Sometimes, the only thing that can comfort us when we need it most is man’s best friend… or our best furry friend, whatever that may be. They instinctively know when we need them most and are always there to provide us with the same care and love we show them. Stroking their fur can calm us down in the midst of a panic attack, or feeling their weight on our leg can ground us when we feel like the world is spinning all around us.
This is the reason that more and more doctors are whipping out their prescription pads not for drugs, but to write up a letter so that our animal companions remain close to us in case we find ourselves in need of their care during stressful times.
If you’re a resident of New Hampshire with a psychiatric disability, then perhaps you should talk to your doctor or therapist about an emotional support animal (ESA) prescription for yourself. However, knowing the key New Hampshire emotional support animal laws before obtaining an ESA letter is critical, especially if you intend to use it for housing.
This article will guide you through the laws for an ESA New Hampshire locals need to know. Continue reading to learn about NH emotional support animal laws.
New Hampshire ESA Laws: Summary of Legal Protections
New Hampshire emotional support animal laws give animals with a valid ESA letter certain protections. Even though the state doesn’t extend these within its own state-level emotional support animal laws, the federal law is in place to protect ESAs, particularly when it comes to housing.
However, there are also other aspects of having an emotional support animal, even if there have been notable changes to the ESA laws in New Hampshire over the years. Below, you will learn more about the emotional support animal laws that every New Hampshire resident considering an ESA should be aware of.
Emotional Support Animal New Hampshire Regulations: ESA Laws in New Hampshire
Here’s everything you need to know about emotional support animal regulations in New Hampshire, covering housing, employment, travel, and flying laws.
New Hampshire ESA Housing Laws
The federal Fair Housing Act, as well as New Hampshire’s fair housing laws, require landlords to make reasonable modifications to allow people with disabilities to enjoy their homes. This covers emotional support animals because they are required as part of a disability. A landlord in New Hampshire must make reasonable modifications to accommodate an emotional support animal, such as waiving a no-pet clause in the rental agreement or lease.
Therefore, landlords cannot simply deny an emotional support animal because of no-pet policies in New Hampshire. The same applies to HOA decisions to restrict pets, whether a complete restriction or weight/breed limitations. With this protection, having a valid ESA letter guarantees your rights to live with your emotional support animal in New Hampshire. However, note that there are instances where a landlord can legally deny an ESA.
New Hampshire ESA Employment Laws
New Hampshire doesn’t have a state statute that requires employers in the state to accommodate emotional support animals. Since the federal law doesn’t give the same public access rights to ESAs as it does for service dogs, employers in the state aren’t required to accommodate emotional support animals.
However, this doesn’t mean that those with an ESA letter are out of luck completely. New Hampshire has some of the most pet-friendly workplaces. Even if your workplace doesn’t have a policy like this in place, it could be worth speaking about with your ESA letter to see if they would allow your emotional support animal to come to work with you.
New Hampshire ESA Travel Laws
In New Hampshire, emotional support animals aren’t granted additional public access rights, which means that they must follow pet policies when navigating the city. Although some businesses in the city make exceptions for emotional support animals, it would be wrong to say that there are plenty of these businesses in New Hampshire.
However, the same doesn’t apply to psychiatric service dogs, as they are considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have an emotional support dog that performs at least one disability-related task, they would be considered a service animal – more on the requirements for psychiatric service dogs below.
New Hampshire ESA Travel and Flying Laws
Getting around with an emotional support animal in New Hampshire isn’t the same as it was. Previously, emotional support animals could use public transportation just like service dogs without following pet rules, but they no longer have the same protections. When using the state’s local transit services, those with an emotional support animal must follow the pet travel requirements.
This also applies to air travel; emotional support animals must follow the pet travel requirements of airlines since the Department of Transportation’s changes to the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act). You can still fly to and from New Hampshire with your emotional support animal if you meet the airline’s travel requirements, but note that you will need to pay a fee for it, which is usually $150 for one way.
How to Get an ESA Letter in New Hampshire: ESA Letter New Hampshire Requirements
An ESA letter is a critical document that every emotional support animal must have in order to enjoy their protections.
Even though they have much less protection compared to the past, getting an ESA letter is still worth it, especially if you’re renting. Below, we cover everything you need to know about obtaining an ESA letter in New Hampshire. You will also find city-specific things to note about each major city when it comes to ESA letters in the coming parts below.
Who Do You Get an ESA Letter From in New Hampshire?
The same as in all states, only licensed mental health professionals (LMHPs) can write an emotional support animal letter in New Hampshire. As someone living in New Hampshire, you must specifically get your letter from a provider licensed to practice in the state. You can’t get your ESA letter from an LMHP licensed in Maine or Massachusetts, for example. Keep this in mind when looking for a provider to write you a New Hampshire ESA letter.
How You Can Get an ESA Letter With US Service Animals
We can help you connect with a mental health professional licensed to practice in New Hampshire to evaluate your symptoms and write you an ESA letter if you qualify for it. Here’s a step-by-step look at how our process works.
- You schedule a consultation call using our ESA letter consultation form.
- You attend the consultation session via live video or phone and speak about your symptoms with a mental health provider licensed in New Hampshire.
- If you qualify, for example you have PTSD or an eating disorder, you will receive your diagnosis, which is a requirement before an LMHP can write you an ESA letter.
- Have your LMHP write your ESA letter, which will include your LMHP’s information, and a statement that recommends an ESA for your condition without disclosing what your condition is.
While this briefly covers the process, those who want to learn more can read our how to get an ESA letter guide for a detailed explanation.
ESA New Hampshire Registration: ESA Certification in New Hampshire
Emotional support animals in New Hampshire don’t need to be registered, as far as the legal requirements go. They only need an emotional support animal letter to be legally recognized. However, registration can be beneficial, even though it doesn’t replace an ESA letter or grant extra protections to you or your emotional support animal.
For instance, when you register an ESA with US Service Animals, your animal will be assigned a unique registration number and appear on the nation’s largest online database for service dogs and emotional support animals upon search. You will also receive an ESA certification for your animal, along with an Animal ID Card and access to our in-house legal support team to help you exercise your rights if you ever need assistance.
Get an ESA Letter in Cities Across New Hampshire
Your experience getting an ESA letter in different cities across New Hampshire will depend on the LMHP availability in the city, the providers’ familiarity with ESA letters, the city’s mental health statistics, and more.
Below, we overview ESA laws in the most popular cities in New Hampshire; to find out more, including how to get a legally valid ESA letter in these cities, click on the linked heading for the city you’re curious about.
Manchester
As the largest city in New Hampshire, those living in Manchester will have the highest licensed mental health professional availability, with a large portion of them being familiar with ESA documentation. This is partly due to the city having expensive rentals that often come with no-pet rules or hefty pet fees, making ESA letters extremely helpful for those living in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Concord
As the state’s capital, Concord has several clinics and counseling centers where those living in the city can have access to mental health care services and obtain an ESA letter. With more small buildings and detached homes in the rental market, Concord has plenty of pet-friendly housing that make it easy for individuals to live with an animal. Still, having an ESA letter is a worthwhile investment for those with a mental disability.
Nashua
Nashua is a fairly large city in New Hampshire standards, and it is surprisingly pet-friendly, with many rentals that allow pets in the property. However, many charge pet fees, rentals, or deposits. The city is also home to a good number of mental health professionals who are familiar with the ESA documentation process. Coupled with high landlord familiarity with ESAs, Nashua is an excellent place to have an emotional support animal.
Dover
Dover has a limited number of mental health offices serving the city compared to the New Hampshire cities we’ve covered above. That’s why most people in the city turn to NH-licensed telehealth providers for ESA evaluations, many of which choose US Service Animals to receive their diagnosis and obtain their emotional support animal letters.
Derry
The experience of getting an ESA letter is similar to that in Dover for those living in Derry. As a small town, there are fewer local providers, leaving telehealth and out-of-town providers as the only options for ESA evaluations.
ESAs vs Psychiatric Service Dogs in New Hampshire
Psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals can seem like the same thing to most people, but they are very different, and so are the regulations surrounding each one. A significant difference is that service animals are generally restricted to specific breeds of dog, or in some cases, miniature horses, whereas breed does not restrict emotional support animals.
If you have a disability like epilepsy or panic disorder, you will probably utilize the services of specially trained support animals. If you’re just in need of emotional companionship to keep you from having panic attacks or suicidal impulses, then more than likely an ESA is a better option instead. These animals do not receive the same rigorous specialized training, so make sure that you train yours before going into public. However, you can also have both an ESA and a psychiatric service dog to help you with your condition.
There are federal regulations protecting service animals and their owners from discrimination and allowing the service animals’ entry into all places their owners go – including casinos, public transit, restaurants, hair salons, and more. These regulations don’t cover emotional support animals so extensively – mostly, they allow ESAs to live in housing that typically doesn’t allow pets.
How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog in New Hampshire
Psychiatric service dogs are a special type of service dog. While many service dogs help with physical disabilities, psychiatric service dogs are there to help with mental disabilities or mental health disorders.
Psychiatric service dogs are able to help people because they’re trained to recognize someone’s emotions and triggers. For example, a psychiatrist service dog can understand someone’s body language and remove them from a social setting if anxiety is developing.
While this is remarkable, it is typically easier to train a psychiatric service dog compared to a mobility assistance or guide dog, for example. This enables owners to train their own psychiatric service dogs. If this interests you, get started by completing our PSD consultation form. If a psychiatric service dog is the right option for you, we can provide you with all the training materials you need to begin training your dog.
FAQs About New Hampshire Emotional Support Animal Laws
We answer the commonly asked questions about emotional support animal laws that we get from those living in New Hampshire below.
Does New Hampshire Recognize Emotional Support Animals?
New Hampshire doesn’t have a state statute that recognizes emotional support animals, but these animals receive recognition under the Fair Housing Act, giving them housing rights as part of a disability.
How Fast Can I Get an ESA Letter in New Hampshire?
Those living in New Hampshire can get their ESA letter as soon as they receive their diagnosis and have their provider write an ESA letter. Unlike states like California, Montana, Arkansas, Iowa, and Louisiana, New Hampshire doesn’t require providers to establish a 30-day client-provider relationship before writing an ESA letter. If you need an ESA letter urgently, we can help you get it by connecting you with a qualified practitioner in under 24 hours.
Are Online Consultations for ESA Letters Legal In New Hampshire?
Online consultations for ESA letters in New Hampshire are completely legal. An ESA letter obtained through telehealth services is just as valid as one that’s received in person. A landlord in New Hampshire cannot deny an ESA letter just because it was issued online.
Can A Landlord Charge a Pet Deposit for an Emotional Support Animal In New Hampshire?
No, landlords must waive all the extra charges for emotional support animals. Because they are required for a disability, landlords cannot ask emotional support animals to pay pet rents, pet fees, or pet deposits.
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed in Hotels in New Hampshire?
The Fair Housing Act doesn’t cover hotels, so hotels in New Hampshire don’t have a legal obligation to accommodate emotional support animals. Nonetheless, there are many hotels that accept well-behaved animals for a small fee.
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed in Airbnbs in New Hampshire?
Similarly, emotional support animals aren’t allowed in Airbnbs in New Hampshire. You will need to look for pet-friendly Airbnbs, which you will find many in New Hampshire.