Having a pet that provides comfort through companionship doesn’t automatically grant them emotional support animal (ESA) rights. You must get an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional first.
There are several reasons to get an ESA letter. Most notably, housing rights. However, the benefits of having an ESA in Kansas City go beyond this.
A few cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area have a ban on owning pit bulls. Specifically, these cities are Independence, Leawood, and Kearner, which are a short drive from downtown Kansas City. With an ESA letter, you can avoid these breed bans when renting a house and extend your walks and adventures if you have a pit bull.
To have these benefits, you first need to get an ESA letter. In this article, we’ll cover how to get an ESA letter in Kansas City, Missouri. Continue reading to know the entire process.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is an animal that provides emotional comfort to an individual with a psychiatric disability through companionship. These animals simply comfort an individual suffering from a mental disability without training.
Emotional support animals are different from service animals. While service animals must be dogs trained to help an individual with a mental or emotional disability, ESAs can be any pet. These include dogs, cats, birds, Guinea pigs, ferrets, and any other animal you can legally keep as a pet.
Who Can Qualify for an ESA in Kansas City, Missouri
In order to have an emotional support animal in Kansas City, you must have a qualifying mental disability. While any mental disability can qualify you for an ESA, some of the common disorders are as follows:
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Panic attacks
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social phobia
- Stress
In addition to the above, any mental disability from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders can qualify an individual for an ESA.
Since you must have a mental disability to qualify for an ESA, you must consult with a mental healthcare professional licensed in Missouri to get the benefits of having an ESA in Kansas City.
US Service Animals can help you get an ESA letter from a licensed mental health practitioner in your state. If you need an ESA letter urgently, we can assist you in getting it within 24 hours – perfect for those moving to a new house.
What Are the Benefits of Having an ESA Letter in Kansas City, Missouri?
It isn’t uncommon for landlords and apartment complexes in Kansas City to have no-pet policies. While some don’t allow pets at all, others have a limit on how many and what pets you can own.
The Fair Housing Act protects the rights of qualified individuals to keep emotional support animals, even if a landlord prohibits pets. Emotional support animals are also exempt from breed and weight restrictions set by the landlord, city, and state.
Furthermore, qualified individuals with an emotional support animal are exempt from paying pet rent, pet fees, and security deposits.
How to Get an Emotional Support (ESA) Letter in Kansas City
Getting an ESA letter in Kansas City involves several steps. These may vary depending on whether you’ve had an evaluation by a mental health practitioner before. Regardless, here’s the entire process for those getting just started.
First and foremost, you must have a psychiatric disability that qualifies you for an emotional support animal. Contact a licensed mental health professional in Missouri for an evaluation.
After you’re diagnosed with a mental condition that qualifies you for an emotional support animal, you can request them to write an ESA letter.
A typical ESA letter for Kansas City, Missouri, includes the following information.
- Issue date
- Practitioner’s name, license number, and signature
- A description of the individual’s mental condition
- Pet information
The process of getting an ESA is straightforward if you have a qualified mental disability, but it has its own challenges.
Finding a therapist who will evaluate your condition and write an ESA letter can be difficult and costly. Even if you find one, the process can take time, which isn’t good if you’re rushing to get it. There are also several scams out there that you might fall victim to, especially if you want to get your ESA letter online.
US Service Animals can help you avoid all these drawbacks and assist in obtaining your ESA letter in the quickest time possible.
How to Get an Emotional Support Letter (ESA) in Kansas City, Missouri With U.S. Service Animals
Getting an ESA letter in Kansas City with US Service Animals is straightforward and 100% risk-free. In three simple steps, you can get your ESA letter.
- First, get on a consultation call with US Service Animals to see if you qualify for an ESA.
- Consult a licensed mental health professional in Missouri by phone or video call.
- Receive your ESA letter via email for print and use.
US Service Animal’s process eliminates the worry of scheduling appointments with a mental health professional and going through numerous sessions to determine if you qualify for an ESA letter. The licensed professionals in our network may be able to write an ESA letter for you with only one phone call.
The best part about getting an ESA letter with US Service Animals is it’s 100% risk-free. You won’t have to pay for anything if you aren’t approved for an ESA letter. Start getting an ESA letter by submitting your information or call (985) 570-5388.
What Are the Laws About ESAs in Kansas City?
Emotional support animals are federally protected, even though Missouri doesn’t have specific ESA laws. This means federal law applies to emotional support animals in Kansas City, Missouri.
Here’s an overview of the laws around the rights of emotional support animals.
Can I Fly With an ESA in Kansas City?
Airlines don’t have the legal obligation to allow emotional support animals to fly with their owners in the cabin. This also applies to any pet fees charged by the airline, whether in the cabin or cargo.
It wasn’t always like this as the Department of Transportation, per the Air Carrier Access Act, used to allow emotional support animals to fly in the cabin with their owners free of charge. This changed in early 2021, and now most airlines subject ESAs to the same rules as pets.
However, some airlines still accept emotional support animals, such as LATAM Airlines and COPA Airlines, though these airlines don’t usually fly directly from/to Kansas City, Missouri.
Ultimately, it’s up to the airline to allow an emotional support animal when you fly from/to Kansas City. If your ESA is a dog or cat, you can still fly in the cabin if they are under a certain weight set by the airline. Check the rules of the airline you’re flying with for more information.
Can I Live With an ESA in Kansas City?
You can live with an ESA in Kansas City, even if your landlord has a strict no-pet policy. The Fair Housing Act protects the rights of individuals to have an emotional support animal. This protection also applies to apartment complexes. With an ESA letter, you won’t be subject to no-pet policies, including weight limits and breed restrictions.
Note that landlords can request proof of your ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional. If you can’t provide your ESA letter to your landlord, they may deny access to your ESA. Besides an ESA letter, you aren’t required to show proof of any other document, including medical records describing your condition.
Can I Bring My ESA to Work With Me in Kansas City?
The specifics of federal law aren’t as clear about emotional support animals in the workplace. Missouri employers must provide reasonable accommodation to an individual with a disability. Therefore, allowing an individual with a psychiatric disability to have an ESA in the workplace may be considered reasonable accommodation.
However, employers can deny access to service animals and emotional support animals if their presence causes undue hardship in the workplace. The same goes for safety. For example, the presence of an emotional support animal may pose safety risks at a warehouse. In these cases, employers aren’t required to allow an emotional support animal.
It’s generally up to companies to allow ESAs in the workplace. It may be possible with a growing number of companies allowing employees to bring their dogs to work. Contact HR to learn the pet policy of your company.
What Exceptions Are There to ESA Laws in Kansas City?
Although emotional support animals have certain rights, there are exceptions to their privileges. Landlords may deny access to an emotional support animal if they are aggressive or destructive. For example, a landlord may deny access to an ESA that barks and disturbs neighbors or damaged furniture.
Since emotional support animals can be any pet you can legally own, landlords may deny access to some exotic animals. For example, Missouri requires any dangerous reptile over eight feet long to be registered with county law enforcement.
If you keep a reptile that fits this description that isn’t registered or another animal that isn’t allowed, they no longer will have ESA rights.
Where Can You Take Your ESA in Kansas City?
In Kansas City, ESAs are only legally guaranteed housing rights since Missouri doesn’t have a state-specific emotional support animal law. That said, you can take your ESA wherever pets are allowed in Kansas City.
Even though ESAs aren’t granted public access like service animals, Kansas City is pet-friendly. Many restaurants and cafes have outdoor seating areas. Some even allow well-mannered pets inside. You’ll also find various public parks and trails to take your emotional support animal for outdoor activities.
Important Facts About ESAs in Kansas City
- You must be diagnosed with a mental disability by a mental health professional licensed in Missouri to qualify for an ESA.
- An ESA can be any animal you legally can keep as a pet – not just a dog or cat.
- Emotional support animals aren’t service animals. They don’t require any training to qualify as an ESA.
- ESAs don’t need certification or registration legally. Still, registering your ESA with the US Service Animals has many benefits, such as receiving an animal ID card to prove the status of your ESA and help from our on-staff attorneys.
- Emotional support animals don’t have public access rights or privileges to fly with their owners in the cabin. They are also subject to airline pet fees.
Get an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter in Kansas City Today
Getting an ESA letter makes life easier for those with a mental disability. Renting an apartment or a house in Kansas City with a pet may force you to pay extra pet fees and security deposits. You can save on these costs and avoid restrictive pet policies by getting an ESA letter in Kansas City.
Schedule your risk-free consultation with US Service Animals to see if you qualify for an emotional support animal. Once again, you won’t be charged if you don’t qualify for an ESA.