Sample ID Card
Optional add-ons include an ESA vest, leash, collar and tag. If you also need an ESA letter, you can add a discounted evaluation with a licensed therapist during checkout.
These are two different things, and it matters which one you need.
An ESA letter is a document from a licensed mental health professional stating that you have a disability and that your animal is part of your treatment. It is what gives you housing protection under the Fair Housing Act. A landlord may ask for it; they may not ask for a registration card.
Registration is an identification tool. There is no government registry for emotional support animals, and no law requires you to register your ESA. What registration gives you is a quick, clear way to identify your animal to a landlord, property manager, neighbor or building staff, so that most conversations end before they start.
If you already have an ESA letter, registration complements it. If you don't, you can get an ESA letter through a licensed therapist here as well.
Under the federal Fair Housing Act, an emotional support animal is an assistance animal, not a pet. That means a housing provider must make a reasonable accommodation for your ESA even in "no pets" housing, and generally may not:
They can ask for reliable documentation of your disability-related need when it isn't obvious, which is where an ESA letter comes in. You remain responsible for any damage your animal causes, and a housing provider can deny a specific animal that poses a direct threat to others. Some states add their own rules on top of federal law; our state-by-state ESA law guides cover the details.
This changed in 2021. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation rule that took effect on January 11, 2021, airlines are no longer required to treat emotional support animals as service animals. Nearly every U.S. carrier now treats ESAs as pets, which usually means a pet fee and a carrier that fits under the seat, and larger dogs may not be allowed in the cabin at all.
Trained service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, still fly in the cabin free of charge with the DOT service animal form. Registration does not change an airline's policy either way. Before you book, check our airline policy guide for the current rules by carrier.
No. There is no legal requirement to register an ESA, and no official government registry exists. Registration is a voluntary identification tool. Your housing rights under the Fair Housing Act come from an ESA letter written by a licensed mental health professional, not from a registration card.
An emotional support animal is an animal that provides comfort or support to a person with a mental or emotional disability. Unlike a service dog, an ESA needs no special training; what makes an animal an ESA is a licensed professional's determination that you have a disability and that the animal helps with it.
Generally no. Under the Fair Housing Act an ESA is an assistance animal rather than a pet, so pet deposits, pet rent and pet fees don't apply. You can still be held responsible for actual damage your animal causes.
Not as a right. Public access under the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to trained service dogs only. Individual businesses may choose to welcome ESAs, but they are not required to.
Since the DOT rule change of January 2021, U.S. airlines are not required to accept emotional support animals in the cabin, and nearly all now treat them as pets with the usual fees and size limits. Trained service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, still fly free with the DOT form.
No. Registration is for the lifetime of your dog. There are no renewal fees and no subscription. If your ID card is lost or your information changes, replacement cards are available.
If you want housing protection under the Fair Housing Act, yes: the ESA letter is the document a landlord can legally ask for. Registration is the identification that goes with it. You can register with an existing letter, or add a discounted ESA letter evaluation with a licensed therapist at checkout.
Your digital ID is emailed the same day. Physical kits ship quickly from our warehouse, and express shipping options are available at checkout.