Step 1
Free screening
Takes about 2 minutes. Answer a few confidential questions about your situation and your animal. No card is taken. You find out whether a consultation makes sense before you pay anything.
How it works
How to get an ESA letter, step by step.
To get an ESA letter, a clinician licensed in the state where you live must evaluate you and find that you have a disability and a need for your animal. Here that means a free two-minute screening, a live video or phone consultation and, if you qualify, a signed PDF usually within 24 to 48 hours. Five states use a 30-day process. The letter costs $99.
ESA letters at a glance
Six facts to know before you start.
One line each, with the rule it comes from. The detail follows further down.
- 01
Who can write an ESA letter?
A licensed health care professional who evaluates you. By telehealth, they generally must be licensed in the state where you are.
HHS telehealth.hhs.gov, Licensure for behavioral health - 02
What does the letter do?
It backs a request to keep your animal despite a no-pets rule. A housing provider must consider that request.
42 U.S.C. § 3604(f) - 03
Is there an ESA registry or certificate?
No law creates one. Illinois, for example, rejects certificates sold without a meaningful assessment.
Illinois Assistance Animal Integrity Act, 310 ILCS 120 - 04
Do some states make you wait?
Yes. California, Arkansas, Louisiana and Montana set a 30-day relationship by law. We run the same 30 days in Iowa.
California Health and Safety Code § 122318 - 05
What changed in 2026?
HUD now pursues federal complaints only for trained animals. Untrained ESAs are decided case by case, so state law matters more.
HUD FHEO enforcement guidance on animal accommodation requests, 22 May 2026 - 06
What does it cost here?
$99 including the consultation, the same in every state. No membership and no auto-renewal.
Pricing, below
The process
How to get an ESA letter online, in four steps.
Most people who want an emotional support animal for housing start here. The rule that matters is where your clinician is licensed: in your state, not the company's.
Step 2
Checkout, then a live consultation
Takes 20 to 30 minutes. You pay at checkout, then meet a clinician licensed in your state by video or phone. Nine states are video only. Same-day consultations are often available where there is no 30-day process.
Step 3
The clinician's decision
Usually made during the consultation. The clinician decides whether you have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal. Not everyone qualifies. In the five 30-day states the decision comes after a second session on day 31.
Step 4
Your signed letter
Usually within 24 to 48 hours. If you qualify, a signed PDF on the clinician's letterhead, with the licence type, number and state. In a 30-day state it is dated day 31. Verification support for your landlord is included.
A clinician who sees you by telehealth generally must be licensed where you are located. HHS telehealth.hhs.gov, Licensure for behavioral health If you do not qualify, you can claim a full refund within 7 days. Read the refund terms.
State rules
Where your state changes the process.
Most states set no waiting period and allow video or phone. Three kinds of state are different, and we tell you before you pay.
1. Five states use a 30-day process.
| State | Why there are 30 days | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| California | Law: H&S Code § 122318, for emotional support dogs | We apply the same 30 days to every California letter California Health and Safety Code § 122318 |
| Arkansas | Law: Ark. Code Ann. § 20-14-1003, for emotional support dogs | We apply them to every Arkansas letter; two live video sessions Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-14-1001 to -1005 |
| Louisiana | Law: La. R.S. 46:1974, for every species | Two sessions are required by the same statute La. R.S. 46:1974 |
| Montana | Law: Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114, for every species | Writer must hold a Montana licence Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114 |
| Iowa | Our policy: Iowa sets no waiting period | Iowa Code § 216.8C(1)(d) asks the letter to say whether 30 days have passed Iowa Code § 216.8C |
2. Video only
Nine states get a live video consultation, never phone.
Their telehealth or housing rules expect a real-time video evaluation, so we book video only. Each state page gives the rule.
3. Kentucky
Kentucky residents can buy the ESA letter only.
Kentucky requires an in-office, face-to-face visit before anyone is paid for assistance-dog documentation. KRS 258.500 A telehealth service cannot meet that, so we offer no psychiatric service dog letter and no combination there. The ESA letter follows Kentucky's own housing statute. KRS 383.085
Every other state: video or phone, your choice, and no waiting period set by law. ESA letter rules by state.
The ESA evaluation
What happens in the consultation.
- Who you meet. A clinician licensed in your state, who gives you their name and licence details. You can check the licence on the state board's website.
- How long it takes. Usually 20 to 30 minutes, by video or phone where your state allows both.
- What they ask. Your history, how your condition affects sleep, work, concentration or daily life, and what your animal does for you.
- What they decide. Whether you have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal. They can say no; a clinician who cannot decline is not evaluating anything.
- What stays private. Your diagnosis. The letter states a disability and a need, and a housing provider may not ordinarily ask about the nature or severity of a disability.
The no-diagnosis point comes from the HUD/DOJ Joint Statement. HUD/DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act
Who can write an ESA letter
Who can write an ESA letter, and can your own doctor?
Federal housing guidance is broad. When a disability or need is not obvious, a landlord may ask for reliable information, which can come from a doctor or other medical professional. HUD/DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act
Many states are narrower and name the licences. Kentucky lists five: clinical social worker, professional counselor, advanced practice nurse, psychologist and physician, each with an active practice in Kentucky. KRS 383.085 Montana requires a Montana-licensed mental health professional, which includes marriage and family therapists. Mont. Code Ann. § 53-21-102 California requires a licence valid where the letter is provided. California Health and Safety Code § 122318
Your own doctor, psychiatrist or therapist can write it if they hold the right licence where you live and they assess your need. That may cost no more than a visit you already have. If they will not, or you have no clinician, a telehealth ESA evaluation is the other route.
Not documentation
- A certificate, ID card or registration number bought online
- A letter from someone licensed only in another state
- A form letter no clinician has signed after evaluating you
Licences that usually can write one
Where state law allows and the licence is held in your state.
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist or other physician
- Clinical social worker
- Professional counselor
- Marriage and family therapist
- Psychiatric nurse practitioner
Who qualifies
How to qualify for an emotional support animal.
Two findings, made by the clinician. First, a disability: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. 42 U.S.C. § 3602(h) Second, a disability-related need: the animal helps with that disability.
A diagnosis on its own is neither. Two people with the same diagnosis can get different answers, because the question is how much the condition limits daily life and what the animal does about it.
Do you qualify for an ESA? The free screening gives you an early read. Only the clinician decides, and some people do not qualify.
Conditions clinicians often assess
When they substantially limit daily life. A name on this list is not a qualification.
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- PTSD
- Panic disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- OCD
- ADHD
- Autism
ESA letter requirements
ESA letter requirements: what the letter needs to say.
No federal rule sets a format. These are the details a landlord checks, and what every letter we issue carries.
- The clinician's name and credential. On their letterhead, with contact details for verification.
- Licence type, number and the state that issued it. So a landlord can check it on the state board's site.
- The effective date and a signature. A signed PDF from a licensed clinician.
- A statement that you have a disability. Without naming the diagnosis.
- Your animal and the disability-related need. Which animal the letter covers and what it does for you.
Some states list the details by law
- California: licence type, number, jurisdiction and effective date. California Health and Safety Code § 122318
- Louisiana: effective date, licence number and licence type. La. R.S. 46:1974
- Montana: licence number, type and effective date. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114
- Iowa: eight items, including issue and expiry dates and whether 30 days have passed. Iowa Code § 216.8C
Timing
How long it takes to get an ESA letter.
In most states: the screening takes about two minutes, a consultation can often be booked the same day, and the signed PDF usually follows within 24 to 48 hours if you qualify.
In California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana and Iowa the letter is dated day 31. Your first consultation starts the 30 days, so the earlier you book, the earlier it lands. Tell us on day 1 if a lease or move date falls inside the window.
Nobody can lawfully skip the 30 days in those states, so a provider promising a letter on day one there is a red flag.
Do ESA letters expire
How long does an ESA letter last?
No federal rule gives an ESA letter an expiry date. Some states do. An Iowa letter states its own expiry and runs at least 12 months or the lease term, whichever is longer. Iowa Code § 216.8C Arkansas asks the clinician to re-evaluate the need every year. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-14-1001 to -1005
If your situation changes or you move, expect a landlord to ask for current information. A letter that claims to be valid forever, or exactly 12 months everywhere, is repeating a sales line, not a rule.
ESA letter cost
What a legitimate ESA letter costs here.
An ESA letter for housing costs $99, consultation included, the same in every state. With a psychiatric service dog letter it is $149, except in Kentucky.
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
If the clinician finds you qualify, your signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours of the consultation. In a 30-day state it is dated day 31. Read the guarantee and refund terms.
Legitimate ESA letters
Is an online ESA letter legitimate? What to look for.
Online is not the problem. A letter with no real evaluation behind it is. Use these two lists to tell them apart.
Good signs
A provider worth using
- You speak with the clinician, live, before anything is signed
- Their licence is held in your state, and their name is printed on the letter
- The licence number is on the letter, so the state board's lookup can confirm it
- Not everyone is approved, and the refund rules are written down before you pay
- Your diagnosis stays off the page
Warning signs
Reasons to go elsewhere
- A download that arrives without a conversation with anyone
- Registries, ID cards, certificates or vests offered as proof of anything
- Claims that an ESA letter opens doors to shops, restaurants or aircraft cabins
- A clinician whose only licence is in a different state
- A letter dated the first day in a state that requires 30 days
Our part of the process
A real evaluation, a clinician you can look up, and refund rules in writing.
- Who you speak to. A clinician who holds a licence in your state and talks with you live before deciding. This page was clinically reviewed by Darren Rafel, LCSW.
- What you receive. A signed PDF on letterhead that states the disability-related need and names the animal, with the licence details printed on it. Your diagnosis is left off.
- If a landlord has doubts. They can search the licence on the state board's site. We will also confirm, if asked, that the letter came from us, and share nothing beyond that.
- If it does not work out. Not qualifying after the evaluation means a full refund (ask within 7 days). A housing provider who still refuses after our verification help means a full refund too (ask within 30 days).
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.
FAQ
Questions about getting an ESA letter.
How do I get an ESA letter?
Take a free two-minute screening, pay at checkout, then meet a clinician licensed in your state by video or phone. If the clinician finds you have a disability and a disability-related need for your animal, you get a signed PDF, usually within 24 to 48 hours. In California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana and Iowa the letter is dated day 31.
Can you get an ESA letter from a regular doctor or your therapist?
Yes, if they are licensed where you live and they assess your need for the animal. Some states name the licences: Kentucky, for example, accepts clinical social workers, professional counselors, advanced practice nurses, psychologists and physicians with an active practice in the state.
What is the fastest way to get an ESA letter?
In most states, take the screening and book a same-day consultation. If you qualify, the signed PDF usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. In the five 30-day states nobody can lawfully issue it before day 31, so book the first session early.
How much does a legit ESA letter cost?
$99 here, including the live consultation, in every state. If the clinician finds you do not qualify, you can claim a full refund within 7 days. There is no membership and no auto-renewal.
Can you just say your dog is an emotional support animal?
Not if your landlord asks for documentation. When your need is not obvious, a landlord may ask for reliable information. Some states punish false claims: South Dakota lets a landlord evict and charge a damage fee (SDCL § 43-32-36), and Alabama makes misrepresentation an offence (Ala. Code § 24-8A-4).
How do I get my cat approved as an ESA?
The same way as a dog. The clinician evaluates your need and the letter names the animal. California's and Arkansas's 30-day statutes are written for dogs, but we apply the 30 days to every letter in those states.
Does anxiety qualify for an ESA?
It can. The question is whether your anxiety substantially limits a major life activity, such as sleeping, working or concentrating, and whether the animal helps. Two people with the same diagnosis can get different answers. The clinician decides after a live evaluation.
Can a nurse practitioner write an ESA letter?
In many states, yes, if licensed in your state. Kentucky includes advanced practice nurses, and Montana includes nurse practitioners and physician assistants who specialise in psychiatric mental health. Check your state page for the exact list.
Do I have to talk to someone?
Yes. Every letter here follows a live consultation. A letter written without an evaluation is not a clinical document, and a landlord who checks will treat it that way.
Do ESA letters expire?
No federal rule sets an expiry. Iowa letters run at least 12 months or the lease term, whichever is longer, and Arkansas asks the clinician to re-evaluate every year. If your situation changes or you move, expect to be asked for current information.
Is an ESA letter valid for flights or shops?
No. An ESA letter is for housing. Since 2021 airlines may treat ESAs as pets, and ESAs have no right to enter shops or restaurants. A trained psychiatric service dog is covered differently.
Sources
Every rule on this page, and where it comes from.
- 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f) (Fair Housing Act) accessed 2026-10-28
- 42 U.S.C. § 3602(h) (Fair Housing Act definition of disability) accessed 2026-10-28
- 24 C.F.R. § 100.204 (reasonable accommodations) accessed 2026-10-28
- HUD/DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act (2004) accessed 2026-10-28
- Federal Register 2026-06624: HUD withdrawal of FHEO-2013-01 and FHEO-2020-01 accessed 2026-10-28
- HUD FHEO enforcement guidance on animal accommodation requests, 22 May 2026 accessed 2026-10-28
- HHS telehealth.hhs.gov, Licensure for behavioral health accessed 2026-10-28
- California Health and Safety Code § 122318 accessed 2026-10-28
- Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-14-1001 to -1005 (emotional support animals) accessed 2026-10-28
- La. R.S. 46:1974 (provider requirements for support-animal documentation) accessed 2026-10-28
- La. R.S. 46:1977 (fines) accessed 2026-10-28
- Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114 (emotional support animals) accessed 2026-10-28
- Mont. Code Ann. § 53-21-102 (mental health professional) accessed 2026-10-28
- Iowa Code § 216.8C accessed 2026-10-28
- KRS 383.085 (assistance animals in dwellings) accessed 2026-10-28
- KRS 258.500 (assistance dogs) accessed 2026-10-28
- Illinois Assistance Animal Integrity Act, 310 ILCS 120 accessed 2026-10-28
- SDCL § 43-32-36 (false claims and fraudulent documentation) accessed 2026-10-28
- Ala. Code § 24-8A-4 (misrepresentation of entitlement to an assistance animal) accessed 2026-10-28
General information, not legal advice. HUD withdrew its earlier assistance-animal notices, FHEO-2013-01 and FHEO-2020-01, in 2026 Federal Register 2026-06624: HUD withdrawal of FHEO-2013-01 and FHEO-2020-01; this page does not rely on them. Last reviewed 2026-10-28 by Darren Rafel, LCSW.
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