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See if you qualify for an ESA letterLive with your ESA in almost any housing while avoiding fees and pet restrictions.
Do You Qualify for An ESA Letter?
Living with a mental or emotional disorder can be challenging, and an emotional support animal can make a real difference. You deserve a legitimate ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional in your state, not from a scam site.
Start your ESA consultation with us today and feel confident knowing that every step of the process is legitimate, legally valid, and safe.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
To get the legal benefits of an ESA (the right to live in most housing with no pet fees or pet deposits), you need an ESA prescription letter. An ESA letter is a letter written by a licensed mental health professional (LHMP)that confirms you have a diagnosis of a mental or emotional disorder, and that prescribes an emotional support animal (ESA) as a treatment option for that disorder.
Since an ESA is considered medically necessary, they have more rights than a standard companion animal; for example, ESA documentation allows them to live with you in almost any housing, including most housing with no-pet policies. This includes rental homes, apartments, condos, townhouses, and even most college dorms. Your ESA paperwork also exempts your animal from pet deposits, pet fees, and breed, size, or weight restrictions.
To get the legal rights of an ESA, your ESA prescription letter must be written by an LHMP licensed to practice in your state who has spoken to you in person or on a telehealth call to determine your eligibility. At US Service Animals, we can match you with a qualified LHMP to ensure you receive a legally valid ESA housing letter.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal (ESA) is any animal that has been prescribed to offer support and comfort to someone with a mental health disorder. Unlike a service animal, they require no task-specific training; instead, their presence itself is deemed medically necessary, as they can offer a sense of comfort and purpose to their handler.
Our ESA Letters Process – Quick & Simple
Fill Out Our Consultation Form
Answer just a few brief questions so that we can get in touch.
Talk Directly with a Therapist or MD
We’ll arrange a telehealth appointment with the appropriate mental health professional in your state.
Receive Your ESA Letter
If you qualify, you’ll receive your ESA letter by email in as little as 24 hours.How to Get an ESA Letter Online the Legitimate Way
Your ESA prescription must be written by a mental health professional (LMHP) in your state (after speaking with you in person or over the phone) and comply with any other state-specific ESA laws. Luckily, US Service Animals’ ESA letter process is legally valid, quick, and simple.
Getting an ESA letter online may seem complicated. That’s why US Service Animals has created a simple, stress-free process for prescribing ESA letters online.
✔ Fill Out US Service Animals’ Contact Form. Simply fill out the contact form at the top of this page, or reach out to US Service Animals by phone, chat, or email here.
✔ Get Matched With a Licensed Mental Health Professional. US Service Animals set up a telehealth appointment with a mental health professional licensed in your state. If your state requires multiple appointments or a consultation with an MD, US Service Animals will set those up as well.
✔ Attend Your Quick Telehealth Appointment(s). Your telehealth appointment(s) will be conducted by phone. Typically, the call lasts less than 10 minutes. On this call, you’ll receive your diagnosis and ESA prescription notice, if appropriate.
✔ Receive Your ESA Letter by Email. If you qualify, you’ll receive your ESA letter by email, usually within 24 hours. You can start enjoying the legal benefits of it right away!
That’s all there is to it! If you don’t qualify, you won’t have to pay for any of the process, so there’s no financial risk to you. If you have any questions at any point in the process, US Service Animal’s friendly customer service team is always available to help!
No Risk ESA Letter Consultation
If you don’t qualify, you won’t be charged for your emotional support animal letter consultation.What Are the Benefits of an ESA Letter?
Since your ESA is deemed medically necessary, a legitimate ESA prescription letter offers you multiple benefits, including housing rights, exemption from pet fees or deposits, exclusion from breed or size restrictions, and mental and emotional improvements.
Live With Your ESA Anywhere
Your ESA letter grants you the legal right to live with your ESA in almost any housing, regardless of any no-pet policy, including in most college dorms.
Avoid Pet Fees and Deposits
Your ESA letter allows you to avoid paying pet fees or pet deposits to live with your animal.
Avoid Breed and Size Restrictions
An ESA doesn’t have to abide by breed, size, or weight restrictions set by housing policies or local laws.
Enjoy Comfort, Support, and Companionship
Your ESA can help reduce the symptoms of mental illness by offering emotional support and reducing loneliness.
Build a Healthier Routine
Many people find that their ESAs help them build a healthier daily routine, and may even give them a stronger sense of purpose.Who Qualifies for an ESA Letter?
Anyone who has a diagnosed mental health disorder may qualify for an emotional support animal letter. Both children and adults can qualify for ESAs, as long as their LMHP believes an animal would be beneficial to their treatment plan.
What Conditions Can Qualify for an ESA Letter?
Some of the conditions that typically qualify include, but are not limited to:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- PTSD
- OCD
- Agoraphobia
- Social Anxiety
- Phobias
- Bipolar Disorder
- Grief
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Eating Disorders
If you aren’t sure if you qualify for an ESA letter, don’t hesitate to set up a consultation using the button below. US Service Animals will match you with an LMHP licensed in your state, and if they find you don’t qualify, you won’t be charged anything for the call.
Do ESA Letter Laws Vary By State?
The standard ESA housing laws are federal laws and apply the same way across states. However, some states have additional ESA rights (for example, being allowed to bring your ESA with you to work) or additional guidelines for getting your ESA letter (such as having to have at least a month-long professional relationship with your LMHP before they can prescribe you an ESA).
To make things simple, we have put together in-depth guides on how to get an ESA letter in each state.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How to Avoid ESA Letter Scams: Get a Valid ESA Housing Letter
Unfortunately, many companies offer illegitimate ESA letters and are essentially scams. To stay safe when shopping for an ESA prescription letter online, keep the following tips in mind:
✘ If You Don’t Get to Speak Directly With an LHMP, It’s Likely a Scam. Emails, chats, quizzes, and forms do not count as one-on-one discussions with a mental health professional; the discussion must be by phone or in person.
✘ Be Cautious of Free ESA Letters or Immediate Approval. Online ESA consultations are generally not free (unless you don’t qualify). You also cannot legally obtain an ESA letter without a one-on-one consultation, so sites that offer immediate approval are typically scams.
✘ Watch for Inaccurate Claims, Like Being Able to Fly With an ESA for Free. An ESA letter only gives you specific housing rights. It no longer allows your ESA to fly with you for free, and it doesn’t give you ESA public access rights (only a service animal, including a psychiatric service dog, has these legal rights). If a site makes false promises, it’s likely a scam.
Luckily, US Service Animals was founded by lawyers, so you can feel confident that every step of our ESA letter prescription process is legally valid and that your ESA letter will stand up to any challenge.
ESA Letter Services Comparison
To help you understand what sets US Service Animals apart, we compared it with several other ESA letter services across key factors
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Frequently Asked Questions About ESA Letters
Do you still have questions about ESA letters? We cover the most common ones below.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An ESA is an animal that has been prescribed to someone living with a mental health disorder. Their purpose is to provide support and comfort through their presence, and since they’re legally necessary, they have more housing rights than a standard companion animal. For more info on what an ESA is and how they can help, you can review US Service Animals’ in-depth ESA guide.
Who Can Prescribe an Emotional Support Animal?
Only a licensed mental health professional licensed to practice in the state you reside in can prescribe you an ESA and provide you with an ESA housing letter. In some states, this may have to be an MD; at US Service Animals, we’ll make sure you’re matched with an LHMP who meets your state’s legal requirements.
What Does an ESA Letter Say?
An ESA letter includes the license details of the mental health professional who wrote it, as well as the date of issue. It confirms that you have a qualifying mental or emotional condition and explains how an emotional support animal helps alleviate your symptoms and improve daily life. This ESA paperwork includes your name and the clinician’s recommendation, and may also mention your chosen animal, though that part isn’t required. For more info, check out US Service Animals’ guide on what a legit ESA letter looks like.
How to Get an ESA Letter for My Dog or Cat?
If you already have a dog or a cat that helps you feel comforted and supported, it’s very likely your LMHP will prescribe your animal ESA documentation as long as you qualify. If you work with US Service Animals, we’ll ask about any animals you currently live with and would like to have prescribed as an ESA early in the process to help make things simpler.
How Often Do ESA Letters Need to Be Renewed?
ESA letters are typically valid for one year and so will need to be renewed on an annual basis. If you receive your ESA letter through US Service Animals, we’ll send you a reminder each year in plenty of time to renew. For more info, you can check out our in-depth guide on when do ESA letters expire.
Do I Need to Register My ESA or Get an ESA Certification?
Legally speaking, you do not need to register your ESA or get an ESA certification for your animal; your ESA prescription letter is all that is legally required. However, registration and certification can offer additional benefits; you can find out more about these in US Service Animals’ ESA certification guide.
What Type of Animal Can Be an ESA?
While certain animals are more commonly used as ESAs and are naturally suited to offering emotional support can be trained for specific emotional support, such as dogs or cats, any domesticated animal can work as an ESA. The most common emotional support animals are dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits, but there are some unique ones out there as well, such as pigs or hedgehogs.
Does Your ESA Need Training?
No, your animal is not required to be trained in order to become an emotional support animal. However, landlords are allowed to say no to you living with your ESA if they are destructive or aggressive, so it’s important they are trained to be well-behaved, calm, and quiet. You can explore US Service Animals’ ESA training guide for tips on how to make sure your ESA won’t be disruptive.
What’s the Difference Between an ESA and a Service Animal?
An emotional support animal is any animal prescribed to a person living with a mental health disorder, as their presence can be comforting, while a service animal can only be a dog or miniature horse, and must undergo specific training to help mitigate the symptoms of a diagnosed disability. Both are granted expanding housing rights, but only a service animal has public access rights and is legally allowed to fly with you for free in an airplane’s cabin.
Are There States Where I Can’t Get My ESA Letter in 24 Hours?
Yes, there are currently five states that require a 30-day relationship with a licensed mental health professional: California, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, and Montana. US Service Animals will set up multiple appointments with your matched LMHP to ensure this requirement is met.
What Our Customers Say
US Service Animals has helped thousands of people get the support they need. With over 14,000 reviews on Trustpilot, US Service Animals maintains an average rating of 4.9 stars. You can explore recent customer feedback in the Trustpilot section below.