Emotional support animals assist individuals with a psychiatric disability through companionship, which is proven to have therapeutic benefits. Even the routine and the structure that emotional support animals provide is something that can alleviate the symptoms of a mental disability. If you’re struggling with a psychiatric disability and have a pet, you likely have already experienced this firsthand.
However, you will need an ESA letter written by a mental health professional licensed in your state for an animal to be legally your emotional support animal. While this document isn’t necessary to get the therapeutic benefits of emotional support animals, it is a requirement for anyone who wants to get the protections for their animal under the Fair Housing Act.
In this article, we will walk you through the process of getting an ESA letter from a mental health provider. Read to the end as we cover how to get ESA letter.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An ESA letter is a formal document written by a licensed mental health professional (LMHP), such as a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. This letter confirms that the individual for whom it is written has a mental health disability recognized under the Fair Housing Act and that having an emotional support animal is necessary for their condition.
In many ways, you can think of an ESA letter as a prescription. It recommends an emotional support animal as part of the individual’s treatment, just like how healthcare professionals who are qualified prescribe drugs.
Once obtained, the owner will have everything they need for their animal. An ESA letter is the only requirement for an animal to be an emotional support animal. As long as a licensed mental health professional writes it, it will be valid and can be used for requesting accommodation for the emotional support animal from a landlord.
Is an ESA Letter Required for Service Animals?
An ESA letter isn’t needed for service animals. These assistance animals are entirely different from emotional support animals. While emotional support animals can be any animal as long as the owner has a valid ESA letter, a service animal must be a dog (or a miniature horse in some cases) that is individually trained to perform a disability-related task for the benefit of the handler.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which grants protections to service animals, clearly states that service dogs don’t need any documentation or certification. Although a service dog can also be an emotional support animal and have an ESA letter, they don’t necessarily need it. Learn more about these assistance animals from our service dog guide.
How to Get ESA Letter: Traditional Method
Now that you know what an ESA letter is, here’s the process of getting one. Although some of the minor details may vary, expect a similar process from start to end.
Know if You Qualify First
Given that emotional support animals are only for those with a psychiatric disability, you must have a qualifying mental disability. Since you can’t decide this on your own, you need to see a mental health professional. However, if you’ve had a diagnosis from a mental health professional in the past, you likely will qualify for an emotional support animal.
Make an Appointment With an LMHP
Contact a licensed mental health professional in your area and make an appointment to speak about your symptoms. Even if you just want an ESA letter, a consultation is necessary so that your mental health worker can learn more about your symptoms, lifestyle, and circumstances to determine if an ESA is the right option for your treatment.
Attend the Follow-Up Sessions
Considering that a mental health professional will need to learn more about your condition and how it impacts your day-to-day life, you might need to attend more than just one session. In each session, you will help your mental health provider build a clearer picture of your needs to help them make the right decision on whether an ESA is for you.
Get Your ESA Letter
If your mental health provider agrees that an emotional support animal is going to be beneficial for your condition, you will receive your ESA letter. It will confirm that you have a mental disability, though the exact diagnosis won’t be stated for privacy reasons, and that your provider recommends you an emotional support animal as part of your treatment.
Optionally, your ESA letter may include details about your emotional support animal. Ask your provider to include basic details about your emotional support animal, such as breed and name, to ensure there is no confusion when enforcing your housing rights.
Renew Your ESA Letter When Needed
Although ESA letters don’t technically expire under federal law, landlords typically expect them to be dated within a reasonable timeframe. If an ESA letter is several years old, a landlord could request updated documentation to confirm the tenant’s current need.
After obtaining your ESA letter, it is best to stay in touch with your mental health professional and attend regular sessions as needed, and request a renewed ESA letter when appropriate. This ensures your ESA letter is valid and up-to-date.
However, note that your mental health provider might also come to the conclusion that you no longer need an emotional support animal.
How to Get ESA Letter Online
While the above covers the traditional way of obtaining an ESA letter, as well as connecting with a mental health professional licensed in your state, you can also do it all online to obtain your letter.
The process for getting an ESA letter online is pretty much the same as above, but rather than attending sessions in person, you will speak with a mental health professional through online means, such as video. While many services facilitate this, we’re one of the leading ones in the country, trusted by 100,000+ pet parents.
To get your ESA letter online, all you need to do is complete this form and start the process. We will then connect you with a mental health professional licensed in your state to evaluate your symptoms and write you an ESA letter. One of the reasons why we’re the choice of countless pet parents is that you will get a full refund if you aren’t eligible for an ESA letter.
Compared to the traditional way of obtaining one, getting an ESA letter online through us is faster and more convenient. It is also more affordable, as you will know whether you qualify for an ESA letter in just a single consultation call. If you don’t qualify, we will refund the entire consultation payment, so it is completely risk-free on your end.
ESA Letter FAQs
Here are answers to the frequently asked ESA letter questions.
Are Online ESA Letters Valid?
Absolutely! As long as a licensed mental health professional writes your ESA letter, it doesn’t really matter if it was written online or in person. When using your ESA letter in housing situations, your landlord cannot ask you to obtain and present an ESA letter that was written in person with a wet signature.
Doing so would go against the Fair Housing Act guidelines, meaning they would be denying accommodation unlawfully, which can have legal consequences.
How to Get an ESA Letter Fast?
The fastest way to get an ESA letter is online, which you can get started on on our website. All you need to do is answer a few questions about your current state, existing pets, and location, and we will connect you with a mental health professional licensed in your state. They will then evaluate your condition and decide whether an emotional support animal is for you.
How Much Is an ESA Letter?
Although most healthcare providers don’t charge extra for ESA letters, those that do charge anywhere between $50 and $250; therefore, it depends on your provider. When getting an ESA letter through us, for example, you will only pay for the consultation call with your mental health professional.
Ensuring Your ESA Letter Is Valid
An ESA letter is the only document you need to have your animal legally recognized as an emotional support animal. To ensure that the ESA letter you get is valid, it must be written and signed by a mental health professional licensed in your state. It must have their name, license number, professional title, signature, and contact information.
The ESA letter you receive must also confirm that you have a mental disability recognized under the Fair Housing Act and that you require an emotional support animal because of that disability.
If these details are missing from your ESA letter, it won’t be valid. Be sure to reach out to your mental health provider and request a new one with the required details to have a valid ESA letter you can use in housing situations to have your emotional support animal living by your side.