Emotional support animals are some of the best companions that you can have, especially for people who are dealing with mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and even loneliness. These animals can improve your mood, make you feel better, and of course, offer emotional support when you need it the most.
While having an emotional support animal is a great way to get help with mental health disorders, it’s not as simple as telling people your cat is an emotional support animal. Instead, you need to follow emotional support animal laws in Florida and you’ll likely need a Florida ESA letter if you plan on living in an apartment that wouldn’t otherwise allow pets.
The good news is that this article will explore all of these topics and more. Learn everything you need to know about Florida emotional support animal laws below.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal is a pet that does not need training or certifications like a service animal. They provide support, companionship, and a sense of well-being to their owner who has a mental health issue or psychiatric disability.
As long as the owner has an Emotional Support Animal Letter explaining the need for the animal’s support, they will be an emotional support animal. They primarily help owners with mental illness including depression, anxiety, and PTSD through emotional support and companionship.
Emotional support animals are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but service animals are. Several laws in Florida cover both emotional support animals and service animals.
Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws
Emotional support animals in Florida aren’t protected under the ADA but that doesn’t mean there’s no legislation for them. In fact, you’ll find that Florida has a few ESA laws you need to consider. We take you through these laws for employment, housing, and transportation below.
Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws for Employment
In Florida, employees can have their dog with them at work, if needed. This means employers must make reasonable adjustments for employees with emotional disabilities if they decide to let them into the workplace.
If you have a valid ESA letter, employers can allow an emotional support animal into the work area. Even though some employers will accept support animals into the workplace, it is not a requirement under the law, unlike service animals.
Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws for Housing
Under the Fair Housing Act in Florida, both you and your emotional support animal are protected. No one with an emotional support animal can be restricted, evicted, or charged, as long as they provide proof that the emotional support animal is needed. The proof is through the ESA Letter which you can get from US Service Animals easily.
Campus accommodation at colleges and universities in Florida are also covered under this act. This means if students have an ESA letter, they must be allowed in the accommodation.
The only exception is if an animal is causing harm to their owner, itself, or others. In these cases, landlords can deny requests for that animal.
Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws for Travel
Unfortunately, emotional support animals are no longer allowed to ride with their owners in an airplane’s cabin. The Air Carrier Access Act only affords this right to service dogs. If your ESA is small, you may be able to bring it with you as a carry-on that you stow under your seat, depending on airline policy.
Otherwise, if your ESA is a dog, you could consider training it to be a psychiatric service dog (PSD). PSDs perform tasks that help relieve distress caused by mental illnesses such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Because PSDs are service dogs, they are protected under the Air Carrier Access Act. However, airlines have the right to make you fill out forms before your flight. These forms will ask for information about your service dog’s training. Not only that, they require you to agree that the airline can treat your PSD as a pet and have it put in a carrier if it is aggressive or otherwise unruly.
That said, you may have some luck bringing your ESA with you if you contact the airline in advance. What’s more, some airlines are pet-friendly, so if you have an ESA letter for your cat or dog you may be able to bring them with you depending on their size.
Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws for Misrepresenting Your Pet
Florida also has laws in place that prevent you from misrepresenting your pet as an emotional support animal. You never want to do this because it can void protections in the Fair Housing Act (FHA), result in fines, and can even result in your eviction. For this reason, never claim that your pet is an ESA unless you get an ESA letter for Florida.
It’s also important to know the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal. If you misrepresent an emotional support animal as a service animal in Florida it is against the law. If you break this law you can be punished with jail time of up to 60 days and a fine of $500. These fines get worse if you continue to do this, so make sure you have the proper paperwork.
Overall, it’s a good idea to avoid misrepresenting the status of your pet regardless of their designation.
How to Get a Florida ESA Letter
Getting an emotional support animal in Florida isn’t too hard. All you need is the pet you want to have as an ESA and then you can apply for a Florida ESA letter. This letter is everything you need for housing, travel, and other accommodations you may need. Getting the letter isn’t challenging as long as you understand the process and what it entails.
The process of getting an emotional support animal is the same in every state in the United States of America. If you have a disability that can be verified by a medical professional and the support from an emotional support animal would help improve your life, a letter will be given to you. This letter is very important as it provides proof of your animal being an emotional support animal.
Use our simple, hassle-free registration to register your animal today at US Service Animals. Simply speak with one of our mental health professionals to find out if you qualify then get a letter stating your need for an emotional support animal. This letter will give you the ability to have your emotional support animal with you when you live in a no-pet policy housing. All you need to get started is information about you and your pet, then you can schedule a call with a licensed mental health professional.
The advantage of applying for an ESA letter from US Service Animals is that it is not state-specific. So whether you’re in Florida or St. Louis, you can register for an ESA letter. Register your emotional support animal today to get your letter for housing and employment.
Final Thoughts on Emotional Support Animal Laws in Florida
An emotional support animal can be one of the best treatments for someone who has mental health issues that cause anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and much more. While these animals have the ability to help, they’re not handled the same way as service animals, so it’s important to understand Florida’s emotional support animal law and how it may impact your ESA.
The good news is that this article covered everything you need to know about Florida ESA laws, so you shouldn’t have any issues once you get your ESA letter.