Frequently Asked Questions
All Your Questions about Emotional Support Animals and Psychiatric Service Dogs Answered
An ESA housing letter and a PSD travel letter serve different legal purposes:
- ESA letter: protects your right to live with an Emotional Support Animal under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), waiving pet fees and allowing housing accommodations.
- PSD letter: applies to trained Psychiatric Service Dogs and follows DOT rules under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). Since December 10, 2020, airlines treat ESAs as pets—only trained service animals can fly free in the cabin.
An ESA is an emotional support animal. You may need an ESA prescription Letter when you are diagnosed with a qualifying disability, but your animal is not trained for specific tasks related to you disability.
ESAs are granted housing and accommodation rights, according to the Fair Housing Act. Yet they are not always recognized by every part of the law, such as travel and public places, which only Psychiatric Service Dogs have under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
By acquiring a psychiatric service dog letter your dog will legally be accommodated in all spaces.
You obtain a psychiatric service dog through individual training and documentation. Many mental health patients have “invisible conditions” – conditions that are not easily visible and recognized by other people –, and a PSD Letter may come in handy to ensure their rights are respected.
A service dog is specifically defined as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The specific task must directly relate to the person's disability. Examples include Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) and gathering medication. Professional psychiatric service dog training is not required, and you may do it yourself.
In many areas, you may likely run into issues having a pet in a property. Once our licensed therapist provides you with a signed ESA letter, you will be protected by the Fair Housing Act. This will prevent landlords from denying your pet or charging you fees as your pet is now considered an emotional support animal or a service animal.
The Fair Housing Act was created to prevent housing discrimination in the United States. This Act prohibits discrimination in the purchase, sale, rental, or financing of a property based on a variety of factors. Most likely, in your case, a mental health disability.
Mental health disabilities are protected by this act, so as long as your pets are considered service animals or qualify for an ESA letter, you are legally protected.
We ensure your ESA letter's validity by meeting specific criteria established by housing regulations. Our documentation demonstrates a disability-related therapeutic need for the animal.
This means that the ESA Pet letter establishes a direct connection, or nexus, between your disability and the assistance provided by your animal.
Your validity checklist for an ESA letter:
- A valid ESA Letter needs to be written by a licensed mental health professional (LMHP).
- The letter needs to establish that you have a recognized disability.
- It needs to explain the animal's disability-related therapeutic need.
- It should confirm that your animal mitigates the symptoms of your disability.
- It must include the LMHP's license information and contact details.
- Avoid online certificates or registries, as they are not valid proof.
Our ESA letter process is:
- Complete the secure online form/quiz about your needs and situation.
- Get a licensed evaluation — a therapist licensed in your state contacts you (typically within 24–48 business hours).
- Letter delivery — if approved, you receive your ESA letter by email (typically within 24–48 hours).
Note: ESApet says Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, and Montana have a 30-day turnaround due to state regulations.
Our licensed mental health professionals are legally certified by their state's governing board. They have successfully completed the requirements needed to diagnose and prescribe anything related to mental and emotional health.
Learn more about Licensed Mental Health Professionals and who can write emotional support animal letters
Yes, an ESA Letter is valid for as many animals as you need. Yet, you will need to complete the ESA letter requirements for each animal you wish to get approved during the teleconsultations with a licensed mental health professional.
You obtain an ESA letter for a minor through a process similar to that for adults, with specific considerations for age and parental involvement. The key requirement focuses on a disability-related need, regardless of the individual's age.
A licensed mental health professional specializing in children or adolescents conducts the mental health evaluation. Parental or guardian consent is mandatory for the assessment and for the issuance of the ESA letter. Schools (K-12) and universities have specific obligations under Title II or Title III of the ADA and the Fair Housing Act regarding assistance animals for students.
You can also see the full article about Emotional Support Animal for kids
Yes, licensed healthcare professionals are essential for valid ESA letters. Housing providers may verify your disability with a professional, such as a doctor or therapist. A doctor's letter does not, by itself, create a service animal under the ADA.
However, it is the standard and necessary proof for Fair Housing Act (FHA) housing accommodations for an Emotional Support Animal. Ensure that any professional providing your ESA letter holds a current, active license in your state of residence.
Our therapists can prescribe an ESA or PSD letter for a variety of mental health issues. Mental health disorders can range from post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, to almost anything that affects your mental or emotional health.
Learn more: What Disabilities Qualify for an Emotional Support Animal
Our Prices are:
- $139 — Housing: ESA Letter
- $139 — Travel: PSD Letter
- $154 — Housing + Travel package
You can view the full pricing details here: pricing page.
On ESA Pet, our renewal costs are:
$139 — Housing Letter Renewal
$139 — Travel Letter Renewal
$154 — Housing + Travel Renewal Package
You can also get a 10% discount by selecting the one time auto-renewal in our pre-screening form.
Yes — we can help with that.
Some landlords, colleges, or workplaces may ask for institution-specific ESA forms in addition to standard documentation. However, our therapists can only complete documentation after you go through the licensed evaluation process.
To get started, you’ll need to:
- complete our online form, then
- get an ESA/PSD Letter plus Additional Documentation, and finally
- speak with a licensed therapist for an evaluation (the provider determines what’s clinically appropriate) and fill out the forms you need.
If approved, all the signed documents will be sent within 24-48 hours.
You turn an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) into a Psychiatric Service Dog by training it to perform specific tasks directly related to your disability. This process involves task training, not simply acquiring new documentation.
Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Psychiatric service dogs can be trained by their owners; professional training is not legally required for this transition. Psychiatric Service Animals (PSAs) are treated the same as other service animals if they are individually trained to perform a task for an individual with a disability.
Learn more about dog training
Our therapists can prescribe an ESA or PSD letter for a variety of mental health issues. Mental health disorders can range from post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, to almost anything that affects your mental or emotional health.
You choose the state where you currently reside, or the state where the housing authority is requesting the letter on your questionnaire. This ensures the licensed professional providing your ESA letter is legally able to treat you in your current location.
State and local governments must comply with ADA and FHA regulations, though some state laws provide different definitions for service animals.
The provider typically needs to be licensed in the state where the client is located to issue a valid ESA letter. Verify the professional's licensing status in the relevant state.
Most major U.S. airlines no longer accept ESAs as in-cabin assistance animals. PSDs, on the other hand, are accepted by travel companies and are entitled to free tickets.
In practice, an ESA can only fly under standard pet rules (under-seat carrier + pet fee), while a PSD (Psychiatric Service Dog) is handled as a service animal and travels for free if it meets task-training standards.
You can also see the full airline breakdown here: Which Airlines Allow Emotional Support Animals.
There’s no fixed legal limit on the number of ESAs under the Fair Housing Act. Instead, it’s based on reasonable accommodation: you can have more than one, but the housing provider may deny additional ESAs if the total number becomes unreasonable for the unit/property (e.g., space limits), creates health/safety risks or damage, or causes an undue administrative/financial burden.
In short: no set cap, but not unlimited—it depends on what’s reasonable in your specific housing situation.
