ESA letter in California

How California ESA Letter works

Book a telehealth evaluation and talk through your symptoms and how your animal helps. For an emotional support dog, AB 468 calls for a client-provider relationship of at least 30 days and a clinical evaluation first, so the final signed letter comes after those 30 days, not straight after your first visit. The clinician must also hold an active license where you are located, so check with our care team before booking. You'll also be told that falsely claiming a dog is a service dog is a misdemeanor. For animals other than dogs, an approved letter is emailed within 24 hours. If you don't qualify, no letter is issued.

Who it’s for, and who it isn’t

What’s included

• Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
• Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state, plus its effective date
• $129 for 1 or 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
• Notice about California's Penal Code 365.7
• For emotional support dogs, the final letter once the 30-day relationship is complete

Possible side effects

• Penal Code 365.7 makes it a misdemeanor to falsely present a dog as a guide, signal or service dog
• The 30-day requirement means a dog letter can't be rushed for a move-in date
• Damage caused by the animal is still your responsibility

This isn’t a complete list. Your clinician reviews risks, interactions and warnings with you before prescribing. In an emergency, call 911.

What the evidence says

The Fair Housing Act and 24 CFR 100.204 require reasonable accommodations, and HUD's May 22, 2026 guidance reviews untrained ESAs case by case. California goes further on both sides: AB 468 controls how emotional support dog letters are written, and the Civil Rights Department says an ESA can't be subject to pet rent, a pet deposit, or breed, size and weight limits. The Department also states that AB 468 leaves a landlord's duty to accommodate an ESA unchanged.

AB 468 and the 30-day rule

Health and Safety Code 122318 says a clinician may write an emotional support dog letter only after a client-provider relationship of at least 30 days and a clinical evaluation. In practice, you start with an evaluation and receive the final letter for your dog after the 30 days.

• Your clinician needs an active license in the place where you are located.
• The letter must show the license number, type, jurisdiction and effective date.
• You must receive notice, spoken or written, that Penal Code 365.7 makes it a misdemeanor to falsely present a dog as a guide, signal or service dog.

What a California landlord can and can't do

• Can't charge pet rent or a pet deposit for an ESA, per the Civil Rights Department.
• Can't apply breed, size or weight limits to an ESA.
• Still has to grant a reasonable ESA accommodation; AB 468 doesn't change that duty.
• Can't demand your diagnosis or medical records.

Sellers of emotional support dogs

Businesses that sell emotional support dogs must give buyers written notice that the dog isn't a trained service dog. The civil penalties begin at $500, under Health and Safety Code 122317 and 122319.

If your request is denied in California

File a housing complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, or a federal complaint with HUD. Keep your request, your letter and every reply.