Get Your ESA Letter From
a Licensed Therapist

A licensed therapist can provide a single official ESA letter that encompasses all of your assistance animals, or update your letter when you obtain a new ESA.

ESA letters do not have an expiration date in the eyes of the law under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), but renewing on an annual basis indicates your ESA letter is based on a recent assessment; most landlords will require that at least annually.

Only licensed mental health professionals (LMHPs) like therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, or clinical social workers can legally write and sign ESA letters. Discuss your needs with a reliable professional to prove a qualifying mental health condition and receive a valid ESA letter.

The FHA provides federal protection for ESAs when it comes to housing. Public places (stores, restaurants, airlines) do not have to accept ESAs — they are only ADA-protected animals.

Unfortunately, ESAs are no longer accepted by most airlines. If you want to travel with your pet, you will need a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) letter and not an ESA registration.

Yes. You can use an official ESA letter in the vast majority of housing situations, from rentals to college dorms and even Airbnb, as long as they comply with FHA guidelines.

You can take your psychiatric service dog anywhere a business or public accommodation is open to the public, including restaurants, stores, hotels, and on public transportation, as they are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act.
According to state and federal laws, they are also allowed to fly in the cabin of an airplane free of charge under U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules.

An ESA can be denied if it endangers people’s safety, inflicts undue harm and disturbance, isn’t being properly managed, or caring for the animal places an unreasonable burden on the landlord. Tenants also pay for any damage their emotional support animal causes.

Under the Fair Housing Act and related Emotional Support Animal laws, landlords generally cannot apply breed, size, or weight restrictions to emotional support animals, since ESAs are considered assistance animals rather than pets. The only time a landlord can deny an ESA based on its characteristics is if the specific animal poses a proven direct threat or would cause significant property damage, not simply because of its breed or size.

If a landlord believes your ESA letter is fraudulent, such as coming from an unlicensed mental health professional or a website that sells ESA letters without evaluation, they can deny your accommodation request. In this case, your emotional support animal may be treated as a regular pet. Providing updated, verifiable ESA documentation from a licensed mental health practitioner can resolve the issue, and if the landlord rejects valid proof, you may have grounds for a fair housing complaint.

Although there are no regulations about due dates for prescription letters, you cannot get a legitimate “lifetime” ESA letter.

Emotional support animal letters must reflect your current mental-health needs and an ongoing relationship with a licensed mental health professional. Any service claiming to offer a permanent or lifetime ESA letter is not legally valid. 

An emotional support animal can provide powerful therapeutic benefits for individuals facing emotional challenges. As part of a broader mental health care plan, ESAs help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness by offering consistent companionship and comfort. They can also reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety attacks, helping people feel more grounded in stressful situations.

Even an existing pet can qualify as an emotional support animal if a licensed professional determines it provides meaningful emotional stability and supports the person’s ongoing mental health care needs.