Get your Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Certification

Service animals and emotional support animals offer companionship to those in need. However, their legal rights might differ. If you are thinking about bringing your ESA everywhere, you need to get a service animal certification to qualify for public access and other possibilities.

Hassle-Free ESA Letters

Does your emotional support animal provide you with companionship and relief from mental or emotional conditions? An ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional can grant you housing rights and travel privileges with your beloved pet.

Be free from pet restrictions in most housing situations

Don’t pay hefty pet deposits and monthly fees

Travel with your pet on flights

$150

New Patients

$75

MMJ Health Patients

Our Simple 3 Step Process

Book an appointment

Schedule a telehealth consultation with our trusted MMJ Health doctor.

Fill out Forms

Fill out your form online. The doctor will the evaluate your situation and determine if you qualify for an ESA letter. Be prepared to write how your animal helps you.

Get your Official ESA Letter

If approved, you’ll instantly receive a legitimate ESA letter via email. This official document allows you to live and travel with your ESA, protecting your rights.

About Service Animals

What is a service animal, and how do you obtain one?

A service animal is a specially trained animal that assists people with disabilities. Common examples are guide dogs for the visually impaired or hearing dogs that alert people with deafness to sounds. They can also be trained with mobility issues, psychiatric disorders, and even seizure detection.

To obtain a service animal, you’ll need to talk to your doctor; they can assess your condition and determine if a service animal could be beneficial.

Legally, only dogs are recognized as service animals under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). They must be individually trained to perform specific tasks related to disabilities, whether physical, sensory, psychiatric, or intellectual.

There are three main paths to getting a service animal training certification:
→ Train a dog yourself, but this will require considerable time,
dedication, and expertise.

→ Work with a service animal organization. They will match
you with a suitable canine companion and ensure they are
well-trained.

→ Adopt a dog and train it with a professional trainer to
develop the necessary skills.

Service Animal Certification

A service animal certification verifies your right to have a service animal with you in housing or public places. This official document must be written by a licensed healthcare professional, typically a doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist. You can get a service animal certification online that grants access to public spaces and transportation that might otherwise be restricted.

Here’s what an online service animal certification usually includes:

→ Your diagnosis and how it limits your daily life.
→ How your service animal is trained to perform specific tasks.
→ Veterinarian’s confirmation of your animal’s good health and updated vaccination.

Benefits of obtaining an emotional support animal certification

A service animal certification gives you various benefits, like freedom and independence. Specially, it can help you with the following advantages:
→ The Fair Housing Act protects your right to live with your service animal, even in “no-pet” housing.
A service animal certification will verify your need.
→ Airlines cannot charge pet fees for service animals with a certificate. So you can travel freely with your pet.
→ Restaurants, stores, and other public places must allow service animals with this certificate.

Most importantly, knowing your service animal has legal rights to be with you can strengthen your connection with them.

About Emotional Support Animals

What is an emotional support animal, and how do you obtain one?

Emotional support animals are domesticated animals like cats, dogs, rabbits, or even miniature horses that provide comfort, reduce symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, or depression, and improve overall well-being. While service dogs are specially trained to assist people with disabilities, ESAs offer companionship and emotional support.

To get your own ESA, you’ll first need a certification from a licensed mental health professional documenting your need for emotional support. This emotional support animal certification works as proof that you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and the doctor recommends an ESA to improve your well-being. With this document, you can keep your pet by your side in pet-free housing and even bring them on certain flights. So, if you think that your furry friend could make a big difference in your life, talk to your therapist or counselor about getting an ESA letter. However, it is important to remember that ESAs are not a replacement for medical treatment; they are a great companion to manage your mental health challenges.

Emotional support animal (ESA) certification

Emotional support animal certification is a process that verifies if you need an ESA to support your mental well-being. This certification process involves a professional evaluation by a licensed mental health professional. A therapist, psychiatrist, or counselor will assess your mental health condition and determine if an ESA could benefit your treatment. If approved, they’ll provide an offline or online emotional support animal certification on official letterhead, verifying your diagnosis and your pet’s role in supporting your emotional well-being. This will be your official ESA certification under the Fair Housing Act and Department of Transportation (for air travel) regulation.

Benefits of obtaining an emotional support animal certification

An emotional support animal certification offers a range of benefits, from bringing your pets on flights to getting rid of the pet deposits at rental apartments. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy if you have this official document:

→ You can be free from pet restrictions in rentals as landlords are legally obliged to allow ESAs
in most housing situations.
→ You won’t have to pay hefty pet deposits and monthly fees with an ESA certification.
→ With this certificate in hand, some airlines can allow ESAs in the cabin for stress-free travel with your pet.

What documentation do I need to have a service animal or emotional support animal?

While service animals or emotional support animals provide companionship and support to those in need, there are some legal rights and documents that need to be maintained.

For service animals, you’ll need a letter or certificate from a licensed healthcare professional. A doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist must document your disability and how a service animal can help you in specific tasks. These certificates should be on official letterhead and include the professional’s license details. Additionally, while not legally mandated, some public spaces might request documentation showcasing your service animal’s training.

For emotional support animals, you’ll only need a letter or certificate from a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) confirming your situation and need for the emotional support your animal provides. This letter should be written on the LMHP’s official letterhead and dated within a year of requesting housing or travel accommodations with your ESA.

However, it is extremely important to understand that an emotional support or service animal certification doesn’t give you unrestricted access everywhere. Familiarize yourself with your rights under the ADA and other relevant laws.

Getting Your ESA Letter from MMJ Health

At MMJ Health, we specialize in getting your ESA certification and ID card.

At MMJ Health, we streamline the process of getting the documentation you need to welcome your support animals into your life. We specialize in providing ESA certification and ID cards written by a licensed healthcare professional on our official letterhead. Currently, we offer our services to MMJ Health patients for an annual $75 certification and to non-MMJ patients for $150.

FAQs

The ESA application process is very simple. Here’s a quick rundown:

  • Meet with a licensed mental health professional to discuss your issues and how your pet can help reduce them.
  • The professional will assess your situation and determine if an ESA certificate is appropriate.
  • If approved, you’ll receive a certificate verifying your health issues and need for an ESA.

Landlords should generally make reasonable accommodations by waiving “no-pet” rules for ESAs with proper documentation. Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords cannot turn away disabled tenants and their ESAs.  However, if a person with disabilities wants to live in a “no-pet” rental, they need to provide an ESA certificate from a licensed health professional.

Yes, a person can potentially have more than one emotional support animal as long as a licensed health professional confirms that each animal is necessary for your situation and certifies that you will be able to manage both of them responsibly. Additionally, it’s also mandatory for each animal to meet reasonable housing standards.

Emotional support dogs don’t have inherent rights beyond those provided by their handler’s disability. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) protects them. With a proper ESA certificate, they can live in no-pet housing and may be allowed on some airlines and public places. But they must be well-behaved and leash-trained in public spaces.

Generally, bringing your emotional support animal to work isn’t allowed by law. However, the criteria for the same depends on your specific workplace policies. Some employers may allow ESAs at request. It’s always best to discuss your request with your HR department and provide the emotional support animal certification as proof.

While a service animal and emotional support animal can both assist with common disabilities, they are pretty different in terms of their tasks. Service animals are trained to perform specific actions that mitigate a disability (for example, seizure alert dogs). ESAs provide emotional comfort but don’t require special training. They help with anxiety, depression, etc., but don’t have public access rights beyond housing.

LET’S GET STARTED!

    *Subject to terms and conditions. Contact MMJ Health for more details