ESA letter frequently asked questions

In an emotional support animal letter, a licensed therapist confirms two things: you live with a mental or emotional condition that significantly restricts everyday functioning, and your animal eases its effects. You hand it to a landlord or housing provider along with a reasonable accommodation request, for instance to be excused from a no-pets policy.

The letter shows who the therapist is, the kind of license they hold, its number, the state that issued it and the date of signing. Your diagnosis is left off. No government agency keeps a list of ESAs, and certificates, ID cards or vests carry no legal weight.

Booking online costs nothing. Next you talk with a licensed therapist on a short call, 5 to 10 minutes by video or phone. Gabriel Warner, LCSW, conducts our evaluations, while Andrew Patel, M.D., looks them over and signs a letter when the clinical findings back it up. Approved clients typically get the signed PDF that same day.

The price is $129 when the letter covers 1 or 2 animals, $199 for 3 or more, and $129 for the version made for dorms and student housing. You're charged only when your letter is issued, with nothing recurring. We serve only the states where our therapists may legally evaluate you.

Nothing has changed about the Fair Housing Act itself or the accommodation rule found in 24 CFR 100.204. What changed is HUD's guidance. HUD pulled its 2020 notice on assistance animals, FHEO-2020-01, as of September 17, 2025. Then, on May 22, 2026, HUD released guidance treating requests for task-trained animals as reasonable from the outset, while ESAs without that training get a fact-specific review. That guidance also dropped the 2020 view that fees were off limits for untrained ESAs.

If your disability or your animal's role can't be seen, a landlord can ask for trustworthy documentation, though usually not for details of what your condition is or how serious it is. Any real damage the animal causes is still yours to pay for. Your state may go further than federal law, so see the guide for your state.

In the eyes of the ADA, an emotional support animal falls outside the service animal definition, because providing comfort is not a task an animal is trained to do. That means an ESA can enter a shop, restaurant, hotel or office only if the business already welcomes pets.

Airlines stopped being obligated to carry ESAs on January 11, 2021, and can now apply their pet fees and carrier requirements. A psychiatric service dog is different: because it is taught to carry out specific tasks, it counts as a service animal in the air and in public spaces.

No federal housing rule puts an end date on an ESA letter. Even so, landlords often want a fresh one, frequently signed in the last 12 months, when you sign a new lease or move. Getting an updated letter works exactly like getting your first, at the same price.

A single letter may list several animals when the therapist concludes that every one of them helps with your condition. Expect extra scrutiny for multiple animals, because requests for ESAs without task training are now judged on their particular facts.

In California, AB 468 says a practitioner must have known the client for at least 30 days and completed a clinical evaluation before writing documentation for an emotional support dog. So clients there receive a letter of intent on day one and the ESA letter itself after a follow-up near day 30, with no change in price.

Many people draw real comfort from an ESA, yet studies on animals and mental health have produced mixed results, and an animal is no substitute for care from a professional. At a moment of crisis or if thoughts of self-harm come up, reach 988 by call or text, and in an emergency dial 911. Questions about an order can go to support@esalettertherapist.com.