Emotional Support Animal Letter Sample: What a Valid ESA Letter Includes

A valid emotional support animal letter is a short document from a licensed health care professional who has evaluated you and believes you have a disability-related need for an emotional support animal. A strong letter is personal to you, written on the provider’s letterhead, shows how to verify the license, and connects the animal to how your condition affects daily life.

Its main job is housing. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, the letter supports your request for a reasonable accommodation, such as keeping an animal in a building with a no-pet rule. It does not give your animal access to stores or restaurants, and airlines no longer have to accept it for cabin travel.

Below you will find an illustrative sample, a part-by-part breakdown, a comparison table, the red flags worth watching for, and what California adds on top of federal law.

Illustrative Emotional Support Animal Letter Sample (Housing)

The example below shows how a housing ESA letter is commonly laid out. Bracketed placeholders mark what a real provider fills in from their own records and evaluation.

Breaking Down Each Part of the Letter

Each part of a well-written ESA letter answers a question your housing provider is likely to have: who wrote it, whether that person is licensed, and how the animal relates to your disability. Federal law does not prescribe a fixed template, so treat the list below as practical guidance rather than a legal checklist.

That point matters in 2026. Much of the “what an ESA letter must contain” advice online was built on HUD’s assistance animal notice FHEO-2020-01. HUD has withdrawn that notice and its 2013 predecessor, and the Federal Register says plainly:

“All these guidance documents have been removed from the HUD.gov website and should not be relied upon by internal or external parties.”

Federal Register, HUD notice 2026-06624

The underlying law has not changed. The Fair Housing Act and HUD’s regulation at 24 CFR 100.204 still make it unlawful to refuse reasonable accommodations that may be necessary for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a home. For more on what shifted, see the ESAcert overview of 2026 HUD and housing rules.

• Letterhead. Provider or practice name, address, phone and email. These details should match what appears in public licensing records.
• License details. License type, number and the state or jurisdiction that issued it. A landlord can check these on the state licensing board’s website. California goes further and requires the license’s effective date too.
• Date. A recent date shows the need is current. No federal rule sets an expiration date, but a landlord reviewing a new request may reasonably ask whether the information is still accurate.
• Disability statement. A short confirmation that you have a disability. A specific diagnosis or a DSM code is not needed for a housing request, and many providers leave it out for privacy.
• Disability-related need. A sentence or two connecting the animal to how your condition affects you, such as sleep, panic symptoms or keeping daily routines. Vague lines like “the animal makes my client happy” are weaker.
• Relationship and evaluation. Confirmation that the provider evaluated you, ideally with the date care began.
• Signature. A handwritten or secure electronic signature with the provider’s typed name and credentials.

One page is plenty. Plain, calm language reads as more credible than dramatic claims about the animal.

What the letter does not need

Some landlords and websites ask for more than a housing request requires. Leaving extra details out protects your privacy without weakening the letter.

• Your diagnosis, DSM code, medication list or therapy notes
• A registry number, ID number or online certificate
• Notarization (neither the FHA reasonable accommodation rule nor California’s ESA statute mentions it)
• A description of tricks or task training, since emotional support animals are not required to be trained
• Any claim that the animal is a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Housing vs Travel vs Public Places: What the Letter Covers in 2026

An ESA letter is a housing document. Outside housing, it carries little weight under federal law.

Housing. The letter supports a reasonable accommodation request under the Fair Housing Act. Whether a landlord may charge pet rent, fees or deposits for an emotional support animal depends on federal case law and state law, so ask rather than assume. Enforcement also shifted in 2026: a May 22, 2026 FHEO memo says HUD will recommend charges only in cases involving animals trained to provide disability-related assistance. Tenants can still bring private fair housing claims, and some states, including California, protect emotional support animals under their own laws.

Public places. The ADA covers service animals only. ADA.gov states it directly:

“Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

ADA.gov, ADA Requirements: Service Animals

Air travel. Under the Department of Transportation’s rule in 14 CFR Part 382, effective January 11, 2021, airlines may treat emotional support animals as pets. The DOT’s consumer page puts it this way:

“Animal species other than dogs, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals.”

U.S. Department of Transportation, Service Animals

Travelers with a task-trained service dog may be asked for the DOT service animal forms, which can be required up to 48 hours before departure for flights booked earlier. Check your airline’s own service animal page before flying.

Who Can Write the Letter, and What California Adds

A licensed health care professional who has evaluated you can write an ESA letter. That often means a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, nurse practitioner or physician, acting within the scope of their license. Licensing is regulated state by state, so the provider generally needs a license that allows them to practice where you receive care; confirm this with your provider if you see someone in another state.

California has the most detailed rule. Health and Safety Code section 122318 applies to documentation for an emotional support dog. It requires the practitioner to hold a valid, active license, include the license’s effective date, number, jurisdiction and type, be licensed in the jurisdiction where the documentation is provided, complete a clinical evaluation, and give the client a notice about penalties for falsely claiming a service dog. It also sets a minimum relationship period:

“establishes a client-provider relationship with the individual for at least 30 days prior to providing the documentation”

California Health and Safety Code section 122318

The statute waives the 30-day period for people verified as homeless, and a practitioner who violates the section may be disciplined by their licensing board. If you live elsewhere, check your own state’s statutes or licensing board rather than assuming California’s rules apply.

For help finding the right person, start with your current therapist or doctor. ESAcert’s guides explain how to ask your doctor for an ESA letter and how to find licensed mental health professionals for ESA letters. If your provider declines, read what to do when a therapist won’t write an ESA letter.

Red Flags: How to Spot a Risky ESA Letter Offer

The biggest warning sign is a letter issued without a real evaluation. Landlords can and do question documents that look mass-produced.

• “Instant approval” or “no evaluation needed.” If no licensed professional actually assessed you, the letter may not show a genuine disability-related need.
• A license you cannot look up. If the license number does not appear on the state licensing board’s website, expect questions.
• Promises of rights everywhere. Wording about stores, restaurants, hotels or flights signals a misunderstanding of the law.
• Certificate styling. Gold seals, large logos and an “animal ID number” with little about your need are a weak substitute for a clinical letter.
• Ignoring state rules. A California resident whose letter for a dog came after a single same-day visit may run into the 30-day requirement.

If you already bought a questionable letter, a local licensed clinician can review your situation and decide whether a new letter is appropriate after a proper evaluation.

Using Your Letter With a Landlord

Submit your letter in writing as part of a reasonable accommodation request, and keep copies of everything. A simple order works well:

1. Tell the landlord in writing that you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to live with your emotional support animal.
2. Attach your provider’s letter.
3. Answer reasonable follow-up questions politely, and save every reply.

Responses vary. Some landlords approve quickly, others ask for clarification. Stay focused on the request itself rather than debating your diagnosis.

ESAcert does not write ESA letters, but it offers optional tools that can make the paperwork tidier. The housing request kit gives you structured forms to send alongside your provider’s letter, and an emotional support animal ID card is something simple to show building staff. Both are voluntary conveniences: they do not replace the letter or create legal rights on their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is an emotional support animal letter valid for housing?

No federal law sets an expiration date for an ESA letter. Landlords reviewing a new request may still want information that reflects your current situation, so many tenants ask their provider for an updated letter before a new lease or a move.

Does an ESA letter have to name my diagnosis?

No, a housing request does not need your diagnosis or a DSM code. A statement that you have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal is usually enough, and leaving the diagnosis out protects your privacy.

Can a provider in another state write my ESA letter?

It depends on licensing rules. Providers generally need a license that allows them to practice where you receive care, and California’s statute requires licensure in the jurisdiction where the documentation is provided. Ask your provider to confirm before you rely on the letter.

Can my landlord call my provider about my ESA letter?

A landlord may try to confirm that the provider is real and wrote the letter. Without your written permission, providers generally limit what they share about your care, so talk with your provider in advance about how they handle verification calls.

Do I need ESA registration or an ID card along with my letter?

No, registration and ID cards are optional and grant no legal rights; the provider’s letter is what supports a housing request. Some tenants still carry an ID card simply because it is a quick way to show staff that the animal is part of an accommodation request.

Sources

• Federal Register: Notification of Withdrawal of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Guidance Documents (April 6, 2026)
• eCFR: 24 CFR 100.204, Reasonable accommodations
• California Health and Safety Code section 122318
• ADA.gov: ADA Requirements: Service Animals
• U.S. Department of Transportation: Service Animals
• eCFR: 14 CFR Part 382, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel