Emotional support animals (ESA) are essential companions to many, and these comfort animals need to be fully validated if you are to take advantage of the federally and state-protected rights that allow you to live with your ESA by your side. An ESA letter is key to this, and you should note what an ESA letter looks like in addition to understanding the information it contains. Our article tells you more about the appearance of an ESA letter and answers your important questions about emotional support animal letters.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is a letter written for any individual who qualifies for an ESA. Common conditions that may qualify you for the support of an ESA include anxiety, chronic stress, depression, or other mood disorders. Your emotional support animal letter will need to be written by a mental health provider licensed in your state, and it will attest to your need for an emotional support animal while also providing details about your chosen ESA and your mental healthcare provider.
It is important to note that in some states, there is a law stating that you will need to have at least a 30-day relationship established with your mental healthcare provider before you are eligible to receive a letter. This is done to stop individuals from obtaining emotional support animal letters in order to take advantage of ESA protections without truly needing them. Consult with your therapist to learn more about specific state rules that might apply in your situation.
What Should Be Included in My ESA Letter?
In general, there are a few important things that will need to be included in your ESA letter. You can keep an eye out for the following items once you receive your letter to ensure that it has been written correctly.
Your ESA letter will need to contain:
- The name of your licensed mental healthcare professional and the name of their practice
- Contact information for your licensed mental healthcare professional’s practice, such as a phone number or email
- The type of medical license your provider possesses and the date of issue of the medical license
- The state that your licensed mental healthcare provider practices in
- A line stating that the licensed mental healthcare provider is currently seeing you for the treatment of a valid disability or mental health condition and that you require the assistance of an emotional support animal in your treatment plan
- The type of animal that is your ESA, including the breed and weight
Make sure that your ESA letter is written on the official letterhead of your licensed mental healthcare provider, and take the time to look for an expiration date (this is typically a year from the date the letter was written). You will need to consult with your mental healthcare provider again after your ESA letter expires to receive a new one and ensure your treatment plan is up to date.
Overall, your ESA letter should look like any regular piece of medical documentation. It will have the letterhead, the body of the letter with all of the details we mentioned above, and then the signature of your licensed mental healthcare provider with the date of expiration at the bottom. The majority of ESA letters are only one page in length.
How Do I Get an ESA Letter?
Obtaining an emotional support animal letter can seem like a confusing process, but you don’t need to let worry about starting this process stop you from getting the comfort animal you need.
The first step to getting an ESA letter is speaking with your doctor or a licensed mental healthcare professional in your area. They will be able to direct you to the right resources or evaluate your condition, ensuring you are able to take care of an emotional support animal and that the addition of an ESA to your treatment plan is right for you.
Once you have made your appointment with a mental healthcare provider licensed in your state and they have approved you for an ESA, you will receive your emotional support animal letter. This letter will allow you to request accommodation for your emotional support animal and allow you to live alongside your emotional support animal in any area of reasonable housing.
Speak with your medical provider or licensed mental healthcare provider if you have further questions about obtaining an ESA or any state-specific rules that might apply to your situation.
FAQs About Emotional Support Animal Letters
Emotional support animal letters can be confusing, which is why we answer your most frequently asked questions about ESA letters below. Review our answers to put your remaining worries to rest about this important piece of documentation.
Can I Write My Own ESA Letter?
It is not possible to write your own ESA letter, as only a licensed mental healthcare provider can write you a valid emotional support animal letter. Attempts to write your own ESA letter, to pass off a templated or copied ESA letter as your own, or to attempt to falsify the signature of a mental healthcare professional is illegal, and these actions can land you in serious trouble.
If you need an ESA letter, it is better that you complete the proper procedure to receive a valid one and ensure that your companion animal can be kept by your side instead of engaging in falsifying a letter and not being able to access any accommodations for your emotional support animal.
Do I Need to Have a Therapist to Get an ESA Letter?
Under both federal and state regulations, you will need a mental healthcare provider licensed in your state to write you an emotional support animal letter. This is because you will need to be evaluated by a mental healthcare provider to ensure that an emotional support animal is the right addition to your treatment plan and because your licensed mental healthcare provider is the one who will need to write your emotional support animal letter to ensure it is valid.
Therapists are the most common provider for individuals to visit, but other licensed mental healthcare providers in your state might be able to write you an ESA letter, depending on state-specific regulations.
What Rights Does My ESA Letter Grant?
Your emotional support animal letter grants you the right to live with your ESA in any suitable area of housing. With your ESA letter, you will be able to request these accommodations that are federally protected by the Fair Housing Act. Once your accommodation request has been granted, you will be able to take your ESA into your home or apartment with you without being subjected to breed or pet restrictions or paying additional pet fees, deposits, and pet rent.
It’s important to keep in mind that most reasonable emotional support animal accommodations must be granted, but that landlords or rental agencies may deny ESA accommodations where the animal cannot be properly cared for in the chosen housing space, such as large or exotic animals in a small apartment, or if the emotional support animal in questions is destructive, aggressive, or dangerous.
Can I Buy an ESA Letter Online?
It is possible to purchase your ESA letter online, though you will need to make sure that you avoid accidentally using a scam website. Many ESA websites these days will offer you a letter that you can purchase instantly, or they will request large amounts of money or information from you before you can access a letter; websites like these are typically only geared towards taking the money and information of individuals looking for a valid ESA letter.
That being said, it is possible to find a website to purchase your ESA letter from if you are having trouble making an appointment with a licensed mental healthcare provider in your area. ESA letter websites that are valid will connect you with a mental healthcare provider and give you an ESA letter that is customized to your needs after you have been approved for one.
How Do I Use My ESA Letter?
You can use your ESA letter to show it to any landlord or rental agency you are working with as you start to look for housing. Your landlord or rental agency will need to review your ESA letter to ensure it is valid before your ESA accommodations are approved. Remember, you cannot be turned away based on the breed of your ESA or any pet policies your chosen housing might have in place. If this happens, you may need to speak to a legal professional about protecting your ESA housing rights.
Do I Need to Identify My ESA?
There is no law that says you need to identify your emotional support animal, though many individuals choose to do this with harnesses, marked leashes, vests, or identification cards. For many people, identifying their emotional support animal makes it easier to take their ESA with them into public spaces and to ensure that individuals around them allow their animal to focus on them and provide them with comfort instead of being distracted.
Make sure when identifying your emotional support animal that you don’t misrepresent them as a service dog, as your ESA is not trained to be a service dog and many states make passing your ESA off as a service animal illegal.
Can I Take My ESA Into a Public Space?
It is possible to take your emotional support animal into a public space, but it is very important to note that your ESA does not have the same public access rights as a service animal. Your ESA may only accompany you into spaces where pets or animals are allowed, like a dog park or public areas where they can sit with you, such as a restaurant with a pet-friendly patio. If your ESA is acting out of control or ignoring you, it is within a business’s right to ask you and your emotional support animal to leave.
Obtaining an ESA Letter For Your Support Animal Needs
An emotional support animal letter is essential to securing your accommodation rights with your ESA, and this letter will look very similar to any other piece of medical documentation. Once you receive your ESA letter, look it over to make sure it contains all of the required information before you start to use it to request housing accommodations for you and your ESA.