Step 1
Answer the free screening; no card is asked for. It covers where you will be during the consultation, the animal you live with and how it helps you. If nothing points toward a letter, the screening tells you so before checkout.
Maine · ME
ESA letter Maine: an evaluation by a Maine-licensed clinician and the 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A fee bar
Yes. State law counts an untrained emotional support animal as an assistance animal once a licensed health professional who knows your disability-related need finds it necessary (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). No waiting period or session rule applies. A covered landlord may not make the animal conditional on a fee or deposit (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). If a clinician licensed in Maine finds you qualify, the signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. The price is $99.
300days
to bring a free housing complaint to the state Human Rights Commission
5 M.R.S. § 46110dollars
in pet fees or deposits a covered landlord may attach to an assistance animal
5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)3defences
are the only grounds for refusing the animal, and the landlord carries the burden
5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)2months' rent
is the most any security deposit may be, returned within 30 days at most under a written lease
14 M.R.S. §§ 6032, 6033Maine, with the capital marked
Maine at a glance
The 7 things a renter in Maine needs to know.
Each answer is one line, with the section of Maine law it comes from. The detail is further down the page.
- 01
Does Maine law cover emotional support animals in housing?
Yes, and more firmly than most states. The fair-housing definition of an assistance animal includes one "determined necessary" to "mitigate the effects" of a physical or mental disability by a licensed health professional who knows the need (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). That prong asks for no training. A second prong covers trained animals. The statute never uses the words "emotional support animal", yet the Human Rights Commission says prong A "describes the classic emotional support animal". The definition says only "an animal", so a Maine Coon cat can qualify just as a dog can.
5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A) - 02
Can my landlord charge a pet fee, pet deposit or pet rent for my ESA?
Not where the rental is covered. The animal's use "may not be conditioned on the payment of a fee or security deposit" (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). The Commission reads that to bar pet fees, pet deposits and other animal-related fees, monthly pet rent included. That last point is the Commission's position; no court decision on pet rent has been found. You still pay for any damage the animal does. The bar does not reach one unit of an owner-occupied two-family house or up to four rooms in an owner's home (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)).
5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3); 5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B) - 03
Is there a 30-day wait, a session rule or an expiry date?
No. Maine sets no relationship length, no session count, no in-person visit and no validity period for the letter. The single test is a licensed professional "with knowledge of the disability-related need for an assistance animal" who has found the animal necessary (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). A "therapeutic relationship" condition or a 12-month renewal, both repeated online, appears nowhere in state law. What the rules do demand is a real evaluation. For physicians, physician associates and nurse practitioners, a static online questionnaire "does not constitute an acceptable clinical interview" (Joint Rule ch. 11, § 3(7)).
5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A); Joint Rule ch. 11, § 3(7) - 04
Who can write my Maine ESA letter, and do they need a Maine licence?
The statute lists a physician, psychologist, physician associate, nurse practitioner, licensed social worker or licensed professional counselor, "or other licensed health professional" with knowledge of your need (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). That catch-all, added in 2019, also reaches licensed marriage and family therapists and clinical counsellors. The definition says "licensed", not licensed here. The licensing acts are what require a Maine licence when the client sits in the state during a telehealth evaluation (32 M.R.S. §§ 13854(1), 7051). A psychologist holding PSYPACT telepsychology authority may practise into Maine.
5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A); 32 M.R.S. §§ 13854(1), 7051 - 05
When can a landlord refuse my assistance animal?
Only on one of three defences, and the landlord has to show it (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). One: the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Two: its use would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others. Three: it would substantially interfere with other residents' reasonable enjoyment of the housing, a ground with no federal counterpart. "Undue financial or administrative burden", often listed online, is not among them. No Maine statute sets a breed, weight or size rule, so a refusal has to rest on facts about your particular animal.
5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3) - 06
Does a small landlord have to follow this?
Almost always. Two arrangements are exempt: renting one unit of a two-family dwelling where the owner lives in the other, and renting no more than four rooms of a one-family home the owner occupies (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)). Nothing exempts an owner-occupied three- or four-unit building, and nothing exempts an owner of a few single-family houses. A landlord living in one flat of a triplex is covered, fee bar included.
5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B) - 07
Where do I complain, and how long do I have?
File with the Maine Human Rights Commission within 300 days of the act (5 M.R.S. § 4611). Begin with the online intake, a mailed intake form or a call to 207-624-6290. An intake officer then drafts the complaint for your notarised signature, and the Commission says there is no fee to file. You may instead sue in Superior Court within two years of the act, or within 90 days after a Commission dismissal or right-to-sue letter if that is later (5 M.R.S. § 4613(2)(C)).
5 M.R.S. §§ 4611, 4613(2)(C)
Maine law
Maine treats an untrained ESA as an assistance animal, and a covered landlord may not charge a fee or deposit for it
The protection here is statute, not guidance. Maine is one of the strongest states for renters with untrained animals because its fair-housing definition reaches them directly (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). An assistance animal includes one that a physician, psychologist, physician associate, nurse practitioner, licensed social worker, licensed professional counselor or other licensed health professional with knowledge of your disability-related need has found necessary to mitigate the effects of your disability. No training is required. Refusing an assistance animal is unlawful unless the landlord shows a direct threat to others' health or safety, substantial physical damage to others' property, or substantial interference with others' reasonable enjoyment of the housing (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). The same subsection bars conditioning the animal on a fee or security deposit, while leaving you liable for damage. Your landlord must consider the request on those terms. The rules do not cover one unit of an owner-occupied two-family home or up to four rooms in an owner's home (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)). On 4 August 2026 the Human Rights Commission said HUD's May memo "changes nothing in Maine". A complaint goes to the Commission within 300 days (5 M.R.S. § 4611).
Source: 5 M.R.S. §§ 4553(1-H)(A), 4582-A(3) (PL 2015, c. 457; amended PL 2019, c. 464). This is general information, not legal advice.
ComplaintsMaine Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Augusta · 207-624-6290, TTY Maine Relay 711 · free filing · 300 days from the act (5 M.R.S. § 4611).PenaltyKnowingly misrepresenting an animal as a service or assistance animal is a civil violation, not a crime, with a fine of up to 1,000 dollars for each occurrence (17 M.R.S. § 1314-A; 17-A M.R.S. § 4-B). It includes knowingly creating or providing documents that falsely say an animal is one (17 M.R.S. § 1314-A).
The federal Fair Housing Act still recognises the accommodation, and you can still enforce it in court. Since May 2026, HUD itself has stopped pursuing complaints about untrained emotional support animals, so in practice your protection comes from Maine law and the Maine Human Rights Commission.
“The use of an assistance animal may not be conditioned on the payment of a fee or security deposit”
Federal vs Maine
Where the federal Fair Housing Act stops and Maine law takes over.
| Topic | Federal (Fair Housing Act) | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Fees and deposits | The federal accommodation clause (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)) and 24 C.F.R. § 100.204 set no fee rule. HUD withdrew its no-fee guidance effective 17 September 2025, so federally a waiver is a request. | By statute, a covered landlord may not condition an assistance animal on a fee or security deposit, and you stay liable for damage (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). Pet rent is barred on the Commission's reading. Any ordinary security deposit is capped at two months' rent (14 M.R.S. § 6032). |
| Documentation | The accommodation has to be necessary because of a disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). No federal letter format exists. | A finding by a licensed health professional with knowledge of the disability-related need (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). No questions about the nature or severity of the disability (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.04(G)(1)). No set wording and no expiry date. |
| Timing | Federal law sets no waiting period and no deadline for the landlord's reply. | No waiting period, 30-day rule, session count or in-person visit before a letter, and no statutory reply deadline (5 M.R.S. §§ 4553(1-H), 4582-A). The 300 days to file run from the refusal (5 M.R.S. § 4611). |
| Who may write | Federal law does not name the writer. | A physician, psychologist, physician associate, nurse practitioner, licensed social worker, licensed professional counselor or other licensed health professional who knows the need (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). Telehealth to someone located here needs a Maine licence or PSYPACT authority under the licensing acts (32 M.R.S. §§ 13854(1), 7051). The Counseling Compact is not live in Maine. |
| Exemptions | Owner-occupied buildings of up to four units, and single-family houses rented by an owner of no more than three (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)). | Only one unit of an owner-occupied two-family dwelling, or up to four rooms in an owner-occupied one-family home (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)). A religious corporation renting to its members has its own carve-out (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(A)). |
| Where to file | HUD, which since May 2026 finds cause only where the animal is trained, or a federal lawsuit. | The Maine Human Rights Commission, HUD's partner agency for the state, with a free, notarised complaint (5 M.R.S. § 4611). Or Superior Court, where housing cases allow actual and punitive damages (5 M.R.S. § 4613(2)(B)). |
| Deadline | One year to file with HUD (42 U.S.C. § 3610); two years to sue (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)). | 300 days to the Commission (5 M.R.S. § 4611). Superior Court within two years of the act, or 90 days after a Commission dismissal or right-to-sue letter, whichever is later (5 M.R.S. § 4613(2)(C)). |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
Your timeline in Maine
What actually happens, and when.
Maine puts no gap between first contact and the letter, so the evaluation sets the pace. The screening is free and asks for no card. You pay at checkout, before the consultation. Your clinician must actually come to know your disability-related need, which a form alone cannot do.
Step 2
After checkout, a live consultation by video or phone with a clinician licensed in Maine, or with a psychologist holding PSYPACT telepsychology authority to practise into Maine. The clinician asks about your symptoms, your daily life and the animal's role. Then they decide whether the animal is necessary to mitigate a disability (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). Some people do not qualify.
Step 3
If you qualify, the signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours of the consultation. It states that the clinician knows your disability-related need, and it shows the licence details and the consultation date. Your diagnosis stays out of it. If you do not qualify, you can ask for a refund within 7 days.
Housing
What your Maine landlord may and may not do.
Under the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)) and Maine's own fair-housing law, a housing provider must consider a reasonable-accommodation request for an assistance animal, including where pets are prohibited. Each line below carries the section it comes from.
What they may do
Your landlord may
- Ask for documentation from a licensed health professional when the disability-related need is not obvious, keeping any follow-up request "genuinely reasonable". 5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A); MHRC guidance, 4 Aug 2026
- Refuse after showing the animal is a direct threat to others' health or safety, would cause substantial physical damage to others' property, or would substantially interfere with others' reasonable enjoyment. 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)
- Hold you responsible for damage the animal does to the premises, to the same extent as any other resident. 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3); 94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.06(D)
- Ask for information about the animal, the name of someone who can collect it in an emergency, and entry when its welfare is at risk. 14 M.R.S. § 6025-A
- Rely on the exemption when renting one unit of an owner-occupied two-family house or up to four rooms in an owner-occupied home. 5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)
What they may not do
Your landlord may not
- Make your assistance animal conditional on a pet fee, a pet deposit or a security deposit. 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)
- Turn the animal down because it has no task training. 5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A); MHRC guidance, 4 Aug 2026
- Ask about the nature or severity of your disability. 94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.04(G)(1)
- Retaliate for a complaint. An eviction started within six months of a good-faith complaint to the Commission or HUD is presumed retaliatory. 14 M.R.S. § 6001(3)(E); 94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.09(B)(5)
- Hold a security deposit above two months' rent, or keep it past 30 days under a written lease (21 days for a tenancy at will) without an itemised statement. 14 M.R.S. §§ 6032, 6033
Illustrative exchange
What a lawful conversation looks like.
Most refusals are not a flat no. They are a question the housing provider is not allowed to ask, or a fee they are not allowed to charge. Here is the shape of a typical exchange in Maine, with the rule beside each reply.
A made-up exchange to show the rules, not a real tenant or landlord.
Pet fees and deposits
Maine writes the no-fee rule into statute. The use of an assistance animal, an emotional support animal included, "may not be conditioned on the payment of a fee or security deposit" (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). The Commission's housing rule repeats those words (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.06(D)). Its 4 August 2026 guidance tells landlords to refrain from charging "pet fees, pet deposits, or other animal-related fees" for assistance animals they have agreed to. On that reading monthly pet rent is barred too, but the statute never says rent and no court decision on it has been found, so treat it as the Commission's position. You remain liable for damage your animal does to the premises, as any tenant would be. The bar does not reach one unit of an owner-occupied two-family house or up to four rooms in an owner's home (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)). Ordinary deposit law still governs the tenancy. A security deposit may not exceed two months' rent (14 M.R.S. § 6032). It comes back within the time the written lease states, never more than 30 days, or within 21 days for a tenancy at will, with an itemised statement for anything kept (14 M.R.S. § 6033). Those deposit rules skip buildings of up to five units where the landlord lives (14 M.R.S. § 6037(2)). The assistance-animal fee bar still binds an owner-occupied building of three to five units.
Small landlords
The state exemptions are narrow, and both depend on the owner living on site. The Human Rights Act does not apply to renting one unit of a two-family dwelling when the owner occupies the other unit (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)(1)). Nor does it apply to renting no more than four rooms of a one-family home the owner lives in (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(B)(2)). A religious corporation renting non-commercial housing to its own members has a separate exemption (5 M.R.S. § 4581(4)(A)). The rooms exemption does not cover bed-and-breakfasts or vacation rentals not used as residences; those count as public accommodations (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.02(C)(2)). The federal Act reaches further, exempting owner-occupied buildings of up to four units and some single-family houses (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)). Under state law an owner living in a triplex or a fourplex is covered, and so is a landlord with a few rented houses.
If your landlord says no
Maine Human Rights Commission
Phone: 207-624-6290 (Maine Relay 711 · Fax 207-624-8729 · info@mhrc.maine.gov) · File a complaint
Deadline: 300 days from the discriminatory act, filed under oath (5 M.R.S. § 4611). Start with the online intake questionnaire, the mailed housing intake form or a phone call. An intake officer types the complaint and sends it to you to sign before a notary. It counts as filed when the signed, notarised form reaches the Commission, which says there is no fee to file. After the 180th day from filing you may request a right-to-sue letter (5 M.R.S. § 4612(6)).
Court: You may sue in Superior Court within two years of the act, or within 90 days after a Commission dismissal, failed conciliation or right-to-sue letter, whichever is later (5 M.R.S. § 4613(2)(C)). Housing cases allow actual and punitive damages (5 M.R.S. § 4613(2)(B)). Filing with the Commission first costs nothing and keeps every remedy in play. A refused accommodation can also defeat an eviction: the court shall deny possession if the landlord failed a duty to accommodate and the eviction is causally linked to it (14 M.R.S. § 6001(5)).
Retaliation: If you file a good-faith fair-housing complaint with the Commission or HUD, an eviction begun in the next six months is presumed retaliatory (14 M.R.S. § 6001(3)(E)). The Commission's housing rule also bars retaliating against anyone who complains (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.09(B)(5)).
The Commission is HUD's Fair Housing Assistance Program agency for the state, and HUD lists no local agency here. Its 4 August 2026 statement says HUD's memo "changes nothing in Maine" and that the state statute "is not subordinate to HUD's enforcement priorities". Visitors use 19 Union Street in Augusta; post goes to 51 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0051.
Your envelope, item by item
- A short written request
- The clinician's signed letter
- Nothing beyond that
- When the answer is slow or no
Keep a dated copy of everything you send.
What to send your landlord
The request, the letter, and what happens next.
- 1
A short written request
Address it to the landlord or property manager. Say you have a disability and ask to keep your animal as an assistance animal under 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3). Give the animal's name and species, and note that no pet fee or deposit should apply. Date it and keep a copy, by email if you can.
- 2
The clinician's signed letter
Issued by a clinician licensed in Maine after your live consultation. It says the clinician knows your disability-related need and has found the animal necessary to mitigate its effects, which tracks 5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A). It carries the licence type, the licence number and the consultation date. It does not name your diagnosis.
- 3
Nothing beyond that
No registry listing, ID card, vest or landlord's own medical form. The state keeps no ESA registry. Your landlord may check who wrote the letter, but may not ask about the nature or severity of your disability (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.04(G)(1)). Offer a call to the clinician instead.
- 4
When the answer is slow or no
No state statute sets a reply deadline, so ask for a written answer by a date you name. If the landlord refuses, adds a pet deposit or goes quiet, note the date. If the worry is insurance, point out that a landlord is not liable for injury or damage involving an assistance animal, barring gross negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct (14 M.R.S. § 6030-G). Your 300 days to file with the Commission run from the refusal (5 M.R.S. § 4611). A written denial also supports a refund request under the refund terms.
If your housing provider questions the letter, your clinician responds directly at no extra cost.
Maine renters by city
The same rules from Portland to Augusta.
One statute and one agency cover every town, and HUD lists no city or county fair-housing agency in the state. A renter in Portland, South Portland or Biddeford files with the Human Rights Commission just as one in Lewiston, Auburn or Bangor does. The Commission sits in Augusta, but intake works online or by phone at 207-624-6290. Renters in Sanford, Saco and Westbrook face the same 300-day clock (5 M.R.S. § 4611). Consultations run by video or phone, so the steps in Bangor match those in Brunswick: a free screening, one live consultation, and a signed PDF that usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours if you qualify. Students in University of Maine System housing use the campus process under APL X-T; private colleges run their own. One limit holds everywhere. An ESA has no right to enter shops, restaurants or hotels, because the public-accommodation rule protects trained service dogs and leaves assistance animals out (5 M.R.S. § 4592(8)).
- Portland
- Lewiston
- Bangor
- South Portland
- Auburn
- Biddeford
- Sanford
- Augusta
Myths in Maine
Three things you will read elsewhere that are not Maine law.
An online registry or ESA certificate makes your animal official in Maine.
FactNo such registry exists, and no certificate, ID card or vest has legal effect. What counts is a licensed health professional's determination of your disability-related need (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). Knowingly creating or providing a document that falsely says an animal is an assistance animal is a civil violation, with a fine of up to 1,000 dollars per occurrence (17 M.R.S. § 1314-A). Passing off an untrained ESA as a service animal, or fitting it with a service vest, falls under the same rule.
The state just follows HUD, so since the 2026 memo a landlord can refuse an untrained ESA or charge a pet fee.
FactMaine's protections are its own statutes. Untrained assistance animals are covered (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)), and covered landlords may not tie them to a fee or deposit (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). On 4 August 2026 the Commission said the memo "changes nothing in Maine". It told landlords not to deny ESA requests because the animal "lacks formal task training". A federal enforcement memo cannot amend a state statute.
A Maine ESA letter needs a long therapeutic relationship, a 30-day wait or a new letter every 12 months.
FactNone of that is in state law. The statute asks for a licensed professional "with knowledge of the disability-related need for an assistance animal" and sets no relationship length, waiting period or expiry (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). The "therapeutic relationship" wording comes from another state's statute and from withdrawn federal guidance. The real safeguard is quality: a live clinical interview, not a questionnaire (Joint Rule ch. 11, § 3(7)).
Task-trained dogs are a different document. If your dog performs trained tasks for a psychiatric disability, read about the psychiatric service dog (PSD) letter online, written after a real consultation.
Same price in every state
ESA letter for housing
$99 one time
Typical competitor price $159 — you save up to $60
The reasonable-accommodation letter you give your landlord, after a live clinical evaluation.
- Live video or phone consultation
- Signed PDF on clinician letterhead
- License type, number and jurisdiction shown
- Landlord verification support included
ESA + PSD combination
$149 one time
Both letters from one course of care, including the consultations for each.
- Everything in the housing letter
- Psychiatric service dog letter included
- Both consultations with a licensed clinician
- One clinical record, two documents
PSD letter & consultation
$79 one time
For people who already have housing sorted and need psychiatric service dog documentation only.
- Live consultation with a licensed clinician
- Psychiatric service dog letter
- Disability-related task documented
- No housing letter included
Signed PDF within 24 to 48 hours of your consultation. Same-day evaluations are often available for early bookings. Read the guarantee and refund terms.
Why this letter holds up
Written to Maine's rules, by a clinician a landlord can check.
- The clinician. A clinician licensed in Maine evaluates you in a live video or phone consultation. Clinical review of this page: Darren Rafel, LCSW.
- What the letter contains. Confirmation of a disability-related need for your animal, the animal it covers, and the clinician's licence type, number, jurisdiction and effective date, signed on letterhead. No diagnosis.
- How a landlord verifies it. The licence number is checked against the state licensing board; if they ask us, the clinician confirms the letter is genuine without disclosing anything else.
The refund terms, in full
- If you do not qualify. If the licensed clinician determines after your assessment that you do not meet the clinical criteria for an ESA or PSD letter, the assessment and letter fee is refunded in full. Requests must be made within 7 days of being notified that you did not qualify. The clinician's clinical determination is final.
- If your housing provider refuses the letter. If your landlord, property manager or housing authority refuses to accept the letter, you get a full refund. Contact us within 30 days of receiving your letter with the written denial (or reasonable evidence of the refusal), your full name and the letter's issue date. We first apply complimentary landlord verification support and contact the housing provider on your behalf; if the refusal stands, the refund is issued.
Read the exact terms. Money-back guarantee: full refund if you do not qualify, and a full refund if your housing provider refuses the letter.
What clients say
★★★★★I had a really positive experience from start to finish. The process was smooth, and I felt comfortable sharing everything without feeling rushed or judged. The questions were straightforward and easy to answer, and I really appreciated how respectful and understanding everyone was throughout the process. Having the opportunity to speak with a licensed professional afterward was also very helpful and added a lot of value to the experience. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the service
Hamza Khalid · Trustpilot, 2026-09
★★★★★Great service!! 5 stars hands down!
Jen Khan · Trustpilot, 2026-09
Read all Pet Support Letter reviews on Trustpilot. We show our own reviews only, word for word.
Maine FAQ
Maine questions, answered from the statute.
What qualifies you to get an ESA letter?
Two findings by a licensed clinician. First, a disability: the state counts an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, or one that significantly impairs physical or mental health for more than six months (5 M.R.S. § 4553-A). Second, that the animal is necessary to mitigate the disability's effects (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). A diagnosis by itself settles neither question. The evaluation is genuine, and some people finish it without a letter.
What disabilities qualify for an emotional support animal?
The state test is broader than the federal one. Beyond a substantial limit on a major life activity, it covers an impairment lasting or expected to last more than six months that significantly impairs health (5 M.R.S. § 4553-A(1)(A), (2)(B)). Some conditions count without regard to severity, among them major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (5 M.R.S. § 4553-A(1)(B)). Other conditions qualify when they meet one of those tests. The clinician must still find the animal necessary for you.
Is anxiety considered a disability for an ESA?
It can be. An anxiety disorder qualifies when it substantially limits a major life activity, or significantly impairs your health for more than six months compared with what most people experience (5 M.R.S. § 4553-A). Ordinary stress does not meet that bar. Your clinician assesses it, then decides whether an animal is necessary to mitigate the effects (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). If the answer is no, no letter issues and the refund terms apply.
How to get an emotional support dog in Maine?
Start with the free screening, then pay $99 at checkout for a live consultation with a clinician licensed in Maine. If the clinician finds you qualify, the signed letter usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours of the consultation. Send it with a short written request to your landlord. The dog needs no training (5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A)). If the landlord refuses, you have 300 days to go to the Commission (5 M.R.S. § 4611).
Is an ESA letter proof of disability?
Not in the sense of a medical record. It documents that a licensed health professional who knows your disability-related need has found the animal necessary, which is what 5 M.R.S. § 4553(1-H)(A) asks for. The landlord may confirm who wrote it but may not ask about the nature or severity of the disability (94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 8.04(G)(1)). That is why our letters leave the diagnosis out.
Is it hard to get approved for ESA?
It turns on your situation, not on paperwork. The clinician must come to know your need, and a letter follows only if they find the animal necessary; some people do not qualify. With a letter, a covered landlord can refuse only on three grounds it must show: a direct threat, substantial property damage, or substantial interference with others' reasonable enjoyment (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). A refusal can go to the Commission within 300 days.
How much does an ESA letter cost in Maine?
$99 for a housing letter, $149 together with a psychiatric service dog letter, or $79 for a PSD letter and consultation on its own. The consultation and landlord verification support are included, and the price is the same across every state.
Nearby states and resources
Moving across a state line changes the rules.
Sources
Every legal statement on this page, and where it comes from.
- 5 M.R.S. § 4553 (definitions: assistance animal, § 4553(1-H); service animal, § 4553(9-E)) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4553-A (physical or mental disability: substantial limit, significant impairment over six months, conditions without regard to severity) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4581 (fair-housing exemptions: owner-occupied two-family unit, up to four rooms, religious corporations) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4582-A (reasonable accommodations; assistance animals, three defences, no fee or security deposit) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4592 (public accommodations; service animals only, § 4592(8)) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4611 (complaint to the Commission within 300 days, under oath) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4612 (right-to-sue letter from the 180th day, § 4612(6)) accessed 2026-11-07
- 5 M.R.S. § 4613 (remedies incl. actual and punitive housing damages; two years or 90 days to sue) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6001 (eviction: accommodation defence, § 6001(5); retaliation presumption, § 6001(3)(E)) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6025-A (landlord may require information about animals and an emergency contact) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6030-G (landlord not liable for injuries or damage involving an assistance animal) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6032 (security deposit capped at two months' rent) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6033 (deposit return within 30 days under a written lease, 21 days at will, itemised) accessed 2026-11-07
- 14 M.R.S. § 6037 (deposit chapter does not apply to owner-occupied buildings of up to five units) accessed 2026-11-07
- 17 M.R.S. § 1314-A (misrepresentation as a service or assistance animal: civil violation, up to 1,000 dollars per occurrence) accessed 2026-11-07
- 17-A M.R.S. § 4-B (civil violations are not criminal offences) accessed 2026-11-07
- 32 M.R.S. § 13854 (licence required to practise professional counseling) accessed 2026-11-07
- 32 M.R.S. § 7051 (licence required to practise social work) accessed 2026-11-07
- Joint Rule ch. 11, telehealth standards of practice (active Maine licence, § 3(2)(A); questionnaire is not a clinical interview, § 3(7)) accessed 2026-11-07
- PSYPACT map (Maine enacted 22 June 2021, effective 18 October 2021) accessed 2026-11-07
- 94-348 C.M.R. ch. 8, Maine Human Rights Commission Housing Regulations (§§ 8.02, 8.04(G), 8.06(D), 8.09) accessed 2026-11-07
- Maine Human Rights Commission, public guidance statement on HUD's ESA enforcement guidance, 4 Aug 2026 accessed 2026-11-07
- Maine Human Rights Commission: File a Complaint (online intake, phone, notarised complaint) accessed 2026-11-07
- HUD list of Fair Housing Assistance Program agencies (Maine Human Rights Commission; no local agency) accessed 2026-11-07
- HUD FHEO enforcement memorandum, 22 May 2026 accessed 2026-11-07
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 2026-11-07 by Darren Rafel, LCSW. Statutes change; we re-check each state page and record the date above.
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