Registering an emotional support animal (ESA) is a popular option for ESA owners who want an official registration number and ID card for their animal. While ESA registration isn’t mandatory, it offers peace of mind and convenience. ESA owners can always register their ESA, but registration and an ID card are not a substitute for having an ESA letter. An ESA letter is necessary if you want to officially qualify to own an emotional support animal. Only ESA owners with a legitimate ESA letter should register their emotional support dog in the database and receive an ID card.
The benefit of ESA registration is that it makes it easy for owners to prove to third parties that their animal is not just a pet. Anyone you share your ESA registration number with can look up your animal’s information in the online database for support animals.
ID cards for emotional support dogs can be helpful in preventing misunderstandings and confusion. They are popular with ESA owners who want to visually show that they have a support animal and avoid verbal confrontations. For example, if your building prohibits pets, an ID card can be shown to a doorman or other tenants so they can readily understand that your animal has been specially approved in your building as an ESA.
Having an ID card for your emotional support dog can be a helpful way to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. They’re popular with emotional support dog owners who prefer to visually signal that they have a support animal and avoid verbal confrontations.
To qualify to own an emotional support dog, you need a recommendation letter (referred to as an “ESA letter”) from a licensed healthcare professional in your state. The healthcare professional must determine that you have a mental health condition that would be improved by the presence of an emotional support animal. You can receive an ESA letter via an in-person appointment or through an online provider.
ESAs provide support and comfort to those with mental and emotional health issues. ESAs can be many types of domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, fish, turtles, rodents, and lizards.
Emotional support dogs play a vital role in their owners’ mental health. For example, ESAs are commonly utilized by people who have chronic depression, severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, learning disabilities, and panic disorder. An ESA can help a person maintain emotional stability and also provide a calming influence during times of crisis or when their condition is triggered.
Emotional support dogs differ from service dogs in a few ways. One key difference is that ESAs do not require any specialized training. The job of an emotional support animal is not to perform trained tasks, but to be a comforting and dependable presence in the owner’s life, especially during difficult times. ESAs can also be many types of animals, while service dogs can only be dogs.
If you own an emotional support animal, you are protected from housing discrimination under federal law. The Fair Housing Act and guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development require landlords to make reasonable accommodations for ESA owners. That means your housing provider must allow your ESA even if the building prohibits all pets. ESA law is very clear that landlords are also never allowed to charge any pet fees, deposits, or registration fees to accommodate your ESA. ESAs are considered a type of assistive animal under federal guidelines and are therefore exempt from building rules that restrict pets. For example, ESAs do not have to adhere to breed, size, and weight restrictions that may apply to tenants’ pets.
