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Tennessee · TN

ESA letter Tennessee: a live evaluation and your rights under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111

Yes. Tennessee law lets you request an exception to no-pet rules and pet charges for an animal that gives emotional support (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111, 66-28-406). Proof must come from someone with actual knowledge of your disability; certificate websites do not count. There is no waiting period. A clinician licensed in Tennessee evaluates you live, and some people do not qualify. If you do, the signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. The price is $99.

Clinically reviewed by Darren Rafel, LCSW · Last reviewed 2026-10-22

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180days

to file with the Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division after the act

Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)
1year

to sue in chancery or circuit court; a CRED complaint does not extend it

Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(d)
2statutes

with the same support-animal text: § 66-7-111 statewide and § 66-28-406 in the larger counties

Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111, 66-28-406
500dollars

top fine, with up to six months in jail, for knowingly false support-animal papers given to a landlord

Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-16-304(b)(2), 40-35-111(e)(2)

Tennessee, with the capital marked

Tennessee at a glance

The 7 things a renter in Tennessee needs to know.

Each answer is one line, with the section of Tennessee law it comes from. The detail is further down the page.

  1. 01

    Does Tennessee have an emotional support animal law?

    Yes, written twice in the same words. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111 covers every county. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-406 repeats it inside the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which reaches only counties above 75,000 people at the 2010 census (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102(a)). Both define a "support animal" to include one that provides emotional support for a disability. Neither sets a training test or a species limit.

    Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111(a)(6), 66-28-406, 66-28-102(a)
  2. 02

    Will an online certificate or registration work in Tennessee?

    No. Since 1 July 2024, reliable documentation excludes papers from "a website, the primary function of which is to provide a certificate", registration or similar document for a fee (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(B)). What counts is written documentation from a healthcare provider with actual knowledge of your disability (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(A)(i)). So our letter follows a live evaluation, and some people are declined. It carries the clinician's letterhead, Tennessee licence number and evaluation date. We sell no certificates, registrations, ID cards or vests.

    Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4); 2024 Pub. Ch. 754
  3. 03

    Is there a 30-day wait or a session rule?

    No. Neither support-animal statute sets a relationship length, a session count, an in-person visit or an expiry date (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111, 66-28-406). Under the telehealth statute, a care relationship forms by "mutual consent and mutual communication" (Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-1-155(b)). The clinician is held to the in-person standard of care, so the evaluation is a real assessment (Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-1-155(c)(1)(A)). No statute gives the letter a 12-month life or a renewal date.

    Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 63-1-155(b), (c)(1)(A); 66-7-111
  4. 04

    Who can write my Tennessee ESA letter?

    Two rules meet here. The housing statute accepts a healthcare provider licensed "by the laws of any state" who has actual knowledge of your disability (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(3)–(4)). The practice statute is stricter: a clinician treating you by telehealth while you are in the state "must be licensed to practice in this state" (Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-1-155(g)(1)). A psychologist may instead use PSYPACT authority (Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-11-501). Since 1 September 2026, a counsellor may hold a Counseling Compact privilege, which state law treats as "equivalent to a license" (Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-22-402). Your letter comes from a clinician licensed in Tennessee.

    Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111(a)(3)–(4), 63-1-155(g)(1)
  5. 05

    Can my landlord charge a pet fee or deposit for my ESA?

    State law does not ban it. You can ask for an exception to any policy that "requires any payment" for an animal, as part of your support-animal request (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)). The landlord decides it as a reasonable accommodation (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601(b)(2)(B)). Only guide dogs of blind or physically disabled tenants are fee-free by statute (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-104(d), 66-7-106(b)). No statute caps the size of a security deposit (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301).

    Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)
  6. 06

    What may my landlord ask for, and when can they say no?

    If your disability is not readily apparent or known, the landlord may ask for reliable documentation of it and of your need for the animal. If the disability is obvious, they may ask only about the need (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(c)). They may verify the letter but may not obtain your medical records (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d)). They "may deny" the request if you fail to provide accurate, reliable documentation after being asked (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(e)). Past that point, the reasonable-accommodation test decides. No statute gives them a deadline to answer.

    Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(c)–(e)
  7. 07

    Where do I complain, and by when?

    The Tennessee Human Rights Commission ceased to exist on 1 July 2025 (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-1201). File instead with the Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division (CRED) within 180 days of the act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). You may also sue in chancery or circuit court within one year after the practice ends, with no CRED filing needed first (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(d)). A CRED complaint does not extend that year. In a housing case the court may award punitive damages (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(c)).

    Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 4-21-204(e), 4-21-311(c)–(d), 4-21-1201

Tennessee law

Tennessee law lets you request a no-pet and pet-fee exception for an animal that gives emotional support

Tennessee wrote its support-animal rule twice, in identical words. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111 applies in every county, and Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-406 repeats it for counties above 75,000 people at the 2010 census (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102(a)). A "support animal" includes one that provides emotional support easing an identified symptom of a disability, with no training test (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(6)). You may request an exception to a no-pet policy and to any policy requiring payment for an animal (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)). Your landlord must consider that request. If the disability is not apparent, the landlord may ask for reliable documentation and verify it, but may not obtain your medical records (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(c)–(d)). That documentation must come from a source with actual knowledge of your disability. Since July 2024 it excludes papers from a website whose primary function is selling certificates or registrations for a fee (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)). So our letter follows a live evaluation by a clinician licensed in the state, and the evaluation can end with no letter. Refusing a needed accommodation is unlawful under the Tennessee Human Rights Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601(b)(2)(B)).

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111 (2019 Pub. Ch. 236; documentation rule rewritten by 2024 Pub. Ch. 754, effective 1 July 2024). This is general information, not legal advice.

ComplaintsTennessee Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division (CRED) · (615) 741-5825 · CRED@ag.tn.gov · online complaint portal · 180 days from the act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)); court within one year, not extended by a CRED complaint (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(d))PenaltyKnowingly giving a landlord documentation that falsely calls an animal a support animal is a Class B misdemeanour (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-304(b)(2)). So is knowingly claiming a false disability-related need for one (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-304(b)(1)). The range is up to six months, a fine of up to 500 dollars, or both (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)). A tenant's misrepresentation is also a lease default with eviction and attorney fees (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(f)).

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 Tennessee law and the Tennessee Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division.

“A healthcare provider with actual knowledge of an individual's disability”

Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(A)(i)

Federal vs Tennessee

Where the federal Fair Housing Act stops and Tennessee law takes over.

TopicFederal (Fair Housing Act)Tennessee
Fees and depositsNeither 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B) nor 24 C.F.R. § 100.204 mentions pet charges. HUD withdrew its fee guidance effective 17 September 2025, so any waiver is part of what you ask for.No statute bans a pet fee, pet rent or pet deposit for an emotional support animal. You may request an exception to any pet-payment policy (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)). Guide dogs of blind or physically disabled tenants are the only animals fee-free by statute (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-104(d), 66-7-106(b)). There is no deposit cap (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301).
DocumentationThe accommodation has to be necessary because of a disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). Federal law fixes no letter format.Written "reliable documentation" from a source with actual knowledge of the disability, such as a healthcare provider. Papers from a certificate or registration website do not qualify (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)). The landlord may verify the documentation but may not obtain medical records (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d)).
TimingFederal law sets no waiting period and gives the landlord no answer deadline.No waiting period, session count, in-person rule or renewal date (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111, 63-1-155). The landlord has no statutory deadline either. If a refusal comes, the 180-day CRED clock runs from it (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)).
Who may writeNo federal rule names who may write the letter.A healthcare provider licensed "by the laws of any state", a licensed disability-services provider, or a caregiver or reliable third party, each with actual knowledge (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(3)–(4)). A telehealth clinician also needs a Tennessee licence, PSYPACT authority or, since 1 September 2026, a Counseling Compact privilege (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 63-1-155(g)(1), 63-11-501, 63-22-402).
ExemptionsAn owner-occupied building of up to four units, and some single-family homes rented by an owner of no more than three, sit outside the Act (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)).The support-animal statute has no small-landlord exemption; its one carve-out concerns government-owned public housing (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(h)). The Human Rights Act exempts owner-occupied two-family buildings, single-room rentals, some religious housing and single-sex dormitories (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-602(a)). It has no single-family-house exemption.
Where to fileHUD, which since May 2026 finds cause only for individually trained animals, or a federal court.The Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division, by online portal or a paper form; the old commission is gone (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-1201). Or chancery or circuit court, with no need to go to CRED first (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311).
DeadlineOne year for a HUD complaint (42 U.S.C. § 3610); two years for a federal lawsuit (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)).180 days to CRED (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). One year after the practice ends to sue, and a CRED complaint does not extend it (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(d)).

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

Your timeline in Tennessee

What actually happens, and when.

No statute here makes you wait, so the evaluation itself sets the pace. The screening is free and asks for no card. You pay at checkout before the consultation. Because state law counts documentation from someone with actual knowledge of your disability, the consultation is a real clinical evaluation, and it can end without a letter (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)).

Step 1

Free screening, no card. A few questions about your home, your animal and how it helps you. It decides nothing; it shows whether booking a clinician makes sense.

Step 2

A live video or phone consultation with a clinician licensed in Tennessee. Real-time audio or video counts as telehealth under Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-1-155(a)(3)(A). The clinician assesses whether you have a disability and whether the animal eases its symptoms. Some people do not qualify; if so, ask for a refund within 7 days.

Step 3

If you qualify, the signed PDF usually reaches you within 24 to 48 hours of the call. It sits on the clinician's letterhead with the Tennessee licence number, the evaluation date and contact details, so a landlord can verify it under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d). It names no diagnosis.

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Housing

What your Tennessee landlord may and may not do.

Under the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)) and Tennessee'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.

Illustration of a renter handing a letter to a landlord at the door of a Tennessee home, a small dog at their feet

What they may do

Your landlord may

  • Ask for reliable documentation of your disability and your need for the animal when the disability is not readily apparent or known. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(c)
  • Ask only about your disability-related need when the disability itself is obvious or already known to them. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(c)
  • Verify the letter, for example by checking the clinician's licence number and that the clinician wrote it. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d)
  • Deny the request if you do not supply accurate, reliable documentation after they ask for it. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(e)
  • Treat misrepresentation or false documentation as a lease default, end the tenancy and recover damages, attorney fees included. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(f)

What they may not do

Your landlord may not

  • Use verification to get your confidential or protected medical records or medical information. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d)
  • Refuse a reasonable accommodation in rules or policies that you need for equal use and enjoyment of your home. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601(b)(2)(B)
  • Claim a small-landlord exemption from the support-animal statute, because it contains none. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111, 66-28-406
  • Retaliate because you asked for an accommodation, complained or took part in an investigation. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-301
  • In a county under the landlord-tenant act, keep any of your deposit after failing both to use a separate deposit account and to give you a signed damage list. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301(a)–(c)

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 Tennessee, 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 Tennessee statute bans pet fees, pet deposits or pet rent for an emotional support animal. What the law gives you is a right to ask. You may request an exception to any landlord policy that "requires any payment" for an animal, as part of your support-animal request (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)). The landlord then weighs the waiver case by case as a reasonable accommodation (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601(b)(2)(B)). Put it in the same written request as the animal. The only no-charge statutes protect guide dogs of blind or physically disabled tenants (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-104(d), 66-7-106(b)). HUD's no-fee guidance was withdrawn effective 17 September 2025, and no state rule fills the gap. The state sets no cap on a security deposit. In the larger counties under the landlord-tenant act, deposits sit in a separate account, and on request the landlord inspects with you within four days of move-out and signs a damage list (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301(a)–(b)). Damage your animal causes is handled under the ordinary lease and deposit rules.

Small landlords

The support-animal statute has no small-landlord exemption at all. Its only carve-out is for government-owned public housing, and only where the statute conflicts with federal or state law (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(h)). The Tennessee Human Rights Act is narrower than federal law. It exempts a building for no more than two families where the owner or a relative lives in one unit, and a single room rented in a home where the owner or family lives (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-602(a)(1)–(2)). It also exempts non-commercial religious housing kept for members, and single-sex dormitories as to sex (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-602(a)(3)–(4)). There is no single-family-house exemption. So an owner renting out one house, or living in a three- or four-unit building, can be exempt federally yet still covered by state law (42 U.S.C. § 3603(b)).

If your landlord says no

Tennessee Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division (CRED)

Phone: (615) 741-5825 · File a complaint

Deadline: Within 180 days of the discriminatory act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). The quickest route is CRED's online portal. For a paper form, or help filling one in, email CRED@ag.tn.gov or call (615) 741-5825. CRED reviews jurisdiction, may interview you, then picks investigation, free mediation, a lawsuit in the State's name, or closure.

Court: You may sue in chancery or circuit court within one year after the discriminatory practice ends, without filing with CRED first (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(a), (d)). A CRED complaint does not extend that year, and if you sue after filing you must tell CRED immediately. The court can award actual damages, an injunction, costs, attorney fees and, in housing cases, punitive damages (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(b)–(c)). A federal Fair Housing Act suit stays open for two years (42 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1)(A)).

Retaliation: Retaliating against you for requesting an accommodation, complaining or taking part in an investigation is a separate violation that CRED enforces (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-301).

The Tennessee Human Rights Commission was abolished on 1 July 2025, and complaints pending there were closed (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-1201). The Attorney General's office does not act as your lawyer, though its mediation is free. If you also want a federal complaint, file it with HUD yourself within one year; do not assume CRED passes it on.

Illustration of a signed letter on letterhead with an envelope, a pen, a key and a calendar

Your envelope, item by item

  • A short written request
  • The clinician's letter
  • What you do not need
  • If 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. 1

    A short written request

    Say that you have a disability and ask for an exception to the no-pet rule for your animal under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b). In the same request, ask the landlord to waive any pet fee, pet deposit or pet rent. Name the animal and its species. Date it and keep a copy.

  2. 2

    The clinician's letter

    The signed emotional support animal letter from a clinician licensed in Tennessee, written after your live evaluation. It is on the clinician's own letterhead with the Tennessee licence number, the evaluation date and a way to reach the clinician, which is what verification under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d) needs. It states your disability-related need for the animal, never a diagnosis.

  3. 3

    What you do not need

    A registry number, an ID card, a vest or a certificate bought online. None of them is reliable documentation, and website certificates are what Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(B) shuts out. We do not sell any of them. If the landlord asks for therapy notes or records, point to Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(d).

  4. 4

    If the answer is slow or no

    No statute sets a reply deadline, so ask for a written answer by a stated date. A refusal starts your 180-day clock with CRED (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). Keep any denial in writing. It is also what you need for a refund request within 30 days.

If your housing provider questions the letter, your clinician responds directly at no extra cost.

Tennessee renters by city

The same rules from Nashville to Johnson City.

One statute and one agency cover Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Jackson and Johnson City. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111 applies in every county. In the larger counties, the landlord-tenant act repeats it as Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-406 and adds deposit-handling duties (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301). Every renter's state complaint goes to the same division, CRED in Nashville, within 180 days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). Two HUD-funded groups, the Tennessee Fair Housing Council and West Tennessee Legal Services, help with filings. Our clinicians licensed in Tennessee consult by video or phone, so a renter in Memphis follows the same three steps as one in Johnson City. That means a free screening, a live consultation, then a signed PDF that usually lands within 24 to 48 hours if you qualify. Students renting near UT Knoxville follow the same rules as any other tenant. In every city, state law bars emotional support animals from the indoor areas of restaurants (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-14-729).

  • Nashville
  • Memphis
  • Knoxville
  • Chattanooga
  • Clarksville
  • Murfreesboro
  • Jackson
  • Johnson City

Myths in Tennessee

Three things you will read elsewhere that are not Tennessee law.

Myth

A Tennessee ESA registration, certificate or ID card makes your animal official.

Fact

No registry or certificate gives an animal legal status here. Since 1 July 2024, papers from a website whose primary function is selling certificates, registrations or similar documents for a fee are not reliable documentation (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(B)). What counts is written documentation from someone with actual knowledge of your disability. We sell no certificates, registrations, ID cards or vests; our letter follows a live evaluation, and some people are declined.

Myth

An ESA letter cancels pet deposits and pet rent in Tennessee.

Fact

It does not. You may ask for an exception to a pet-payment policy, and your landlord answers it as an accommodation request (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(b)). No statute bans the charge for an emotional support animal. The fee-free rules cover only guide dogs of blind or physically disabled tenants (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-104(d), 66-7-106(b)).

Myth

File your housing complaint with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.

Fact

That commission ceased to exist on 1 July 2025 (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-1201). Housing complaints now go to the Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Division within 180 days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)). You can also sue within one year, and a CRED filing does not stop that clock (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311(d)).

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
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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
Start free screening

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
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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 Tennessee's rules, by a clinician a landlord can check.

Illustration of a renter on a video consultation with a clinician, a cat asleep on the desk
Every letter follows a live video or phone consultation with a clinician licensed in Tennessee.
  • The clinician. A clinician licensed in Tennessee 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.

What is on every Pet Support Letter: the items a housing provider can check.

Tennessee FAQ

Tennessee questions, answered from the statute.

Are emotional support animals allowed in Tennessee?

In rented housing, yes, on request. You may ask for an exception to a no-pet rule for an animal that provides emotional support (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-7-111(b), 66-28-406). In restaurants, no: indoor food-service areas admit only trained service animals (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-14-729). Since 2021, airlines may treat an ESA as a pet. Your landlord is not liable for injuries your animal causes, so consider your own liability cover (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(g)).

How to get a legitimate ESA letter?

Get it from a clinician who evaluates you live and gains actual knowledge of your disability (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(A)(i)). A paid certificate or registration website is excluded (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(4)(B)). We know of no court decision applying that clause to a telehealth evaluation, so we keep to what the statute counts. The evaluation costs $99, paid before the consultation. If the clinician finds you do not qualify, ask for a full refund within 7 days.

What mental illness qualifies for ESA?

No list exists. The test is an impairment that "substantially limits one (1) or more major life activities" (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(1)). The animal must then ease an identified symptom or effect of it (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(6)). A diagnosis label alone decides neither question. Anxiety or depression may meet the test for one person and not for another, which is why a clinician evaluates you individually.

Can a landlord deny an emotional support animal in Tennessee?

Yes, in some cases. A landlord must consider your request and "may deny" it if you fail to provide accurate, reliable documentation after being asked (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(e)). Beyond that, the reasonable-accommodation test decides, and refusing a needed accommodation is unlawful (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601(b)(2)(B)). Owning only a few rentals is no excuse under the support-animal statute. If you are refused, you have 180 days to file with CRED (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204(e)).

Can you just say your dog is an emotional support animal?

Not to a landlord. Knowingly claiming a false disability-related need, or handing over documentation that falsely calls an animal a support animal, is a Class B misdemeanour (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-304(b)–(c)). That means up to six months, a fine of up to 500 dollars, or both (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)). The landlord may also end your tenancy and recover attorney fees (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(f)). An honest request with real documentation carries none of that risk.

What is the difference between a service dog and an emotional support dog?

Training. A service dog is individually trained to work or perform tasks for a person with a disability (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111(a)(5)). An emotional support dog helps by its presence, needs no training and has its rights in housing only. Restaurants admit only trained service animals (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-14-729). Falsely presenting a pet as a service animal to a business is a crime with 100 hours of community service (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-304(b)(3), (c)).

How much does an ESA letter cost in Tennessee?

$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.

Georgia

ESA letter rules, timeline and cost in Georgia.

ESA letter Georgia →

North Carolina

ESA letter rules, timeline and cost in North Carolina.

ESA letter North Carolina →

Virginia

ESA letter rules, timeline and cost in Virginia.

ESA letter Virginia →

Sources

Every legal statement on this page, and where it comes from.

  1. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-111 (support animals in rental housing, statewide; website exclusion added by 2024 Pub. Ch. 754) accessed 2026-10-22
  2. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-406 (identical text inside the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) accessed 2026-10-22
  3. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102 (URLTA applies only in counties over 75,000 at the 2010 census) accessed 2026-10-22
  4. 2024 Pub. Ch. 754 (SB 2030 / HB 2266), chaptered text: reliable-documentation rule, effective 1 July 2024 accessed 2026-10-22
  5. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-304 (misrepresentation of a service animal or support animal) accessed 2026-10-22
  6. Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111 (misdemeanour sentencing ranges) accessed 2026-10-22
  7. Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-1-155 (telehealth: relationship, standard of care, in-state licence) accessed 2026-10-22
  8. Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-11-501 (Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Act, PSYPACT) accessed 2026-10-22
  9. Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-22-402 (Counseling Compact; privilege to practise equivalent to a license) accessed 2026-10-22
  10. Counseling Compact Commission news: Tennessee issuing privileges from 1 September 2026 accessed 2026-10-22
  11. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-204 (180-day deadline to file with the division) accessed 2026-10-22
  12. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-311 (private suit within one year; punitive damages in housing cases) accessed 2026-10-22
  13. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601 (Tennessee Human Rights Act, housing; reasonable accommodations) accessed 2026-10-22
  14. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-602 (Human Rights Act housing exemptions) accessed 2026-10-22
  15. Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-1201 (commission ceased to exist 1 July 2025; duties moved to the Attorney General) accessed 2026-10-22
  16. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (security deposits in URLTA counties) accessed 2026-10-22
  17. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-104 (guide dogs: no extra compensation) accessed 2026-10-22
  18. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-106 (guide dogs of legally blind tenants: no deposit) accessed 2026-10-22
  19. Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-14-729 (food-service establishments: emotional support animals are not service animals) accessed 2026-10-22
  20. Attorney General, Civil Rights Enforcement Division: Laws CRED Enforces (housing violations incl. refusing an emotional support animal; retaliation, § 4-21-301) accessed 2026-10-22
  21. Attorney General, Civil Rights Enforcement Division: Complaint Process (180 days; one-year suit not extended) accessed 2026-10-22
  22. Attorney General, Civil Rights Enforcement Division: FAQ (portal, phone, email; no representation of complainants) accessed 2026-10-22
  23. Tennessee Housing Development Agency: housing-discrimination complaints (HUD within one year; HUD-funded help) accessed 2026-10-22
  24. 42 U.S.C. § 3603 (Fair Housing Act exemptions, § 3603(b)) accessed 2026-10-22
  25. HUD FHEO enforcement guidance, 22 May 2026 accessed 2026-10-22

General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 2026-10-22 by Darren Rafel, LCSW. Statutes change; we re-check each state page and record the date above.

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