If you are interested in getting an emotional support animal or ESA to help support your mental health, you will need an ESA letter. This letter will allow you to have your animal in your housing and bring the animal into buildings which don’t normally allow animals. It may also allow you to bring the animal on airplanes or other modes of transportation. But the letter will only be effective if it is properly drafted. It’s not unusual for the letter to be carefully scrutinized or even challenged by landlords, shop owners, airlines, employers and others. So, you want to be sure that your letter is properly drafted by a qualified professional.
Sample ESA Letter
Below is a sample of an ESA letter.
Note that this letter should be on the therapist’s letterhead.
February 04, 2026
Re: John Smith DOB 4/11/1999To Whom It May Concern:
I am a licensed (licensed number _______) clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in the state of Illinois. I am currently treating the above referred patient and have been working with this patient since June 14, 2023. Based on my professional evaluation, this patient meets the diagnostic criteria for a qualifying mental health diagnosis as defined by the DSM-V. This mental condition substantially limits one or more major life activities.
An emotional support animal is recommended as a necessary part of their treatment plan to improve daily functioning and mitigate symptoms. The presence of their emotional support dog provides significant therapeutic benefit, including the reduction of panic symptoms and improvement in daily functioning.
This recommendation is made in accordance with the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which recognize the role of emotional support animals in supporting individuals with mental disabilities.
Please permit John to have an emotional support animal in his place of residence or with him during travel, even in housing or transportation which normally have restrictions related to pet.
Feel free to contact me at the address and phone number below should you require additional information.
Best regards,
Debbie Shepard LCSW
ESA CLINICIllinois License Number 99999999
Key Components of an ESA Letter
There are a few key components of a properly drafted ESA letter to take note of. First the letter must be on official company letterhead and not on blank paper or sent in an email. The patient’s full name must be stated on the letter. Date of birth is optional but can be helpful if the person has a common name. The letter must include the date it was written at the top. An ESA letter is only valid for a year so including the date is important. The therapist’s type of license must be included. This might be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC), a nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA) or medical doctor (MD). Also be sure to include what state the provider is licensed in.
Individualized Letter
It’s important that the person who writes your letter does not use a form letter or cookie cutter type template where every letter is identical. The letter needs to be individualized and specify how the animal will help address the patient’s psychiatric symptoms. This is a reason to avoid internet ESA factories which churn out tons of boilerplate letters at a fast pace and often for a low price. These letters may not hold water if subject to scrutiny and it’s very common for ESA letters to be carefully scrutinized by landlords and others. They may not include all the necessary components including a therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the person seeking the letter.
Qualifying Condition
An ESA letter indicates that the patient has a qualifying psychiatric diagnosis but does not specify the exact diagnosis. Reference should be made to the DSM-V which is a book which lists all psychiatric diagnoses but without specifying the specific diagnosis in the DSM. The letter must indicate how long the therapist has had a therapeutic relationship with the patient. A letter from a therapist who has only seen a patient for an intake session is likely not going to be taken seriously. This therapist will generally not have the background and experience with the patient to write a compelling letter.
Clinical Rationale for ESA letter
Most importantly, a clinical rationale for the animal’s presence should be included. The letter must explain that an emotional support animal is part of the patient’s treatment plan and discuss how the animal’s presence will help improve functioning and alleviate symptoms. Ideally, the person writing the letter should have clinical notes which demonstrate improvement which tracks with the emotional support animal being present. The notes should also document specifically how the animal helps the patients, such as providing grounding during panic episodes or reducing night terrors. Notes should also document discussion of the emotional support animal during sessions.
Applicable Laws
The writer also needs to reference the applicable laws and regulatory agencies which are the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). There has been litigation against writers of ESA letters by landlords and someone injured by an emotional support animal on a plane could also potentially sue. Since we live in a very litigious society, it’s important to make sure your letter is done correctly to avoid any legal hassles for you or your therapist and to avoid having legal challenges to having your emotional support animal.
If you plan to get an emotional support animal, be sure your letter includes all the necessary components to ensure you have a smooth experience with getting and keeping your ESA.
