Emotional support animals are irreplaceable to their owners with a psychiatric disability. While these animals might appear the same as any other pet, their presence plays a key role in helping their owners in their day-to-day lives.
Given that St. Louis is among the most pet-loving cities, not just in Missouri but overall, many of its residents are aware of the benefits emotional support animals provide. If you’re experiencing therapeutic benefits when your pet is around, or you think that having an animal by your side would alleviate your symptoms, consider obtaining an ESA letter.
An ESA letter is a formal document that recommends an animal as part of your disability, which will give you and your animal certain legal protections. Although emotional support animals now enjoy fewer benefits compared to the past, having one can make life easier for St. Louis residents, especially for those who are renting, as many St. Louis residential properties have pet restrictions.
In this US Service Animals article, we will guide St. Louis residents on everything they need to know about ESA letters and emotional support animals. Read on to learn how to get an ESA Letter in St. Louis, MO.
Who Can Qualify for an ESA in St. Louis?
St. Louis residents who wish to obtain an ESA letter from their mental health workers must have a diagnosis of a mental disability. While the exact list of mental disabilities that qualify for an emotional support animal is long, the most common ones include anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, dissociative disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Check out our article on the disabilities that qualify for an ESA to learn more about this topic and find out if you qualify for an emotional support animal.
However, having a diagnosis alone isn’t enough to obtain an ESA letter. You will need to attend evaluation sessions with a mental health professional so that they can determine whether an emotional support animal would be beneficial for you. After all, the care and the routine an animal requires can be an added burden for some, which can add to their troubles.
What Are the Benefits of Having an ESA Letter in St. Louis?
First and foremost, the biggest benefit of having an ESA letter in St. Louis is housing protections. The Fair Housing Act, which is a federal law that protects individuals from housing discrimination, prohibits landlords from discriminating against a tenant because of a disability.
Since emotional support animals are required because of a psychiatric disability, their rights to live with their owners are protected under this law.
As someone who lives in St. Louis with a valid ESA letter, you will enjoy these housing protections. Your current landlord (or a future one) cannot treat your emotional support animal the same as a pet, enabling you to live with them even if there’s a no-pet policy in your lease or rental agreement.
However, there are exceptions to the housing rights of emotional support animals. We cover the instances when a landlord might be able to reject an emotional support animal in the coming parts below.
Important Information About ESAs in St. Louis
St. Louis is overall a pet-friendly city that has countless businesses that allow well-behaved animals. However, many of the residential housing in the city, particularly apartments and condos, have no-pet policies in place. The same also applies to Saint Louis University (SLU) and Washington University (WashU), as students aren’t permitted to have their pets in university housing.
You can overcome such pet restrictions and ensure that you receive the therapeutic benefits of your animal with a valid ESA letter.
Although St. Louis doesn’t have any breed restrictions, the nearby cities like Berkeley, Ferguson, and Florissant all have breed bans when it comes to pit bull-type dogs. If your ESA is a pit bull-type dog or any other breed that these and other cities impose restrictions on, having a valid ESA letter will also help you avoid such limitations. This means they won’t be subject to these restrictions.
Facts About ESAs and Pets in St. Louis
Here’s more on the emotional support animals, pets, and mental health in St. Louis, Missouri. The following list will give you insights into what it is like to have an ESA in the city.
- According to St. Louis Mental Health Data Brief, the most common mental disabilities in the city are depressive mood disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, and bipolar mood disorders – all of which are conditions that an emotional support animal can help with.
- As with many other cities, dogs and cats are the most popular ESAs and pets in St Louis, with French bulldogs being at the top, followed by golden retrievers, Labs, German shepherds, and poodles.
- St. Louis is overall a pet-friendly city, with many of its businesses allowing pets and allowing emotional support animals as an exception, as long as their presence doesn’t cause a health or safety risk.
- Forest Park in St. Louis is famous for its trails, open green areas, and places like Post-Dispatch Lake, where you can even take your ESA for a paddle.
- St. Louis has no shortage of off-leash dog parks scattered across the city, from Willmore Park to Lucas Gardens Dog Park.
How to Get an Emotional Support (ESA) Letter in St. Louis
To get an ESA letter in St. Louis, you must speak with a mental health professional licensed in Missouri, as they are the only practitioners who can issue an ESA letter (except for your primary care physician, as long as they know about your mental health history).
Although there are over 15,000 mental health providers in Missouri, with a high portion of them being located in St. Louis, as the state’s second-largest city, residents commonly report experiencing difficulties finding a mental health professional. Many practitioners also report large caseloads and burnout, which also impact availability.
US Service Animals can help you find a mental health provider to write you an ESA letter. We can connect you with a licensed mental health professional the same day so that you can talk about your symptoms and find out if an ESA would be beneficial for your condition.
Here’s what getting an ESA letter with US Service Animals looks like:
- Complete Our Form: On our ESA letters page, complete the form that asks you about your basic details.
- Attend Consultation: Attend a consultation call with a mental health professional licensed in Missouri to discuss your symptoms and find out if you qualify for an ESA. This is completely risk-free on your end, as you won’t pay a single cent if you’re not approved for an ESA.
- Receive Your ESA Letter: Once you’re approved, your mental health worker will then issue you an ESA letter, which you will receive via email. You can get the process started and have your ESA letter within 24 hours of completing our form.
While getting your ESA letter online is convenient, many St. Louis residents fall victim to ESA scams. These scams have no consultation and were issued generic ESA letters that can’t be used for legally requesting accommodation for an emotional support animal.
By going through the process with us, you will not only have the opportunity to obtain your ESA letter in the quickest time possible but also avoid scams.
Do I Have to Get an ESA Letter in St. Louis from a Mental Health Professional In Missouri?
Obtaining your ESA letter from a mental health professional who holds a valid license in Missouri is a must. However, note that this isn’t only for St. Louis residents, as it is a legal requirement to obtain your ESA letter from a practitioner who is licensed to practice in your state of residence.
Emotional Support Animal St. Louis Regulations: What Are the Laws About ESAs in St. Louis?
Emotional support animals have federal protections under the Fair Housing Act. They also previously had air travel rights, which we discuss in detail below. Currently, St. Louis and Missouri state laws don’t extend the protections of emotional support animals.
However, this doesn’t mean that having an emotional support animal in Missouri is the same as in other states. Check our guide on ESA laws in Missouri to learn more about what it is like to have an emotional support animal in St. Louis, Missouri.
Airline and Travel ESA Laws in St. Louis: Can I Fly With an ESA in St. Louis?
The Air Carrier Access Act, commonly known as the ACAA, is the federal law that regulates air travel with a service animal. It allows them to fly in the passenger cabin of an aircraft for free without being subject to the airline’s pet travel restrictions. This law previously included emotional support animals, but with the changes in 2021, they no longer have the same protection.
Today, to fly to and from St. Louis with an emotional support animal, the animal must meet the airline’s pet travel rules. For example, American Airlines allows small dogs and cats that weigh less than 20 pounds and can fit inside an approved carrier. If your emotional support animal meets these requirements, you can fly with them for a fee, which is typically $150 each way.
Similarly, emotional support animals also don’t have the legal right to go on other forms of public transportation, such as taxis and Metro Transit; they must follow pet policies.
Can I Live Anywhere With an ESA in St. Louis?
The FHA grants protections to emotional support animals in all residential properties, though there are some exceptions, which we cover below.
As a St. Louis resident with a valid ESA letter, you can live with your animal in apartments, condos, townhouses, rental homes, and any other residential property. The landlord having a no-pet policy or the HOA not allowing pets (or having limitations on breed or weight) simply doesn’t affect you as long as you possess a valid ESA letter.
These protections also extend to college dorms. Those who live in the university housing provided by Saint Louis University (SLU) or Washington University (WashU) can have their emotional support animals with them with a valid ESA letter.
Can I Bring My ESA to Work With Me in St. Louis?
In Missouri, employers aren’t required to accommodate emotional support animals at the workplace. The Fair Housing Act or the Employment First Act in Missouri doesn’t require employers to accommodate emotional support animals, unlike service animals, which are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
However, despite not having a legal requirement, many employers in St. Louis do allow emotional support animals (and even pets) in the workplace, as long as the animal’s presence doesn’t cause a health or safety risk or disruptions. If you want to bring your emotional support animal to work, speak about the possibility of it with your employer; you might be surprised by what they have to say.
What Exceptions Are There to ESA Laws in St. Louis?
As previously mentioned, there are exceptions to the ESA laws, particularly when it comes to housing. A landlord in St. Louis can deny an emotional support animal’s housing rights if they are aggressive or destructive, or their presence would cause undue hardship for the landlord.
For example, a landlord can deny an emotional support goat in an apartment building on the basis that the animal’s presence would cause significant property damage. Similarly, a landlord can deny an ESA if the animal is acting aggressively towards other tenants. However, all these must be apparent for the landlord to deny accommodation to the emotional support animal.
Some housing providers are also exempt from the FHA, which means that they don’t have a legal obligation to accommodate emotional support animals. This includes clubs and religious organizations that give preference to their members, single-family homes rented without a broker, and owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units.
In case you feel you’re unlawfully denied housing, we’re here to help. When you receive your ESA letter through us, you will have access to our in-house legal support team to help you exercise your rights. You can also file an FHA complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and report violations.
Do I Need to Renew My ESA Letter Every Year in St. Louis?
Your ESA letter must be renewed annually to remain valid. This is because they aren’t issued indefinitely, and a patient’s mental health can change for the better, no longer requiring them to have an emotional support animal as part of their treatment.
Given how important it is to have a valid ESA letter, we will remind you when your renewal period nears so that you can attend a consultation call to renew it.
Do I Have to Register My ESA in St. Louis?
ESA registration refers to registering your emotional support animal with a registry, not obtaining an ESA letter from a mental health professional. Registering your animal is by no means a legal requirement. As someone who wants to have a legally recognized emotional support animal, you only need an ESA letter. Any service that claims that it is a legal requirement is likely a scam.
However, registering your emotional support animal can have its own benefits. When you register your ESA with US Service Animals, for example, your animal will be assigned a unique registration number and receive an ESA certification. You can provide it to anyone who questions the validity of your emotional support animal (or your ESA letter), to verify their status.
Even though it isn’t a legal requirement, registering your animal for a modest fee at US Service Animals is worth it with these benefits. Your animal will have additional documentation that will leave no room for your landlord to doubt.
Public Access St. Louis ESA Laws: Where Can You Take Your ESA in St. Louis?
The public access rights of service animals come from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA doesn’t cover emotional support animals, they don’t have the same public access rights as service animals do. You must follow the pet policies of the places you want to travel with your emotional support animal in St. Louis.
However, as we’ve previously mentioned, St. Louis is overall a pet-friendly city. You will have no trouble navigating the city or finding places to dine or drink with your emotional support animal. Many of the restaurants, cafes, bars, and other establishments in the city have dedicated areas for pets, and countless store owners allow pets or make an exception for ESAs.
If your emotional support animal is a dog or you’re considering getting a dog as your emotional support animal, keep training one for service animal work as an option. Because service animals are protected under the ADA, they can go with you almost anywhere in the city. Besides, there’s no legal requirement that your animal can only be an emotional support animal or a service animal.
How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog in St. Louis?
St. Louis residents have multiple options when it comes to getting a psychiatric service dog (PSD). The city has numerous professional dog trainers and organizations that train PSDs. You can buy a psychiatric service dog from these places, though you must budget accordingly, as fully-trained psychiatric service dogs can cost anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000.
Given the costs, many lean towards training their own psychiatric service dogs or a mix of hiring a professional trainer and training their own PSDs. If you have the availability and the willingness, you can train your own and have a psychiatric service dog that’s just as effective in assisting you by performing disability-related tasks.
Just like with obtaining an ESA letter, we can help you with psychiatric service dog training. Get started by completing our PSD consultation form. It will help you determine whether a PSD is for you, and if so, you can then start training your psychiatric service dog with the help of our online training materials.
Compared to the cost of hiring a professional trainer or buying a fully trained psychiatric service dog, training your own is much more cost-effective. It also works as a great way to take the bond between you and your dog to the next level.
How to Get an ESA Letter in Other Cities in Missouri
Get an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter in St. Louis Today
We’ve covered how to get an ESA letter in St. Louis, Missouri, and provided valuable insights into what it is like to have an ESA letter and a legally recognized emotional support animal in the city. While emotional support animals have fewer protections compared to the past in St. Louis today, obtaining an ESA letter is still well worth it.
If you’re ready for it and want to find out if an ESA is the right treatment option for you, schedule your risk-free consultation to connect with a practitioner licensed in Missouri to get started.