An ESA verification number is not legally required for an Emotional Support Animal and there is no national database of registered ESAs. However, a valid ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional is necessary to protect your right to have your pet with you.
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ESA Verification Numbers: Why You Don't Need One
Emotional support animals (ESAs) do not require a verification number because there is no official, legally recognized certification or registration system for ESAs in the United States. Instead, the legitimacy of an ESA is verified with a letter from a licensed mental health professional, called an ESA letter. This letter must state that the individual has a mental or emotional disability and that the animal provides support that alleviates one or more symptoms of the disability.
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How Can You Verify an Emotional Support Animal?
The only way to verify an emotional support animal is to get a legitimate ESA letter written by a licensed mental health professional. The letter should state that your emotional support animal helps alleviate mental health symptoms like loneliness or anxiety, making the animal a necessity in your life. This document can be presented to landlords to obtain accommodation for yourself and your ESA, exempt from any pet restrictions or fees. No other documentation, such as a verification number, certificate, or registry number is required.
As a landlord, you should ensure the letter clearly states the clinician's license information to verify the validity of the ESA letter.
Do You Need an ESA Verification Number?
No, you don’t need an ESA verification number to certify your emotional support animal. All you need is a valid ESA letter, which will include the license number of your letter provider, but there’s no such thing as an official ESA verification number.
Laws Against the Misrepresentation of Emotional Support Animals
Some companies will try to sell you services related to emotional support animals that misrepresent what an ESA truly is. Wearing a vest or ID tag doesn’t make an emotional support animal a service animal and certain laws criminalize misrepresenting any animal as a service animal.
In South Carolina, for example, under South Carolina law H5041 anyone who intentionally misrepresents a pet as an emotional support animal or a service animal without documentation like an ESA letter may be subject to fines and penalties.
This South Carolina law also applies to businesses that try to sell unnecessary products like vests or ID tags under the guise that these products mean their animal is ‘certified.’ A business that does this is also subject to fines and penalties in South Carolina. Other states have similar laws, so check with your local jurisdiction for exact information.
Report Illegitimate Emotional Support Animal Services
Suppose you or someone you know has dealt with a business that has misrepresented their services or products related to emotional support animals and service animals. In that case, you can file a complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Network.
Illegitimate Verification for Emotional Support Animals
Any company or service that offers verification for an emotional support animal in any form other than a legitimate emotional support animal letter isn’t being transparent. An ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional is the only way to certify an ESA. Here is a list of some common products and services that are not necessary if you are looking to get an emotional support animal:
Emotional Support Animal ID or Verification Numbers
While it’s up to you if you want your emotional support animal to have physical identifiers like a vest or ID tag, wearing either of these things doesn’t make them an emotional support animal or a service animal. The only way to do that is by getting an ESA letter or by consulting with a healthcare professional.
Any company that tries to sell you an IS tag or verification number and claims that this will certify your ESA isn’t being honest with you and should be reported.
Emotional Support Animal Registration
There’s no official emotional support animal registration process on a state or federal level, and companies claiming to add you or your ESA to a registry or provide you with a registration number are likely scams. The only way to legally certify an emotional support animal is by getting a legitimate ESA letter.
Emotional Support Animal Vests
Emotional support animal vests aren’t required for certified ESAs but can be helpful to you if you want your emotional support animal to be identifiable. Wearing a vest doesn’t provide an ESA with any additional rights or protections, and doesn’t mean they are certified. An emotional support animal can only be certified with a legitimate ESA letter.
Emotional Support Animal Certificates
Other than legitimate emotional support animal letters, there is no such thing as emotional support animal certificates. The only way to certify an emotional support animal is with an ESA letter, and any company offering a certificate or certification number for your ESA is a scam.
How to Legally Certify an Emotional Support Animal
The only way to legally certify an emotional support animal is by getting an emotional support animal letter from a licensed mental health professional.
An ESA Letter is the Only Documentation You Need
Since there’s no such thing as an ESA registry or ESA certification numbers, an ESA letter is the only documentation you need to make sure your emotional support animal is considered legit.
Any Licensed Mental Health Professional In Your State Can Certify Your ESA
Each state may have specific laws regarding emotional support animals, but any mental health professional licensed in your state can write your ESA letter.
To be legitimate, an emotional support animal letter doesn’t need to include specific information about your disability or mental health condition. It simply needs to state that one exists and that an ESA is required as part of your care plan.
Meet the author:
April Brightman is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast with a passion for traveling and hiking with her rescue pup, Marley. She's written for pet-centered sites like Outward Hound, as well as outdoorsy adventure brands like BearVault, Hipcamp, and Explorer Chick.
