores, restaurants or offices. Public access under the ADA belongs to trained service dogs. An ESA is not a service animal.
- It does not get you on a plane. Since January 2021, airlines can treat emotional support animals as pets. Details here.
- It does not register your animal anywhere. There is no registry.
- It does not force a landlord to say yes. It obliges them to consider the request seriously and gives you grounds if they do not.
What changed on May 22, 2026
HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance animal guidance and adopted a narrower enforcement standard: it will now pursue Fair Housing Act complaints only where an animal is individually trained to do work or tasks related to the person's disability.
Your letter did not stop meaning anything. It still documents a licensed clinician's determination, which is what a state civil rights agency, a private lawsuit, or a landlord's own lawyer will look at. What shifted is who enforces it and how readily. The full explanation is here.
How long is it good for?
No federal expiration date. Iowa requires annual renewal by statute. In practice, most landlords treat a letter older than twelve months as stale, so a yearly re-evaluation is the norm.
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
Can my regular therapist write it?
Yes, and if you have one, ask them first. A letter from a clinician who has treated you for a year is the strongest version of this document. We exist for people who do not have that relationship, or whose provider will not write one.
Does it need to be notarized?
No. Notarization is not required and does not add legal weight. What matters is a verifiable license in your state.
Can a landlord call the clinician to verify?
They can contact the clinician to verify that the letter is authentic and the license is real. They are not entitled to your clinical records or your diagnosis.
Sources
- 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
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity — the office that enforces the Fair Housing Act U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Service Animals U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
- Service animals on aircraft, and the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form U.S. Department of Transportation
- The Fair Housing Act: A Legal Overview (CRS Report R48113) Congressional Research Service
- Disability rights in housing — HUD overview HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Find Out Where You Stand in About Ten Minutes
Answer a short screening questionnaire, talk to a clinician licensed in your state, and get a real answer either way.