Emotional Support Animal Laws in Colorado (Updated for 2026)

Colorado is a pet-friendly state, but many landlords still restrict pets, and businesses don’t have to allow animals. Emotional support animal laws work differently. If a licensed mental health professional determines that your animal helps with anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition, you can request reasonable housing accommodations to live with them. This guide covers where Colorado’s emotional support animal (ESA) protections apply and what documentation you need.

Colorado's New 2026 Law: What HB26-1045 Changes for ESA Owners

On May 22, 2026 Colorado passed  HB26-1045, which gives housing providers clear guidance on handling ESA accommodation requests.

Mainly, the law updated the definition of an assistance animal to include "emotional support animals," redefined emotional support animals' role as supporting an individual with a disability, and defined reasonable accommodation to include making exceptions to rules and policies so people with disabilities can live in housing. These new definitions were added to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA).

HB26-1045 also established that the mere presence of an ESA is not enough to assume danger, harm, or property damage, but requires proof that the animal has caused harm or property damage before. Lawmakers moved so fast on this bill to protect Colorado's ESA owners.

Other states like Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee, among others, do not have their own statute yet, and Colorado residents have a clearer legal footing than residents in most other states.

If housing providers refuse to make reasonable accommodations for ESAs, it is considered discrimination. Housing providers can request documentation to prove the need for an ESA.

Can a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Animal in Colorado?

Yes, a landlord can deny an emotional support animal in Colorado under certain circumstances. According to Colorado law, if the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or if allowing the animal would cause an undue financial or administrative burden, the landlord may deny the request.

Emotional Support Animal Laws in Colorado

Emotional support animals are subject to federal laws in Colorado, and there are state rules as well. In Colorado, ESA housing laws are clear, but rules for taking your emotional support animal in public are more complicated.

Colorado ESA Housing Laws

Every state in the US, including Colorado, is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). This set of laws is designed to prevent discrimination in housing situations. Under the FHA, housing providers and landlords are prohibited from discriminating against individuals based on protected criteria: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability. 

The Fair Housing Act requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including allowing them to keep assistance animals in their homes. Both the US and Colorado state governments consider emotional support animals to be assistance animals protected under the FHA. This means that in most cases, emotional support animals are exempt from pet restrictions and related fees (there are exceptions for ESAs that are dangerous or not suited to the housing environment).

Colorado requires housing providers to follow FHA regulations, but it also has laws against claiming that a pet is an assistance animal. Passing off a pet as an emotional support animal to avoid pet fees or seek housing accommodation is a class 2 petty offense with fines from $45 to $500.

ESAs in the Workplace in Colorado

In Colorado, numerous pet-friendly workplaces recognize the importance of accommodating Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). These establishments often permit employees and visitors to bring their well-behaved and potty-trained pets on the premises.

Service animals, which differ from ESAs, are extensively trained to perform specific tasks for their owners, such as providing assistance during seizures or reminding them to take medication. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and must reasonably accommodate the presence of service animals. Service dogs have broader access rights and can accompany their owners in most places, except where their presence may compromise the environment, such as sterile operating rooms in hospitals.

Misrepresenting a pet as a service animal or ESA is a class 2 petty offense under Colorado law. HB 16-1426 states that any pet owner who intentionally misrepresents their animal as a service animal or an assistance animal is committing a class 2 petty offense with fines up to $500.

Clinicians who write fake ESA letters may be punished through the licensing board and can lose their license.

Colorado’s Own State-level Protection

So is an ESA letter enough to waive pet fees and deposits in Colorado?

Colorado's HB26-1045 amended the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) to define an assistance animal as an ESA and a service animal, giving Colorado its own state-level housing protection for ESA owners. HB26-1045 defines reasonable accommodation as "an exception or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service that may be necessary for an individual with a disability to have equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing, including public and common-use spaces."

The FHA states that reasonable accommodations must be provided to individuals with disabilities, and HB26-1045's sole purpose was to enforce the FHA at the state level. Providers are allowed to request documentation to support disability, such as an ESA letter, which is a necessary part of engaging in an interactive process to evaluate the request for accommodations.

Because HB26-1045 defines an ESA as an "assistance animal" under the CADA, waiving pet fees is a reasonable accommodation, as assistance animals are not pets.

Because of Colorado's HB26-1045, ESA owners now have a clearer, state-specific guideline than most other states.

Colorado ESA Laws for Travel

If you're traveling in Colorado, you can't necessarily take your emotional support animal with you on public transportation. Some providers allow assistance animals and even pets, but not all of them do. Transportation providers must allow service animals, but ESAs don't have the same protections. 

Can you take your emotional support animal on an airplane? It depends on the airline. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a federal law that prohibits air carriers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Service dogs are protected under this law and fly on airlines free of charge but emotional support animals are no longer protected and are classified as "pets" for the sake of air travel.

In its original form, the Air Carrier Access Act protected emotional support animals as well as service animals. However, that changed in 2020. The law was updated that year to exclude emotional support animals. Some airlines have chosen to maintain their ESA programs, but many have stopped allowing assistance animals to fly with their owners.

Colorado ESA Public Access Laws

The ADA requires businesses and public spaces to allow service dogs to accompany their owners. Service dogs can go pretty much anywhere, although business owners are allowed to remove a service animal that's out of control, threatening property damage or injury, or not potty trained. Remember, however, that emotional support animals aren't the same as service animals.

Are ESAs allowed in public in Colorado? Generally, it's up to the owner of the premises. Most public spaces fall under "public accommodation" rules in Colorado:

• Entertainment spaces, concert halls, and stadiums
• Restaurants and other food establishments
• Retail and rental locations
• Houses of worship
• Gathering spaces and convention centers
• Museums and libraries
• Parks
• Hotels and lodging providers
• Transportation stations
• Businesses

Colorado doesn't require owners and proprietors of businesses and public spaces to allow emotional support animals. If you want to take your ESA to a hotel or a restaurant, it's best to call first and see whether it's allowed. If you do get permission but your ESA threatens others, has an accident indoors, or acts out of control, the premises owner may remove you and your animal.

What a Colorado ESA Letter Must Include (Provider Requirements)

An ESA letter must include a few key details to legally prove you need an ESA. You must have a bona fide provider-patient relationship before the provider can write your ESA letter. You will need a formal evaluation, either in person or via telemedicine, not just a one-off form. The provider must be qualified to assess ESA need, so they need to be a licensed mental health practitioner.

An ESA letter should include the following:

• The clinician's licensing number, full name, and signature
• Your full name
• A statement mentioning that you have a mental health condition and an ESA alleviates at least one symptom
• The letter should be on a professional letterhead with the date and an expiry date
  

A legitimate ESA letter protects both you and the prescribing clinician from fraud or misrepresentation, which a scam registry does not.

How to Get a Legitimate ESA Letter in Colorado

A Colorado housing provider has the right to ask for documentation proving that your animal is an ESA. With Pettable, you can get an ESA Letter for housing online.

Complete Our Assessment

Our online pre-screening quiz lets you know whether you're a good candidate for an emotional support animal.

Consult With a Therapist

You'll get some consent forms to sign, and then you can schedule a session with a licensed mental health professional. During your telehealth consultation, the LMHP will evaluate your condition and determine if you're eligible for an ESA.

Get your Emotional Support Animal Letter

If the LMHP feels that you'd benefit from an emotional support animal, they will write and sign an official ESA Letter. With rush service, you can get your letter in as little as 24 hours (California residents excluded).

We guarantee your satisfaction with our service and will refund 100% of your money if your letter doesn't work as intended.

Go Deeper

ESA Letters in Colorado

If you struggle with an emotional or mental disability, you may qualify for an emotional support animal in Colorado. The state of Colorado acknowledges...

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal is more than just a pet. It's an animal whose comforting, calming presence helps mitigate the effects of a mental or emotional disability. Many people with anxiety, depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), agoraphobia, autism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other conditions rely on emotional support animals to improve their quality of life.

ESAs don't need to be trained to perform any specific tasks, although they can be. Any type of animal can be an emotional support animal, but dogs and cats are the most common.

What is a Service Animal?

A service animal isn't a pet either. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides the legal definition of a service animal that applies in Colorado and all other states. A service animal is a dog (and in some cases, a miniature horse) that works or performs certain tasks related to their owner's disability. 

A guide dog who leads a blind owner is a common example of a service animal. There are also psychiatric service dogs who can protect their owners during panic attacks or alert them when it's time to take their medication. 

Difference Between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal

There are two main components that define the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal: training and species. Service animals are limited to dogs and miniature horses whereas there are no restrictions on the type of animal that can be an ESA.

The other difference is training. A service animal must be trained to work or perform certain tasks for their owner, and those tasks must relate directly to the owner's disability. Emotional support animals don't need any special training. You don't have to get an emotional support animal from a special breeder or trainer.

If you already have an animal that provides essential support and comfort, you can get ESA documentation for them. First, you'll need to ensure a bona fide provider-patient relationship is in place before they can write your ESA letter. 

You must undergo a qualifying evaluation either in person or via telemedicine. This does not include a one-off online form. At Pettable, we connect you with a licensed provider in your state who can evaluate you and determine whether you need an ESA. If you qualify, your provider can write a legitimate ESA letter documenting your need for an ESA.

If you already have a dog that you wish to make into a PSD, you may choose to train the dog yourself. Self-training a psychiatric service dog is possible with the right knowledge and a bit of time. Pettable's online PSD training program is available to provide you with all the information you need to train your dog, including basic mental health-supporting tasks you can teach your pet to perform and ways to train your dog to behave obediently in public. The entirety of the program is video-based and guided by a professional psychiatric service dog trainer, allowing you to train your pet at the pace most comfortable for their development. If you want to learn how to train your dog with this course, take our online quiz to get started.