Get Your Psychiatric Service Dog Letter

The difference lies in whether you need a service dog vs. an emotional support animal. An ESA letter is right for you if you want your pet to be an emotional support animal. An ESA letter gives you the right to live with your dog, cat, bird, guinea pig or other small pet in no-pet housing. PSD letters on the other hand are obtained by people interested in psychiatric service dogs.

A PSD letter will state that you have a mental health disability that qualifies under the ADA for a psychiatric service dog. It acts as a way of formally documenting this fact, but it does not reveal the specific diagnosis or severity of your condition. As a PSD handler, your rights are protected by the Fair Housing Act (housing), the ADA (public access), and the Air Carrier Access Act (airfare).

The letter will be signed and dated by a licensed healthcare professional with their license and contact information so their credentials can be verified.

PSD letters and other service dog paraphernalia like ID cards and vests are never required under the ADA. There is no legal obligation to get a PSD letter as a service dog handler, and PSD letters do not confer any legal rights. However, to qualify for a psychiatric service dog, a person must have an ADA-qualifying disability. A PSD letter from a licensed healthcare professional serves as backup documentation that the handler has met that requirement.

A PSD letter itself does not directly give you any rights. To fully qualify for a psychiatric service dog, you need not only an ADA-eligible disability but a dog that has been task trained to perform a job or task relating to a disability. Once you’re fully qualified, you have the right to live in residential buildings that typically do not allow pets, air travel rights, and public access rights.

You do not need a certificate, license, ID card, or vest for your PSD; these are all considered optional service dog paraphernalia. A PSD letter is also optional but it gives peace of mind to PSD handlers that they have documentation regarding their condition. No one can demand to see a PSD letter, certificate, license, ID card, or vest as a condition for granting access to a service dog.

Yes, PSDs can accompany their owners to businesses and public areas where pets are normally not allowed. They must also be accommodated free of charge, meaning that a hotel cannot charge an extra fee just because you have a service dog.

A PSD letter should come from a healthcare provider who understands mental health evaluations, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, social worker, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, social worker, or licensed counselor. ESA Doctors works with a range of licensed professionals who are familiar with PSD letter evaluations.

You can get a PSD letter before or after adopting your dog, but you will not be fully qualified as a service dog handler until your dog is trained to perform a job or task directly relating to your disability. In the meantime, your PSD letter will only confirm that you have an ADA-eligible health condition.

No, we will provide a digital copy of your PSD letter, which you can use immediately. You do not need an original or “wet ink” signature on your PSD letter.