- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- HB26-1045: blanket animal bans presumed discriminatory
- Where to complain
- Colorado Civil Rights Division
How Colorado ESA Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation and describe how your symptoms affect you and what your animal does to help. If the clinician finds a disability-related need, your signed letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval, ready for a landlord who asks for documentation. If not, you won't receive a letter.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Colorado renters whose building bans animals outright
- Tenants told their animal is a safety or damage risk simply because it exists
- People whose animal helps with anxiety, depression, PTSD or a similar condition
- Households with 3 or more support animals
Usually not a fit
- Anyone hoping to misstate their animal's role; Colorado fines that after a warning
- Stores, restaurants and offices; ESAs have no public access rights
- Flights; airlines may treat ESAs as pets
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $129 for 1 or 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
- Documentation suited to the request HB26-1045 allows a landlord to make
Possible side effects
- Knowingly misrepresenting an assistance animal after a warning is a civil infraction in Colorado, with fines of $25 to $500
- A landlord can still ask for documentation when your need isn't obvious, and federal review of untrained ESAs is case by case
- You pay for any damage your animal actually causes
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
Federally, the Fair Housing Act and 24 CFR 100.204 still require reasonable accommodations, though HUD's May 22, 2026 guidance treats untrained ESAs case by case. Colorado responded with HB26-1045, which writes assistance and emotional support animals into the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, so a renter's protection no longer rests on federal enforcement alone.
Colorado law on emotional support animals
- HB26-1045, signed by Governor Polis, defines assistance animals and emotional support animals within the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.
- An assistance animal is not to be treated as a safety threat, or as likely to do serious property damage, merely because it is present.
- A blanket ban on assistance animals is presumed to be discriminatory.
- Landlords may still request reasonable documentation where the need isn't obvious.
Misrepresentation in Colorado
Under C.R.S. 18-13-107.3, someone who has been warned and still knowingly misrepresents an assistance animal to obtain a housing accommodation commits a civil infraction, with fines between $25 and $500.
That law is written so it doesn't narrow the ways a person with a disability can otherwise show a need for an assistance animal.
What a Colorado landlord can and can't ask
If your need isn't apparent, a landlord can ask for reasonable documentation, such as a letter from a clinician who evaluated you. They can't refuse because of a policy that bans all animals, and they can't demand your diagnosis or medical file.
If your request is denied in Colorado
File with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, which enforces the state anti-discrimination law, or with HUD at the federal level. Keep every written exchange.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Colorado ESA Letter: common questions
What did HB26-1045 change for Colorado renters?
It wrote assistance and emotional support animals into the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Blanket bans are now presumed discriminatory, and an animal's mere presence isn't treated as a safety or damage risk.
Can my Colorado landlord still ask for a letter?
Yes, when your need isn't obvious. The new law keeps a landlord's right to ask for reasonable documentation.
What is the fine for faking an assistance animal in Colorado?
Between $25 and $500, as a civil infraction, if someone knowingly misrepresents an animal after being warned.
Why did Colorado pass its own law?
It followed HUD narrowing its federal enforcement on assistance animals, so Colorado set out protections in state law.
How much is a Colorado ESA letter?
$129 covers 1 or 2 pets. For 3 or more, it's $199.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- HB26-1045: housing protections for people with disabilitiesColorado General Assembly
- File a discrimination complaintColorado Civil Rights Division
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development