Montana · MT
Yes, though not on day one. Under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114, a letter counts only if the writer is a mental health professional licensed in Montana who has had a client-provider relationship with you for at least 30 days and has completed a clinical evaluation. The rule covers every species. Your first consultation opens those 30 days, and the letter follows on day 31. The price is $99, the same as in every other state.
of client-provider relationship before the clinician may sign, whatever the species
Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)(i)to bring a housing complaint to the Montana Human Rights Bureau
Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(1)to sue in district court, with time spent at the Bureau left out of the count
§ 49-2-510(5)the most a resident owner may rent out and still fall outside the housing duty
§ 49-2-305(2)Montana, with the capital marked
Montana at a glance
Each answer is one line, with the section of Montana law it comes from. The detail is further down the page.
Yes. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114 covers rentals, and § 70-33-110 repeats it for mobile-home lots. HB 703 created both in 2023, and SB 149 tightened them from 1 October 2025. The statute says what a landlord may ask for and what a clinician's letter must show. It has no fee rule and no tenant penalty. The duty to accommodate comes from the Human Rights Act, which treats a refusal of reasonable accommodations as disability discrimination (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)).
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-114, 70-33-110, 49-2-305Yes, and it is written into the statute. The clinician must have a client-provider relationship with you of at least 30 days and must complete a clinical evaluation before providing the letter (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)(i)–(ii)). It applies to cats and every other species, not only dogs. There is no session count and no in-person visit. A letter issued on the day you sign up cannot meet the rule.
Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)Since 1 October 2025 the writer must be a mental health professional "licensed to practice in this state" (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)). The list in § 53-21-102(12) names physicians, psychologists, clinical social workers, clinical professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. Psychiatric-specialty advanced practice nurses and physician assistants qualify too. Licensure candidates and non-clinical licensees do not. No compact privilege stands in for a full Montana licence today. Telehealth, audio-only included, is a lawful way to deliver care (§ 37-2-305).
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-114(10)(b), 53-21-102(12), 37-2-305It comes from a clinician with personal knowledge of your disability. It describes the particular assistance or emotional support your specific animal gives. It prints the licence's effective date, number and type (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b)(i)). Each animal needs its own supporting information (§ 70-24-114(3)). No diagnosis appears on it. The statute sets no expiry date and no renewal period, so "valid for 12 months" is a seller's policy, not Montana law (§ 70-24-114).
Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b)(i), (3)State law does not forbid it. The no-extra-charge rule in Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214(2) protects trained service animals, and that term excludes emotional support animals (§ 49-4-203(2)). Ask for a waiver inside your accommodation request (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)); it is a request, not an automatic right. A cleaning or damage fee, whatever the landlord calls it, is presumed a refundable deposit (§ 70-25-101(4)). There is no deposit cap, and the balance comes back within 30 days of move-out, or 10 if nothing is owed (§ 70-25-202).
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-4-214(2), 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii), 70-25-101(4), 70-25-202Supporting information, and only when your need is not readily apparent (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b)). Proof that each animal meets state and local licensing and vaccination rules (§ 70-24-114(2)(c)). Never your diagnosis, its severity or your medical records (§ 70-24-114(4)(a)). The answer must come as a written determination (§ 70-24-114(4)(b)). A refusal needs a lawful ground. One is a direct threat from that specific animal that no other accommodation can reduce (§ 70-24-114(2)(a)). Another is an undue hardship (§ 49-2-101(19)(b)).
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-114(2), (4), 49-2-101(19)(b)The Montana Human Rights Bureau, within 180 days of the act or of discovering it (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(1)). Intake runs by phone on 1-800-542-0807 or 406-444-2884. You can instead mail, deliver or fax a signed, verified complaint of up to two pages (§ 49-2-501(3)). The Bureau takes no email and has no online form. It is not a HUD partner agency. A district-court suit stays open for two years, with Bureau time excluded (§ 49-2-510(5)).
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-2-510(1), (5), 49-2-501(3)Montana law
A tenant with a disability-related need may ask to keep an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation, and the animal needs no training (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(1), (10)(a)). When the need is not readily apparent, the landlord may ask for supporting information. A clinician's letter counts only if three things are true (§ 70-24-114(10)(b)). The writer holds a Montana licence in a profession on the mental health list in § 53-21-102(12). The client-provider relationship began at least 30 days before the letter. And the clinician completed a clinical evaluation of your need for the animal. The letter shows the licence's effective date, number and type, and the support your particular animal gives (§ 70-24-114(2)(b)(i)). The statute sets no session count, no in-person rule and no expiry date. Your landlord may not ask for your diagnosis or records and must reply with a written determination (§ 70-24-114(4)). A refusal needs a lawful ground, such as a direct threat from the specific animal that nothing else can reduce (§ 70-24-114(2)(a)). Refusing a reasonable accommodation is discrimination under the Human Rights Act (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)). The Montana Human Rights Bureau hears complaints filed within 180 days (§ 49-2-510(1)).
Source: Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114 (HB 703 of 2023; amended by SB 149 of 2025, effective 1 October 2025). This is general information, not legal advice.
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 Montana law and the Montana Human Rights Bureau.
“has established a client-provider relationship with a tenant at least 30 days prior to providing supporting information”
Federal vs Montana
| Topic | Federal (Fair Housing Act) | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Fees and deposits | Neither the Act nor 24 C.F.R. § 100.204 contains a fee rule. HUD's no-fee guidance was withdrawn in September 2025, so a waiver is something you ask for. | No ESA fee ban. The no-extra-charge rule covers trained service animals only (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214(2)). A cleaning or damage fee is presumed a refundable deposit (§ 70-25-101(4)). No deposit cap; the refund is due within 30 days, or 10 if nothing is owed (§ 70-25-202). |
| Documentation | The accommodation must be necessary because of a disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). Federal law sets no letter format. | Only if the need is not readily apparent. Then a letter from a clinician licensed in Montana with the licence type, number and effective date, or other information the landlord finds reliable (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b)). A registration, ID card or certificate is "not, by itself, sufficient" (§ 70-24-114(5)). |
| Timing | Federal law sets no waiting period and no deadline for the landlord's reply. | A 30-day client-provider relationship and a completed clinical evaluation come before the letter (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)). The landlord owes a written determination, but no deadline is set (§ 70-24-114(4)(b)). |
| Who may write | No federal rule names the writer. | A mental health professional licensed in Montana: physician, psychologist, LCSW, LCPC, marriage and family therapist, or psychiatric-specialty APRN or PA (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-114(10)(b), 53-21-102(12)). No compact privilege replaces the Montana licence today. |
| Exemptions | Owner-occupied buildings of up to four units, and some single-family houses (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)). | Only a resident owner renting up to three sleeping rooms in a single-family home (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-305(2)). Campus housing, hotel stays and condo owners sit outside the ESA statute, but the Human Rights Act still applies there (§ 70-24-104). |
| Where to file | HUD (trained-animal cases only since May 2026) or a federal court. | The Montana Human Rights Bureau, not a HUD partner agency: phone intake on 1-800-542-0807, or a verified complaint by mail, hand delivery or fax. Or district court (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510). |
| Deadline | One year to HUD (42 U.S.C. § 3610(a)(1)(A)(i)); two years to sue (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)). | 180 days to the Bureau (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(1)). Two years to district court, not counting time at the Bureau (§ 49-2-510(5)). |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
Your timeline in Montana
Here the 30 days come from the statute itself (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)(i)). The clock starts at your first live consultation with the clinician licensed in Montana who will sign your letter. Checkout and the free screening do not start it. Pet Support Letter keeps the same clinician with you through day 31, because a change of clinician could restart the count. The statute counts days, not sessions. Our process adds a second consultation on day 31, so the evaluation is complete and current when the letter is signed. You pay at checkout, before the first consultation.
Day 1. After a free screening with no card, you have your first live video or phone consultation with a clinician licensed in Montana. That opens the client-provider relationship Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)(i) measures, and the clinical evaluation begins. If the clinician sees that you do not qualify, you learn it early.
Days 2 to 30. A scheduled check-in with the same clinician, at no extra charge. Bring questions about your lease, the landlord's written determination or a second animal, which needs its own supporting information (§ 70-24-114(3)). If your move-in date falls in this window, tell us so we can plan around it.
Day 31. A second live consultation completes the clinical evaluation. If you qualify, the clinician signs a letter dated that day. It shows the licence type, number and effective date, confirms personal knowledge of your disability and describes the support your animal gives (§ 70-24-114(2)(b)(i)). It names no diagnosis and carries no expiry date.
Housing
Under the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)) and Montana'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
What they may not do
Illustrative exchange
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 Montana, with the rule beside each reply.
A made-up exchange to show the rules, not a real tenant or landlord.
Pet fees and deposits
No Montana law bars a pet deposit, pet fee or pet rent for an emotional support animal. The rule against extra compensation covers only a trained service animal (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214(2)), and that term excludes an emotional support animal (§ 49-4-203(2)). The ESA statute is silent on money, apart from making you liable for damage the animal does (§ 70-24-114(6)). So ask for the pet charges to be waived as part of your accommodation request. The Human Rights Act treats a refusal of reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services as discrimination (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)). No Montana ruling says a fee waiver has to follow, so present it as a request. Deposit law helps as well. A fee or charge for cleaning and damages, "no matter how designated", is presumed to be a security deposit (§ 70-25-101(4)). A "non-refundable pet fee" is therefore presumed refundable. Neither § 70-25-101 nor § 70-25-201 caps the amount. The landlord must send an itemised list and any balance within 30 days of move-out, or refund in full within 10 days if nothing is owed (§ 70-25-202). A landlord who sends no list forfeits deductions for damage and cleaning (§ 70-25-203). No statute caps monthly pet rent.
Small landlords
Montana's exemptions are far narrower than the federal ones. The only one that touches disability covers an owner who lives in a private residence designed for one family and rents out no more than three sleeping rooms in it (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-305(2)). The owner-occupied two-family exemption reaches only age and familial status, so it does not excuse a duplex owner from the disability rules (§ 49-2-305(11)). Owners of a few rental houses are covered here even where the federal Act would exempt them (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)). A separate carve-out limits the documentation statute, not the duty. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-104 puts university and college housing, hotel and motel stays, condominium owners and employer-provided housing outside the Landlord and Tenant Act, and so outside § 70-24-114. Residents in those homes keep the Human Rights Act's accommodation duty (§ 49-2-305).
If your landlord says no
Phone: 1-800-542-0807 (Relay 711) · File a complaint
Deadline: 180 days from the discriminatory act or from when you discovered it (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(1)). For phone intake, call 406-444-2884 or 1-800-542-0807. An investigator interviews you and drafts the complaint for your signature. You can instead send a self-drafted complaint of no more than two pages, signed under penalty of perjury. Mail it to PO Box 1728, Helena, MT 59624-1728, hand it in, or fax it to (406) 443-3234. The complaint must be written and verified (§ 49-2-501(3)). There is no online form, and email is not accepted. The Bureau says housing investigations finish within 120 days.
Court: You may sue in district court within two years of the act or its discovery, whether or not you went to the Bureau first. Time while a Bureau case is pending does not count, but a suit is barred once a hearing on the record has begun (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(5)). The court may award attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party (§ 49-2-510). A federal Fair Housing Act suit is open for two years (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)).
Retaliation: Coercing, intimidating, threatening or interfering with you because you asked for an accommodation is itself unlawful (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-305(9)).
The Bureau is not on HUD's list of partner agencies, and no Montana city runs its own housing enforcement office; the City of Missoula refers residents to state or federal agencies. A HUD complaint stays open for one year (42 U.S.C. § 3610(a)(1)(A)(i)). An administrative civil penalty can reach 10,000 dollars, or 25,000 dollars after a similar violation in the previous five years (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-2-510(2)).
Your envelope, item by item
Keep a dated copy of everything you send.
What to send your landlord
A short note asking to keep an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114 and § 49-2-305. Name the animal and its species, and never call it a service animal. Add one line asking the landlord to waive pet charges. Ask for the written determination the statute requires, and keep a dated copy.
The signed letter from your clinician licensed in Montana, dated day 31. It shows the licence type, number and effective date, confirms personal knowledge of your disability and describes the support your particular animal gives (§ 70-24-114(2)(b)(i)). It names no diagnosis. Send one letter, or one clearly marked part, per animal (§ 70-24-114(3)).
The landlord may ask for proof that the animal meets state and local licensing and vaccination rules (§ 70-24-114(2)(c)), so have them ready. Your diagnosis, its severity and your medical records stay private (§ 70-24-114(4)(a)). An online registration adds nothing, because the statute calls it "not, by itself, sufficient" (§ 70-24-114(5)).
A written determination served as notice: by hand, by mail (complete three days after mailing) or by email to the address in your rental agreement (§ 70-24-108). No deadline is set, so follow up in writing if a week or two passes. If the answer is no, note the date. The 180-day clock to reach the Montana Human Rights Bureau runs from it (§ 49-2-510(1)).
If your housing provider questions the letter, your clinician responds directly at no extra cost.
Montana renters by city
Renters in Billings, Missoula and Bozeman follow the same rules, because the ESA statute and the Human Rights Act are state law (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-114, 49-2-305). Great Falls, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Belgrade are no different. The Human Rights Bureau in Helena takes housing complaints from any address within 180 days (§ 49-2-510(1)). No city runs its own housing enforcement office, and the City of Missoula says it is not an enforcement agency. Our consultations are by video or phone with a clinician licensed in Montana, so a renter in Kalispell follows the same 30-day path as one in Billings. Students in residence halls at Montana State University, MSU Billings or the University of Montana go through the campus disability services office, because campus housing sits outside the documentation statute (§ 70-24-104). One naming note: "ESA" here also means the special-needs Education Savings Account run by the Office of Public Instruction. This page is about emotional support animals.
Myths in Montana
Montana's ESA law bans pet fees and fines fake ESA owners 50 to 1,000 dollars.
FactNeither is in Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114. Those graduated fines sit in § 49-4-222. They punish passing an animal off as a trained service animal in a public place, after a written warning. The ESA statute's only sanction is licensing-board discipline of a clinician who breaches it (§ 70-24-114(7)). It has no fee rule either; a waiver of pet charges is something you request (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)).
Your Montana letter must be renewed every 12 months, and the law requires two sessions.
FactMont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b) asks for a 30-day client-provider relationship and a completed clinical evaluation. It sets no session count, no validity period and no renewal date. The second consultation in our process keeps the evaluation current on the day the letter is signed. It is not a statutory rule, and a seller's "valid for one year" line is only that seller's policy.
Any licensed therapist, in any state, can write a Montana letter, and an online registration or certificate works as well.
FactSince 1 October 2025 the writer must be "licensed to practice in this state" and on the mental health list in § 53-21-102(12) (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b)). A registration "of any kind", including an ID card, patch or certificate, "is not, by itself, sufficient" (§ 70-24-114(5)). The state keeps no ESA registry.
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.
Typical competitor price $159 — you save up to $60
The reasonable-accommodation letter you give your landlord, after a live clinical evaluation.
Both letters from one course of care, including the consultations for each.
For people who already have housing sorted and need psychiatric service dog documentation only.
Your letter is signed on day 31, after the 30-day client-provider relationship and the completed clinical evaluation that Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(10)(b) requires. The price is the same as in every other state. Read the guarantee and refund terms.
Why this letter holds up
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.
★★★★★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.
Montana FAQ
Housing. In Montana it is the supporting information a landlord may ask for when you request an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b)). It opens no doors at shops or restaurants, and since 2021 airlines may treat an ESA as a pet. Our evaluation costs $99, paid before the first consultation. If the clinician finds you do not qualify, you can ask for a full refund within 7 days.
Three layers. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114, tightened by SB 149 from 1 October 2025, sets the documentation rules: a Montana licence, a 30-day relationship and a clinical evaluation. The Human Rights Act makes refusing a reasonable accommodation discrimination (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)). The federal Fair Housing Act sits behind both (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). Complaints go to the Montana Human Rights Bureau within 180 days (§ 49-2-510(1)).
Conduct and paperwork, not breed. A landlord may refuse a specific dog that is a direct threat to people or property when no other reasonable accommodation can reduce the threat (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(a)). A request that would be an undue hardship can also be refused (§ 49-2-101(19)(b)). So can documentation from a clinician without a Montana licence, or written before 30 days (§ 70-24-114(10)(b)). The statute itself says nothing about breed, size or weight.
Only for the dog's conduct. A business may remove a service animal that is out of control or not housebroken, and must then let you take part without it (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214(6)). A service animal is a dog or miniature horse individually trained for a disability, and the definition leaves out emotional support animals (§ 49-4-203(2)). An ESA has no public-access right, and no letter turns a pet into a service dog.
By its training, not its paperwork. Staff may ask only whether the animal is needed because of a disability and what task it is trained to perform (Mont. Code Ann. § 49-4-214(5)(b)). Someone who knowingly passes off an untrained animal as a service animal can be asked to remove it (§ 49-4-221). Doing it again after a written warning is a misdemeanour, with fines from 50 up to 1,000 dollars (§ 49-4-222). None of this is an ESA housing rule.
Yes, on limited grounds. One is documentation that does not meet Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114(2)(b). Another is a specific animal that is a direct threat no other accommodation can reduce (§ 70-24-114(2)(a)). A third is undue hardship (§ 49-2-101(19)(b)). The answer must come as a written determination (§ 70-24-114(4)(b)). A blanket no-pets rule is the kind of policy the accommodation duty reaches (§ 49-2-305(5)(a)(ii)). Complaints go to the Human Rights Bureau within 180 days (§ 49-2-510(1)).
$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
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 2026-10-27 by Darren Rafel, LCSW. Statutes change; we re-check each state page and record the date above.
Two-minute screening, confidential, no card. You will see your exact state timeline before anything is charged.
Start the free screening HIPAA-compliant intake · Licensed clinicians · Money-back guarantee: full refund if you do not qualify, and a full refund if your housing provider refuses the letter.
