Everything You Need to Know

An Emotional Support Animal letter is a written recommendation from a licensed mental health professional confirming that an animal provides therapeutic benefit for a person with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. The letter cites the Fair Housing Act and is intended for use with housing providers.

You may qualify if you have a mental or emotional condition (such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other DSM-5-recognized conditions) that substantially limits one or more major life activities, and the presence of an animal alleviates symptoms of that condition. The final determination is made by the licensed clinician who reviews your application.

Service Dogs (including Psychiatric Service Dogs) are individually trained to perform specific tasks for a disability and are protected by the ADA — including in public accommodations. ESAs provide therapeutic emotional support and are protected only in housing under the Fair Housing Act. They do not have public-access rights.

Most commonly dogs and cats, but ESAs can be other species — rabbits, birds, small mammals — as long as the animal is not exotic or dangerous and does not pose a direct threat. The animal must be the one specifically providing emotional support to the named owner.

Under the Fair Housing Act, your landlord must allow your ESA to live with you, even in no-pet buildings. They must waive pet rent, pet deposits, and breed/weight restrictions. They must provide reasonable accommodation, which may include exceptions to general policies.

Only in narrow circumstances: if the animal poses a direct threat to others, causes substantial property damage that cannot be mitigated, or fundamentally alters the housing operation. They cannot deny an ESA based on breed, weight, or general no-pet policy.

Yes — landlords may verify the letter directly with the issuing clinician (the license number and contact information are printed on the letter). They may not, however, demand specific medical records or ask about the nature of your disability.

Short-term lodging is not always covered under the Fair Housing Act, which applies primarily to dwellings of 30 days or more. Some short-term rental hosts will accommodate ESAs voluntarily; others will not. Confirm policy with the host before booking.

Most applications are reviewed and signed within two hours during business hours. Applications submitted overnight or on weekends are reviewed the next business day. Special state rules in CA, IA, MT, and FL may extend this.

Your name, contact details, and address (used on the letter), information about your animal (name, species, breed, age), and a clinical questionnaire about your mental health symptoms and how the animal helps you. Everything is confidential and visible only to your assigned clinician.

Most applications do not require a video call — the questionnaire and your case file provide sufficient information for the clinician's assessment. In some states (notably California), the clinician may require a brief follow-up call to satisfy state requirements.

If the clinician determines they cannot in good faith issue a letter for your situation, we refund the full application fee within five business days and explain the reason. We never bill for letters we cannot ethically sign.

Yes. Every clinician on our roster holds an active license from a state mental health licensing board (LCSW, LPC, LMHC, PhD, PsyD, or equivalent) and is in good standing. License numbers are printed on every issued letter so housing providers can verify directly.

No. There is no federal registry for ESAs or Service Animals. We are a documentation service that connects you with a licensed clinician for an evaluation. Anyone selling "official ESA registration" is misleading you — that's not a real thing.

All clinical information is treated as confidential health information. Documents are stored on encrypted infrastructure (Cloudflare R2 with bearer-only download URLs), and only you and the assigned clinician have access. Payment processing is handled by Stripe; we do not store credit card numbers.

Each approved client receives a unique referral code. When a friend signs up with your code and completes their first order, you receive $20 in account credit and your friend gets $15 off. Credits apply automatically on your next order or renewal.

Letters are valid for 12 months. We send reminders at 60, 30, and 7 days before expiration. Renewal is optional — you choose whether and when to renew. Most renewals take less than five minutes because your information is pre-filled.

Existing-client pricing: Essential $79, Signature $149, Platinum $399. Account credit (from referrals or upgrades) is automatically applied.

You can still renew — but be aware that an expired letter does not provide legal protection during the gap. Submit a renewal as soon as possible to restore your accommodation rights.

Yes — renewal is a clinical re-evaluation, not a rubber stamp. The clinician confirms that the conditions and the therapeutic benefit of your animal continue to meet the criteria for ESA recommendation. Most renewals are approved within the same 2-hour window as new applications.