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If you’re looking for an emotional support animal letter template, you’re probably wondering what a legitimate ESA letter should look like. Whether you’re a therapist preparing documentation for a client or someone who wants to understand what qualifies as a valid letter, this guide will show you exactly what you need to know—including a complete template and real-world examples.

An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is a prescription from a licensed mental health professional that verifies your need for an emotional support animal as part of your treatment plan. Unlike service dogs, ESAs don’t require specialized training, but they do require proper documentation to qualify for housing protections under the Fair Housing Act.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal Letter Template?

An emotional support animal letter template provides the basic structure and required elements that must appear in a valid ESA letter. While every letter should be personalized to the individual’s situation, certain components are legally required for the letter to hold up under scrutiny from landlords, housing authorities, or airlines.

The template serves as a framework that ensures nothing important gets left out. Think of it like a recipe—you can add your own touches, but you need all the essential ingredients for it to work.

Why Templates Matter

A proper template helps mental health professionals create compliant documentation quickly while ensuring they don’t accidentally omit required information. For individuals, understanding what should be in the letter helps you identify legitimate providers and spot red flags from scam websites selling fake letters.

Free Emotional Support Animal Letter Template

Here’s a complete template for emotional support animal letter that includes all legally required elements. This template is designed for licensed mental health professionals to customize for their clients:

Example of Emotional Support Animal Letter (Filled Out)

To help you better understand how the template looks in practice, here’s a realistic example of emotional support animal letter with fictional details:

What Makes an ESA Letter Valid in 2026?

Not all ESA letters are created equal. To be legally valid and accepted by landlords or other housing providers, your emotional support animal letter template for therapist must include these essential elements:

1. Licensed Mental Health Professional

The letter must come from a licensed mental health professional such as:

• Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Psychiatrist (M.D. or D.O.)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

The professional must be licensed in the state where you reside. This is important—a California therapist cannot write a valid ESA letter for someone living in Texas.

2. Professional Letterhead and License Information

Valid letters include the provider’s full contact information, license type, and license number. This allows landlords to verify credentials if needed. Red flag: if a letter doesn’t include a license number, it’s probably fake.

3. Established Therapeutic Relationship

The mental health professional must have evaluated you and established a treatment relationship. Legitimate providers don’t write ESA letters after a single 10-minute phone call. While the exact timeframe varies by state, most professionals require at least one thorough evaluation session.

4. Statement of Disability

The letter must confirm that you have a mental or emotional disability as defined by the Fair Housing Act. The letter doesn’t need to specify your exact diagnosis (and often shouldn’t, for privacy reasons), but it must clearly state that a disability exists.

5. Connection Between ESA and Treatment

The letter should explain that the emotional support animal is part of your treatment plan and helps alleviate symptoms of your condition. This establishes that the ESA is medically necessary, not just a pet preference.

6. Date and Signature

The letter must be dated and personally signed by the mental health professional. Digital signatures are acceptable, but the letter should be relatively recent—most housing providers expect letters to be less than one year old.

Who Can Write an Emotional Support Animal Letter?

Only licensed mental health professionals can write valid ESA letters. Here’s what you need to know about who qualifies:

Qualified Professionals

These professionals can write ESA letters:

• Psychiatrists: Medical doctors specializing in mental health who can prescribe medication
• Psychologists: Doctoral-level professionals (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) licensed to diagnose and treat mental health conditions
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW): Master’s-level professionals who provide therapy and mental health services
• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC): Master’s-level therapists licensed to provide mental health counseling
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT): Specialists in relationship and family systems therapy

Who CANNOT Write ESA Letters

These individuals cannot write legally valid ESA letters:

• General practice doctors or primary care physicians (unless they’re also licensed mental health providers)
• Unlicensed therapists or counselors
• Life coaches
• Religious counselors without appropriate licensure
• Online services that don’t provide actual evaluation by licensed professionals in your state
• Friends or family members (even if they’re mental health professionals)

How to Get a Legitimate ESA Letter

If you need an emotional support animal letter, here’s the proper process:

Step 1: Find a Licensed Mental Health Professional

Connect with a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist in your state. This could be someone you already see for treatment, or a new provider who specializes in ESA evaluations.

Step 2: Undergo a Proper Evaluation

The mental health professional will evaluate whether you have a qualifying mental health condition and whether an emotional support animal would benefit your treatment. Be honest about your symptoms and history.

Step 3: Establish Treatment

Most legitimate providers require ongoing or established care before writing an ESA letter. This isn’t just a formality—it’s an ethical requirement that ensures the recommendation is appropriate.

Step 4: Receive Your Letter

If the professional determines an ESA would benefit you, they’ll provide a letter using a format similar to the template above. For more detailed guidance on this process, check out our comprehensive guide on how to get an emotional support animal letter.

Red Flags: How to Spot Fake ESA Letters

Unfortunately, there are many scam websites selling fake ESA letters. Here’s how to protect yourself:

Warning Sign #1: Instant Letters

If a website promises an ESA letter within minutes or hours with no real evaluation, it’s a scam. Legitimate mental health evaluations take time.

Warning Sign #2: No License Verification

Real professionals include their license number and state. If a letter lacks this information or the provider refuses to share credentials, walk away.

Warning Sign #3: Guarantees Before Evaluation

Legitimate providers cannot guarantee they’ll write you a letter before evaluating you. Anyone who promises a letter before assessment is running a scam.

Warning Sign #4: Out-of-State Providers

Mental health professionals must be licensed in your state to write a valid ESA letter for you. A therapist licensed only in Florida cannot write a valid letter for someone in New York.

Warning Sign #5: Registration or Certification Offers

There is no official ESA registry or certification in the United States. Any website selling “official ESA registration” or certification documents is scamming you. The only documentation you need is a letter from a licensed mental health professional.

Warning Sign #6: Suspiciously Low Prices

While fees vary, extremely cheap ESA letters (under $50) are usually fake. Real mental health evaluations require professional time and expertise, which costs money.

Warning Sign #7: Unrealistic Promises

No legitimate provider will promise that an ESA letter guarantees access to all housing or waives all pet deposits. Real ESA letters provide legal protections under the Fair Housing Act, but landlords can still deny requests in certain circumstances (like if the animal poses a direct threat).

Common Questions About ESA Letter Templates

Can I Use a Free Emotional Support Animal Letter Template?

While you can reference free templates to understand what should be included in an ESA letter, you cannot simply fill out a template yourself and use it. ESA letters must be written and signed by a licensed mental health professional who has evaluated you.

Templates are useful for therapists creating documentation for clients, or for individuals who want to verify that a letter they received contains all necessary components.

How Long Is an ESA Letter Valid?

Most housing providers accept ESA letters that are less than one year old. However, there’s no official expiration date mandated by law. Some landlords may request updated documentation annually, while others may accept older letters if your condition is ongoing.

It’s good practice to get an updated letter each year if you continue to need your ESA and are still in treatment with a mental health professional.

Do I Need Different Letters for Housing and Air Travel?

As of 2026, ESA letters are primarily used for housing under the Fair Housing Act. Airlines are no longer required to accommodate emotional support animals in the cabin under the Air Carrier Access Act—they can treat ESAs as regular pets and charge pet fees.

For housing purposes, one properly formatted ESA letter is all you need. Some landlords may have their own verification forms, but your letter from a licensed mental health professional is the core documentation.

Can My Letter Include My Specific Diagnosis?

ESA letters can include your specific diagnosis, but they don’t have to. Many mental health professionals choose to keep letters general for privacy reasons, stating only that you have a qualifying mental health condition without specifying whether it’s depression, anxiety, PTSD, or another diagnosis.

Landlords are not entitled to know your specific diagnosis—they only need confirmation that you have a disability and that the ESA is medically necessary.

What If My Landlord Rejects My ESA Letter?

If you have a legitimate ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional and your landlord rejects it without valid reason, they may be violating the Fair Housing Act. Valid reasons for rejection include:

• The animal poses a direct threat to health or safety
• The animal would cause substantial physical damage to property
• Accommodating the animal would create an undue financial or administrative burden
• The letter is from an unlicensed provider or doesn’t meet legal requirements

If your letter is legitimate and none of the above apply, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or consult with a housing discrimination attorney.

State-Specific Requirements for 2026

While federal law sets the baseline for ESA letters, some states have additional requirements:

California

California law prohibits mental health professionals from writing ESA letters without at least a 30-day established relationship with the client. This means you need to have been in treatment for at least 30 days before your therapist can provide an ESA letter.

New York

New York requires that the mental health professional be licensed in New York and have conducted an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Letters from online services that don’t provide real evaluations are explicitly prohibited.

Texas

Texas law requires mental health professionals to establish a professional relationship before writing an ESA letter, though the specific timeframe isn’t mandated. However, same-day evaluations without follow-up are generally considered insufficient.

Always check your state’s specific requirements, as regulations continue to evolve to combat ESA letter scams.

What to Do With Your ESA Letter Once You Have It

Once you receive a valid ESA letter from your mental health provider:

1. Review it carefully: Make sure all required elements are present and information is accurate
2. Make copies: Keep the original in a safe place and make several copies for providing to landlords
3. Submit to your landlord: Provide the letter when requesting ESA accommodation, either before moving in or if you need to add an ESA to your current residence
4. Keep it confidential: Don’t share your ESA letter publicly or post it online—it contains private health information
5. Update as needed: Plan to get a new letter annually or if your treatment provider changes

Final Thoughts on ESA Letter Templates

An emotional support animal letter template is a helpful tool for understanding what makes a valid ESA letter, whether you’re a mental health professional preparing documentation or an individual seeking to understand your rights and requirements.

Remember these key points:

• Only licensed mental health professionals in your state can write valid ESA letters
• Templates should include all legally required elements: professional credentials, statement of disability, connection to treatment, and date/signature
• Legitimate letters require actual evaluation and established treatment—not just a quick online questionnaire
• Be wary of scams promising instant letters, registration services, or unrealistic guarantees
• ESA letters provide housing protections under the Fair Housing Act but don’t grant unlimited access to all spaces

If you have a genuine mental health condition and believe an emotional support animal would benefit your treatment, work with a licensed mental health professional who can properly evaluate your needs and provide legitimate documentation. Your mental health matters, and having the right support—whether that’s therapy, medication, or an emotional support animal—can make a real difference in your quality of life.

For those seeking to obtain an ESA letter through proper channels, the process may take a bit longer than instant online services promise, but it ensures you have legally valid documentation that will be respected by housing providers and holds up to scrutiny. The peace of mind that comes with knowing your ESA letter is legitimate is well worth the effort.