An emotional support animal letter is your way of showing a landlord that your pet is not just a pet but a part of your well-being and needs to live with you in your apartment or house. When getting an ESA letter, you’ll need to make sure that it states important, verifiable information about the professional doctor who issued it and has his credentials listed clearly, among other things.
In this article, we’ll explain what an ESA letter needs to say, along with how you can get an ESA letter quickly and easily.
The Information You Need and Where to Get It
These are all the things that an ESA letter will typically need. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to get these things because we have explained that here as well. Plus, as long as you get your emotional service animal letter from a reputable professional, they’ll very likely include all these things without you having to do anything.
The License Type and the Licensed Mental Health Professional’s Number
The first thing it needs is the license type and number of the Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP). This essentially shows the credentials and qualifications of the professional writing the letter, which is what gives it legal weight.
You can get the license type and number directly from the LMHP, usually on their professional ID card, website, or a licensing verification portal provided by the relevant state’s licensing board.
License Date of Issuance
Including the date when their license was issued will help you confirm the validity and duration of LMHP’s practice. This information should be on the LMHP’s license certificate, but you can also get it verified through, once again, the licensing board’s online verification tools.
State Where They Are Licensed to Practice
The letter needs to show the state in which the LMHP is licensed to practice– to verify that the professional is actually authorized to provide services in a specific geographic region. You can get this information from the LMHP’s professional documentation or through a state licensing board’s official website.
Contact Information
The LMHP’s contact information needs to be on the letter. If you need to get anything verified later on, this is how you’ll do it. Look for their phone number, email address, and physical address, all of which can be obtained through their business card, official website, or directly from the LMHP during consultations.
Official Letterhead for Printing
An ESA letter should be printed on the LMHP’s official letterhead. Generally, this is done to make the letter appear more credible and professional. The letterhead usually includes the LMHP’s name, title, and practice information, such as address and contact details.
The LMHP should provide this on their own but if not, you can ask them directly or through any official correspondence they’ve given.
Letter Date of Issuance
This is another mandatory part that pretty much every letter has by default. Like it was for the license, this date of issuance is important for showing people the letter’s current relevance and future validity. That’s why it should be clearly mentioned in the letter and provided at the time of writing.
How You Can Get an ESA Letter
Getting an ESA letter is actually a pretty straightforward process. Start by finding a licensed professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker, and then schedule an appointment with them.
During the appointment, you’ll talk about your mental health with the professional and express how an emotional support animal might help you. If they determine that an ESA would actually benefit your well-being, they will write an ESA letter for you, filled with all the details we mentioned above.
If you’re struggling to find a licensed mental health professional, try doing it through referrals from your primary doctor, online therapy services, or popular directories online. Good reviews are important when picking your LMHP.
Always Keep the ESA Letter Updated
Once you have your ESA letter, you can use it to request reasonable accommodations for your emotional support animal in housing or travel situations, which is the most important use of an ESA letter. Make sure you keep the letter updated and follow any specific instructions given by the LMHP to maintain its validity.
At the same time, don’t get an ESA letter from an unverified or untrustworthy source (online or otherwise) as these letters, when it comes down to it, may be determined as legally unbinding.
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