Online ESA evaluation

Get an ESA Letter Online After a Licensed Professional's Evaluation

An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is documentation from a licensed mental health professional. With PawTenant, you complete a confidential online assessment and a professional licensed in your state decides whether an emotional support animal is clinically appropriate for you.

Online assessment, about 5 minutes
Reviewed by a professional licensed in your state
Typically within 24 hours after provider review, if you qualify
Full refund if you don't qualify

Start my ESA assessment See how it works

Starting the assessment is free. You choose a package and pay at checkout before the clinical review; if the professional decides you don't qualify, you are refunded. One-time letters start at $129 and cover up to 2 pets.

Woman at her home desk with a laptop, holding her small dog — Your evaluation is completed online, from home.

Licensed in your stateReviewed by a professional licensed where you live

Individual clinical reviewApproval is never automatic

Verifiable documentationLicense, NPI and a verification ID

Typically within 24 hoursAfter provider review, if you qualify

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The basics

What an ESA letter is — and what it isn't

An ESA letter states that a licensed professional has evaluated you and that an animal supports a mental or emotional health condition. Its main use is a reasonable accommodation request to a housing provider with a no-pet or restricted-pet rule. It is a clinical document, not a product you can simply buy.

What it can be used for

Asking a landlord, property manager or HOA to make an exception to a pet rule for your animal
Responding when a housing provider asks for documentation from a licensed professional
Giving your housing provider a way to confirm the document is genuine

What it is not

Not a registration, certificate, ID card or vest
Not a guarantee that a housing provider will approve your request
Not a pass for stores, restaurants, workplaces or flights
Not a prescription — it documents a clinical recommendation

Is it for you?

Who may benefit from an ESA evaluation

People usually start an assessment when an animal already helps them cope day to day and their housing has a pet restriction. Only the reviewing professional can decide whether you qualify — the situations below are common starting points, not a checklist.

You live with a mental or emotional health condition, such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks or post-traumatic stress
Your animal's presence helps you manage symptoms, routines or sleep
You rent, or plan to rent, a home with a no-pet, breed, size or pet-count rule
You want documentation from someone licensed where you live, with details your landlord can check

When a different route fits better

If your dog is trained to perform specific tasks related to a disability, a psychiatric service dog evaluation is the relevant assessment, not an ESA letter.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, an online assessment is not the right first step. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.

Step by step

How the online ESA evaluation works

The steps happen in this order. You pay before the clinical review, and a refund applies if you don't qualify.

Step 1: Confirm your state
Your state decides which professional can review your assessment and whether a relationship rule applies.
Step 2: Answer the assessment
Confidential questions about your mental health, daily life and your animal. About five minutes.
Step 3: Choose a package and pay
One-time from $129 (up to 2 pets) or an annual plan. Checkout shows the total before you pay.
Step 4: A licensed professional reviews it
They read your answers individually and may contact you with follow-up questions.
Step 5: Receive documentation if appropriate
If you qualify, your letter arrives by email and in your account, typically within 24 hours after provider review. If not, you're refunded.

What you receive

What your ESA letter includes

Your documentation is written for a housing accommodation request and carries the details a housing provider needs to confirm it is genuine.

A signed PDF letter, emailed to you and saved in your PawTenant account
The reviewing professional's full name, credential, state license number and NPI
The issue date and housing-accommodation wording that names you and your animal
A verification ID in your account that your housing provider can check at pawtenant.com/verify
No diagnosis and no assessment answers — your clinical details stay private

Want to see how verification works? Read the ESA letter verification guide.

Sample PawTenant ESA letter, marked as a demonstration document: the provider's name and credential at the top, the issue date, the housing-accommodation wording, a recipient table, and the provider's signature and licence number at the bottom. All names and numbers are illustrative.

Sample PawTenant ESA letter, enlarged. Demonstration document; all names and numbers are illustrative.

Licensed professionals

Reviewed by licensed mental health professionals

PawTenant works with licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists and psychologists. Each one's license can be checked publicly.

See all our providers →

Provider availability varies by state. Your assessment is matched to a professional licensed in your state, who may or may not be one of the professionals shown here. Each license and NPI can be checked on the public NPPES registry and your state licensing board.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Choose the ESA Letter Plan That Fits You

One-time letters and annual plans — every option includes a licensed professional and our money-back guarantee. No hidden fees.

ESA Letter

For up to 2 pets

$129one-time

Licensed provider evaluation
Covers up to 2 animals on one letter
Signed, FHA-compliant ESA letter
Typically delivered within 24 hours
Verification ID in your customer portal
Landlord verification support
Full refund if you don't qualify
Free Pet Care Planner by PawTenant — downloadable immediately after payment

Start Your Evaluation

ESA Annual Plan

For up to 2 pets

$115first year

Renews at $100/year for 1 pet or $115/year for 2 pets, beginning in year two

Annual evaluation & updated documentation
Renewal reminders before your letter expires
Automatic yearly renewal — cancel anytime
Priority scheduling — no waitlist
Everything in the ESA Letter plan
Free Pet Care Planner by PawTenant — downloadable immediately after payment

Choose Annual

Three-Pet ESA Letter

For 3 pets

$149one-time · fixed total

Prefer annual for 3 pets? $135 first year, then $115/year.

Licensed provider evaluation
Covers up to 3 animals on one letter*
Signed, FHA-compliant ESA letter
Typically delivered within 24 hours
Verification ID in your customer portal
Landlord verification support
Full refund if you don't qualify
Free Pet Care Planner by PawTenant — downloadable immediately after payment

Start Three-Pet

*Multi-pet letters cover up to three animals on one letter where clinically appropriate. Annual plans renew automatically at the renewal price shown; cancel anytime from your account portal.

Secure Checkout100% Money-Back Guarantee

Pay by card at checkout. For one-time packages you can also choose Klarna, subject to eligibility and Klarna's own terms; paying in instalments spreads the same total and is not a lower price. Annual plans are paid by card and renew automatically at the renewal price shown until you cancel.

Every package includes the clinical review. See the refund policy for how refunds and cancellations work.

Choosing a service

How to tell a real online ESA evaluation from a shortcut

Searching for a “legit ESA letter” usually means you have seen offers that look too easy. A real evaluation has a few things in common, whoever provides it.

A professional licensed in your state reviews your answers individually
Approval is not instant or guaranteed
The letter shows the professional's license number and NPI
There is a clear refund policy if you don't qualify
No registry, certificate or vest is presented as a legal requirement

More detail: Are online ESA letters legit?

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an ESA letter completely online?

In most states, yes. You complete the assessment online and a professional licensed in your state reviews it, sometimes following up with you for more detail. A few states add requirements: California requires at least a 30-day client-provider relationship before ESA documentation can be issued, and Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana and Montana have their own relationship or waiting-period rules. The assessment tells you if your state's rule applies before you pay.

Who can write an ESA letter?

A licensed mental health professional who is licensed in the state where you live, such as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) or licensed psychologist. People often search for an “ESA letter from a doctor”, but the credential that matters is a mental health license in your state, not the title “doctor”.

Is an online ESA letter legitimate?

It can be, when it comes from an individual evaluation by a professional licensed in your state, carries that professional's name, credential, license number and NPI, and can be checked by your housing provider. Instant approval, a registry listing or a certificate you simply buy are signs of a service to avoid.

How long does it take?

The assessment takes about five minutes. After a licensed professional reviews it, documentation is typically within 24 hours after provider review if you qualify. Timing depends on the reviewing professional and on any state relationship rule that applies, and approval is never guaranteed.

What happens if I don't qualify?

If the reviewing professional decides an emotional support animal is not clinically appropriate for you, no letter is issued and you receive a full refund.

Do I need to register my emotional support animal?

No. There is no official government registry for emotional support animals, and a registration number, certificate, ID card or vest does not replace documentation from a licensed professional.

Does an ESA letter let my animal go into stores or on flights?

No. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, emotional support animals are not service animals, so an ESA letter does not create public-access rights. U.S. airlines treat emotional support animals as pets and apply their own pet policies. An ESA letter is used to support a housing accommodation request.

Do ESA letters need to be renewed?

Many housing providers ask for current documentation, so many people renew once a year. You can buy a one-time letter and come back later, or choose the annual plan, which renews automatically at the renewal price shown and can be cancelled from your account.

Find out whether an ESA letter is right for you

The assessment takes about five minutes. A professional licensed in your state makes the decision, and you are refunded if you don't qualify.

Start my ESA assessment

Licensed in your state
Individual clinical review
Refund if you don't qualify