ESA REGISTRATION AND YOUR RIGHTS
Knowing how to register an emotional support animal isn’t common knowledge. What is an emotional support dog? That’s a question you may need to answer when someone approaches you while you’re with your emotional support animal (ESA). It’s a great opportunity to educate others on how ESAs help and comfort people who deal with certain disabilities. One thing you’ll want to take care of as soon as possible is to register your support animal. ESA dog registration is easy, quick, and affordable. You can trust our website to provide you with the answers you need as you work through the emotional support animal registration process.
You’ll also find information on this page that covers your legal rights and protections. Understanding your legal rights regarding your emotional support animal will help you speak up about your right to live with your pet in no-pet housing with no fee. You’ll also learn how to fly with your ESA in the cabin of an aircraft without being charged a pet fee.
MyESA is happy to help you learn more about receiving your emotional support animal certification for your ESA. We make it easy to register so that you can get your animal the proper certification and equipment it needs quickly.
We know trying to navigate the emotional support animal certification and registration process on your own can feel overwhelming. We hope to help others by offering the information, resources, and products they need to protect and provide for their emotional support animal
An emotional support animal (ESA) is a person’s pet that has been prescribed by a licensed mental health professional, such as a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. The animal is part of the treatment program for this person and is designed to bring comfort and minimize the negative symptoms of the person’s emotional/psychological disability.
All domesticated animals may qualify as an ESA (cats, dog, mice, rabbits, birds, snakes, hedgehogs, rats, mini pigs, ferrets, etc.) and they can be any age (young puppies and kittens, too!). These animals do not need any specific training because their very presence mitigates the symptoms associated with a person’s psychological/emotional disability. The only requirement is that the animal is manageable in public and does not create a nuisance in or around the home setting.
The Air Carrier Access Act 49 U.S.C. 41705, Department of Transportation 14 C.F.R. Part 382, and Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 are the laws that protect an emotionally disabled person and his/her ESA.
The legal protections an emotional support animal has are to:
- Fly with its emotionally or psychologically disabled handler in the cabin of an aircraft without being charged a pet fee. Click here for detailed information on flying with your emotional support animal.
- Qualify for no-pet housing or housing that limits size, breed, or species without being charged a pet fee. Click here for detailed information on housing rights for you and your ESA.
- No other public or private entity (motels, restaurants, stores, trains, taxis, buses, theaters, parks, beaches, libraries, zoos, etc.) is required to allow your ESA to accompany you and in all other instances, your ESA has no more rights than a pet. That means they aren’t protected by law to accompany you into any public place that does not allow pets. That doesn’t mean these places won’t let you, it just means that they are not required to by law.