Texas ESA & PSD Frequently Asked Questions

An ESA letter is a formal document written by a licensed mental health professional that states:

• You have a qualifying mental health condition or disability, and
• An ESA is part of your treatment plan and helps reduce your symptoms.

Housing providers usually rely on this letter when deciding whether to approve your ESA as a reasonable accommodation and to waive standard pet rules and fees.

Emotional Support Animal (ESA): An ESA offers emotional comfort by its presence and is mainly protected in housing under the Fair Housing Act.

Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD): A PSD is individually trained to perform specific tasks that help with a mental health disability, such as interrupting panic attacks or guiding you out of a crowd. PSDs are treated as service animals under the ADA and generally have broader public access rights than ESAs.

Airlines are no longer required to treat ESAs as service animals. Most airlines now classify them as pets and apply their standard pet policies for fees, carrier rules, and size limits.

A valid ESA letter is still very important for housing, even if airline policies have changed.

Laws do not set a strict expiration date, but many housing providers expect ESA documentation to reflect current clinical care, usually within the last year.

For that reason, many Texans choose to update their ESA letter every year or whenever there is a change in diagnosis, provider, or housing situation.

Yes. Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), housing providers must consider reasonable accommodation requests for ESAs when you have appropriate documentation from a licensed clinician.

If you want to see how this works across the state, you can review our ESA letters in Texas overview page.

Landlords covered by the Fair Housing Act must seriously consider ESA accommodation requests, but they may deny or limit an ESA when:

• The documentation is not from a licensed provider or appears fraudulent.
• The animal poses a direct threat to others or has a history of serious aggression.
• Allowing the animal would create a significant financial or administrative burden.

Most Texas landlords accept ESAs when documentation is legitimate and the animal can safely live on the property.

In most housing covered by the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals such as ESAs are not treated as pets.

That means landlords generally may not charge standard pet deposits, monthly pet rent, or pet fees just because you have an ESA. You can still be responsible for any damage your animal actually causes.

Yes, when you have proper ESA documentation and the apartment is covered by the Fair Housing Act. Even buildings with a no pet policy must consider assistance animal requests as a reasonable accommodation, unless a valid exception applies.

This applies to apartments in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and all other Texas cities.

Under the ADA, a trained service dog, including a psychiatric service dog, is generally allowed in most public places such as stores, restaurants, hotels, and government buildings, as long as the dog is under control and not causing a disruption.

Yes. Businesses may ask you to remove a service dog that is aggressive, out of control, or not housebroken. You should still be allowed to receive services without the dog.

In most situations, service dogs must be on a leash, harness, or tether unless those tools interfere with the dog's work or your disability. If a leash or harness is not used, the dog must still be under your control through voice commands or other effective handling.

When it is not obvious what service the dog provides, staff are usually allowed to ask only two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or tasks has the dog been trained to perform?

They are not allowed to ask about your diagnosis, require medical records, or demand special identification cards.

In Texas, an ESA letter should come from a licensed mental health professional who is authorized to practice in the state. This may include:

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Psychologist or psychiatrist

Generic online registries or certificates, without a clinical evaluation, do not replace a legitimate ESA letter from a Texas-based provider.

The general steps are:

1. Complete a mental health screening with a Texas licensed clinician.
2. Discuss your symptoms, daily functioning, and how your animal supports you.
3. If appropriate, the provider writes a formal ESA letter as part of your treatment plan.

At Texas Service Animals, you start with a secure online questionnaire and then meet with a Texas licensed psychotherapist. You can begin any time using our free ESA and PSD evaluation form.

Most ESA letters are delivered within 24-48 hours after your evaluation is complete. In some cases, if additional information is needed, it may take slightly longer.

Your digital letter will be emailed to you as a PDF document that you can print or share electronically with your landlord.

No, you don't need to already have a pet. You can obtain an ESA letter before adopting your emotional support animal. The letter can specify the type of animal you plan to get.

However, we recommend having a specific animal in mind, as the letter may include details about your ESA.

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords must make reasonable accommodations for ESAs, even in "no pets" housing. They cannot charge pet deposits or fees for ESAs.

Note: As of 2021, airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESAs in the cabin. Most airlines now treat ESAs as regular pets.

Your ESA letter is typically valid for one year from the date of issue and may need to be renewed annually.

What Texas Landlords CAN Ask:

• If the animal is an assistance animal that supports a disability
• Reasonable documentation from a licensed Texas mental health professional
• Basic questions about the animal's behavior, vaccinations, and whether it is housebroken

What Texas Landlords CANNOT Ask:

• Your full medical records or a list of medications
• Your exact diagnosis label
• Online registrations, ID cards, or special vests as proof

If you believe your rights are being violated, you can:

• Request that your clinician contact the landlord to verify the letter
• File a complaint with HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
• File a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
• Consult with a fair housing attorney

At Texas Service Animals, we offer follow-up support if you encounter landlord issues with your ESA letter.

Your initial screening is free. You only pay if you qualify and choose to move forward with an ESA or psychiatric service dog letter.

If our licensed professional determines that an ESA is not appropriate for your situation, you will not be charged. If you have already paid and need to request a refund, you can apply for a refund.